Roundtable: Browns Passing Game

The Footballguys roundtable delivers their fantasy valuation of the Browns' passing game moving forward.

Matt Waldman's Roundtable: Browns Passing Game Matt Waldman Published 09/25/2025

© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images roundtable

Welcome to Week 4 of the 2025 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

Let's roll...

Matt Waldman: Let's look at Cleveland's receivers from a fantasy perspective. 

Be a pro. No complaints. If faced with the challenge of choosing the best option(s) from this low-value fantasy group, who do you want for redraft?

Tipp Major: You wanted me to be nice when it comes to talking about the Cleveland Browns fantasy wasteland? 

Waldman: Nope, just no complaints about discussing a dumpster fire of an organization. 

Major: Fair...Actually, I do see a silver lining in the situation. Joe Flacco is only a temporary fix -- he’s not there for the long term. With several young players on the roster, the Browns are really just preparing this group for whoever the next quarterback ends up being—whether that’s a quarterback on their roster or someone else. 

From this group, the most versatile player is Harold Fannin Jr.. He's already taking opportunities away from David Njoku at the tight end spot, and his versatility allows him to line up almost anywhere on the offensive side of the field. That kind of flexibility often turns into consistent production. 

Second on my list is Jerry Jeudy. He’s still young with strong upside as a route runner. He’s not a primary option, but he’s serviceable right now and could grow into a bigger role if the quarterback situation stabilizes.

Cedric Tillman is interesting. He’s a good red-zone option and a solid player overall, but injuries are a concern. I wouldn’t mind adding him in redraft formats, but I’m not investing heavily in him for the long term.

As for Njoku, I was optimistic when Joe Flacco took over at quarterback because the two quickly developed noticeable chemistry in the passing game two years ago. It seems the Browns want to spread the ball around, which hurts Njoku’s consistency.

He’s a redraft option right now. If he is moved to a different team, that could reopen his Dynasty appeal, but that’s a big "if". Overall, I do think brighter days are ahead for the Cleveland Browns' offense. Not this year, but maybe two years from now, we’ll see this group become fantasy relevant again. 

Mike Kashuba: David Njoku is still the guy here for redraft, but expectations need to be tempered. The possibility for a game-breaking spike week is still there, and as long as Joe Flacco is at the helm, he's stuck in your starting spot. Once they move to a younger option at quarterback, all receiving threats move to streaming status, and the Browns' offense will be completely matchup dependent.  

Jeff Blaylock: I'll go with Jeudy for redraft to be an adequate bye-week fill-in or injury replacement. He accounts for 43.2 percent of his team's air yards, which places him 10th in the league among wide receivers with at least 200 air yards. While that statistic says nothing about the quality of those throws from Joe Flacco, it at least says the potential is there for him to be the team's most productive receiver. 

Jeff Bell: In redraft, I want Njoku. It’s early, and there’s enough variance that one touchdown would have made him a TE1. I think Njoku will score at least one touchdown. His play has not declined, and he has shown himself to be a contributor.  

Meng Song: There's not much to love about this moribund Cleveland offense, but if I had to pick one player for redraft and dynasty, Harold Fannin Jr. would be the answer. He's still surprisingly available in around half of leagues depending on platform.

The Browns can't pass protect, so that should translate to continued targets to Fannin in the short areas of the field. He can remain a back-end TE1 in PPR formats with his current target volume, with no reliable wide receivers and aging David Njoku. 

Waldman: He's only 29, Meng. Top TEs often deliver elite fantasy value well into their 30s. We might see another 4-6 years for Njoku in a new town next year. 

Song: True, but that's if you think Njoku is that level of performer. There's also a chance he signs with an organization that sees him as an afterthought in the passing game. It happens. 

As a side note, is it cheating to also say Quinshon Judkins? After all, he has already caught four balls in two starts and is easily the most exciting dynasty asset on the Browns. He's looked dynamic on limited touches despite having missed all of training camp due to legal concerns.

As long as you can stomach the off-field risk, Judkins looks every bit like the Nick Chubb replacement Cleveland drafted him to be through two games. If, and it's a big if, the Browns can ever get even average quarterback play from Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, or someone not yet on the roster in 2026, Judkins could be a top-12 fantasy running back.

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