The Commanders are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and hopefully Watson can take advantage of this matchup, which might include having David Njoku (ankle) back in action. Watson has scored 15.4 Fantasy points or less in three of four games this season, including just 14.2 points at Las Vegas in Week 4. But he has the chance for a quality performance in Week 5 at Washington, as the Commanders are allowing 25.8 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year. If the Browns can protect Watson this week -- which is hard to do since he's been sacked 19 times -- then he could be a useful starter in all one-quarterback leagues.
Yes, I know how bad Watson has been. And I know Kyler Murray just struggled against this defense. But he's one of the few QBs in the last calendar year who haven't lit this defense up. Daniel Jones scored 20 Fantasy points against them just three weeks ago. I expect a big time bounce back from both Watson and Amari Cooper in this spot. For the record, I would strongly prefer Sam Darnold, but he's only available in 32% of leagues.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Week 5 Waiver Priority List
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Watson has scored 15.4 Fantasy points or less in three of four games this season, including just 14.2 points at Las Vegas in Week 4. But he has the chance for a quality performance in Week 5 at Washington, given the matchup. The Commanders are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and hopefully, the Browns offensive line holds up enough to give Watson time to produce. He's worth adding in all one-quarterback leagues for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Lackluster results in road loss
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Watson completed 24 of 32 pass attempts for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception while rushing eight times for 32 yards in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Raiders.
Watson failed to eclipse the 200-yard mark in passing in all four of his starts this season. With a mediocre 5:6 touchdown-to-turnover ratio in those four contests, the former fantasy star is looking like a shell of his former self in three seasons with Cleveland. Managers still holding out hope for the 2017 first-round pick are likely playing in deeper formats or two-QB leagues, as Watson is unlikely to garner big projections in a road matchup against Washington following a forgettable start to 2024.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Week 4 Waiver Priority List
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Watson topped 20 Fantasy points for the first time in Week 3 against the Giants when he scored 20.4, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come. He has another favorable matchup in Week 4 at the Raiders, and then he gets Washington, Philadelphia and Cincinnati after that. This could be a nice stretch of Fantasy production for Watson, who has yet to pass for at least 200 yards. But he could be a nice replacement option if needed in one-quarterback leagues, and Watson is worth adding for 5-10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Another sub-200 yard passing game
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Watson 21 of 37 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 21-15 loss to the Giants. He also threw a two-point conversion, rushed four times for 26 yards and fumbled twice, losing both.
Watson threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper immediately after the Giants fumbled the opening kickoff, but Cleveland's next points didn't come until there was 11:33 left in the fourth quarter, when Watson tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Cooper and added a two-point conversion to Jerry Jeudy. Watson finished the first half with only 67 passing yards and missed his first six throws after halftime before heating up to get the Browns back into the game, only to cool down again down the stretch as Cleveland's last two drives ended in turnovers on downs without a first down. After being sacked a career-high eight times by the Giants, Watson will hope to get better protection in Week 4 against the Raiders.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Sleeper QBs
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I wouldn't start Watson in a one-quarterback league, but he's a good option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. He should take advantage of this matchup against the Giants, especially if Brian Burns (groin) is out for New York's defense. Watson's best game was 15.4 Fantasy points in Week 2 at Jacksonville, but he will hopefully have a two-touchdown outing for any Fantasy managers who need him in Week 3. And it would be great if Watson started to connect with Amari Cooper this week since Cooper only has five catches for 27 yards on 17 targets.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Week 3 Waiver Priority List
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Watson scored 15.4 Fantasy points in Week 2 at Jacksonville, and so far that's his best performance through two games. The only reason to consider Watson this week is his matchup against the Giants, and hopefully, Watson can top 20 Fantasy points at home. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Manages Browns to victory
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Watson completed 22 of 34 passes for 186 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 18-13 win over the Jaguars. He added five rushes for 20 yards and a touchdown.
It was still far from a prolific performance, but Watson improved significantly compared to his dismal Week 1 showing. He avoided turnovers and showed the ability to distribute the ball down the field as he had three completions of at least 20 yards -- two of which went to Jerry Jeudy. Watson also accounted for the team's only touchdown with a one-yard run late in the first quarter. Overall, he was able to execute the offense fairly effectively, though it didn't lead to much fantasy success for himself or his skill-position players.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Will start Sunday
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Watson will start Sunday's game at Jacksonville, NFL.com reports.
Stefanski directed reporters to the team's official statement from Tuesday, in which the Browns said they will "respect the due process our legal system affords" after a civil lawsuit filed Monday accused Watson of sexual assault and battery in October 2020. Watson isn't expected to go on the commissioner's exempt list for now, with NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy announcing Tuesday that the league will "look into the matter under the personal conduct policy." The NFL suspended Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million in 2022, after at least two dozen women made allegations similar to those in the lawsuit filed Monday. He has since reached confidential settlements for 23 of the 24 civil suits.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Facing civil lawsuit
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The NFL is not expected to place Watson on the commissioner's exempt list after a civil lawsuit was filed Monday accusing him of sexual assault and battery in October 2020, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports. "We are reviewing the complaint, and we will look into the matter under the personal conduct policy. Not looking at commissioner's exempt list as there's been no formal charges and the league's review has just begun," league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said Tuesday.
Watson previously served an 11-game suspension, paid a $5 million fine and was ordered to undergo mandatory evaluation by behavioral experts and follow their suggested treatment program in 2022, after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions. The lawsuit filed Monday represents a new complaint that the league will investigate and is one of two pending lawsuits filed against Watson, who had previously settled 23 of the 24 civil suits related to accusations of sexual misconduct.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Ugly Week 1 showing
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Watson completed 24 of 45 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Cowboys. He added five rushes for 39 yards.
Watson was unable to move the Cleveland offense at any meaningful point in the game and averaged a disastrous 3.8 yards per attempt. Particularly troublesome was Watson's inability to distribute the ball effectively to his top pass catchers, as he was just 2-for-9 when targeting Amari Cooper and 3-for-8 when looking toward Jerry Jeudy. Dallas projects to be an above-average defense this season, but it will be difficult to trust any Browns' skill-position player regularly until Watson shows the ability to improve his level of play.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Restructure clears up cap space
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The Browns restructured Watson's contract Thursday by converting $44.8 million of his base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $35.8 million in cap space, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports
Watson's restructure could be positioning Cleveland for impending roster moves, as the team now has a NFL-leading $62 million in available salary cap space. Meanwhile, Watson still carries a tremendous $72.9 million salary cap hit for the Browns in both 2025 and 2026. Now heading into his age-29 season, Watson is coming off a quiet preseason in which he was held out of exhibition action and received regular rest days while working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery. The team's Week 1 regular-season opener against the Cowboys will represent Watson's first game action since last November.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Limited due to soreness
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Watson (arm) was limited in practice due to "general arm soreness," Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Stefanski added that he hasn't yet made a decision on Watson's status for Saturday's preseason finale against the Seahawks, though Kelsey Russo of the team's official site reports that the coach said earlier this week that starters "should expect to play." Per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, Jameis Winston handled all the first-team reps at practice Wednesday with Watson being held out. Stefanski mentioned that he's "not overly concerned" about Watson's health.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Won't play in second preseason game
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Watson isn't expected to play Saturday versus Minnesota in Cleveland's second preseason contest, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Watson sat out the Browns' preseason opener against Green Bay and won't suit up for the second exhibition contest either. However, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports that the quarterback has been cleared for full contact and will get most of the reps in joint practices with the Vikings this week. It remains to be seen if Watson will participate in Cleveland's third and final preseason game Saturday, Aug. 24 against Seattle.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday that he was unsure whether Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the Browns' three preseason games, Patrick Warren of the Browns' official site reports.
Watson, who had offseason shoulder surgery, has been throwing in camp, but the coach is being extra cautious at this stage. Stefanski said the coaching staff will discuss the quarterback's progress and make any playing decisions at the appropriate time.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Throwing daily without setbacks
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Watson (shoulder) said Wednesday he's been throwing daily, including with teammate Amari Cooper, as part of his rehab process, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson declined to say whether he's been fully cleared for training camp, but it's encouraging to hear that he's been able to move through his rehab program without setbacks. He missed all but six games in 2023 and underwent surgery last November to repair a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder. The outlook of Cleveland's passing attack for 2024 depends not only on Watson's health, but also the presence of Cooper, who is negotiating a new contract. Cooper skipped mandatory minicamp in June, and at this point, his full attendance at camp isn't a total guarantee, so it's a positive that he and Watson are already working on developing more of a rapport.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Continues to progress
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Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Watson is throwing every other day as the quarterback continues his rehab from a season-ending shoulder injury, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Per Oyefusi, Watson threw passes during Tuesday's session but didn't do so Wednesday, though he did participate in individual and team drills. In regard to how Watson has looked during OTAs, Stefanski noted that the quarterback "looked like himself." Watson underwent surgery last November to repair a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his right shoulder, so the Browns are proceeding deliberately with their top signal-caller in anticipation of him being ready for Week 1. With Watson not throwing Wednesday, Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley took the bulk of the reps in team drills.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Throwing full speed
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Watson (shoulder) said Tuesday he's already resumed "throwing full speed" but that he's uncertain how large a workload he'll handle during OTAs and minicamp, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Watson clarified that certain members of the Browns' medical staff are in favor of a more conservative approach to the quarterback's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, which would have him wait until training camp to fully practice. Still, Watson is confident he'll be available for the Browns' season opener, and there appears to be no real worries about his Week 1 status. In case Watson misses part of the offseason, or struggles during the fall, Cleveland can lean on experienced backups Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley.
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Browns' Deshaun Watson: Confident in Week 1 availability
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Watson, who is bouncing back from shoulder surgery he underwent Nov. 21, noted Thursday he has no doubt that he'll be ready for the Browns' season opener, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Per Cabot, Watson resumed throwing as of March 19, with the quarterback acknowledging that his recovery process is "day to day" and that he plans to "to take it one step at a time." In the coming months, part of that process will involve load management, with Watson expressing confidence that he'll be ready and in top form in advance of Week 1. That said, Watson figures to be eased back into the mix once the Browns resume on-field activities, a scenario that should result in newcomers Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley seeing added signal-caller reps until Watson is deemed ready to practice without limitations.
