The Browns offensive struggles continued in Week 3 at home as they fell to 1-2 after a 21-15 loss to the visiting New York Giants. So far, the Browns have been unable to score more than 17 points in a single game, limiting their players' fantasy impact. Deshaun Watson has been one of the worst quarterbacks in football, and with two turnovers against the Giants, he landed at 15th best in fantasy last week, saved by the two touchdowns to Amari Cooper. The veteran Cooper led the Browns in fantasy scoring last week with 27.6 points as he shook off his slow start to the season.
Running back Jerome Ford remains at the top of the Browns fantasy scoring board, outside of quarterback, with a season total of 36.3 points this season. Cooper is second with only one good fantasy game of the year, showing just how tough it has been for the Cleveland offense to make an impact in fantasy football this year. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is the only other player with over 30 points through three games with 32.5.
Cleveland heads to Vegas to take on the Raiders, who have had a better year on offense. Five non-quarterbacks have over 30 fantasy points, including 44.9 from star wide receiver Davante Adams. The Browns defense will have a big challenge this weekend. They go up against quarterback Gardner Minshew, who had a great game against Cleveland last year when he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Minshew was benched last weekend during the loss to the Carolina Panthers but has been named the starter again this week with the Browns coming to town. Browns star Myles Garrett is banged up but expected to play through the pain, and he made life difficult on Daniel Jones last week against one of the best tackles in the NFL, Andrew Thomas.
Start Em: Amari Cooper, WR
After two quiet weeks to start the season, the Browns star Amari Cooper got on the same page as Deshaun Watson and was his usual self against the Giants. Multiple catches were highly improbable, and Cooper made them look easy, something he has done routinely during his career. The Raiders'; secondary is a bit suspect, with Zay Flowers of the Ravens and Diontae Johnson of the Panthers producing at least 90 yards and a touchdown a piece in the last two games. Cooper produced last year even when the Browns'; quarterback play was awful, and now that he looks like his old self again, there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to do so.
Sit Em: D’Onta Foreman, RB
The veteran running back’s usage has been inconsistent over the first three weeks. Against the Cowboys in the season opener, he got zero touches before being the lead back in the win over Jacksonville in week two. It looked like he was in line to get plenty of touches against the Giants who struggled against powerbacks the previous week and he ended up with two carries despite the favorable matchup. Foreman should not be in your fantasy teams' starting lineup until his snap count becomes consistent over an extended period of time.
Start Em: Jerome Ford, RB
Jerome Ford has been one of the Browns'; most consistent fantasy performers over the three weeks, in large part due to his ability as a pass catcher in points-per-reception leagues. He has had two double-digit games and still managed 7.4 fantasy points in week two when D’Onta Foreman got the bulk of the run as a ball carrier. Ford is an excellent option to play in the FLEX position of PPR leagues and will hover around 10 fantasy points each week with his usage in the Browns'; offense as a check-down option for a struggling passing offense.
Sit Em: Browns Defense
The Browns' defense is one of the more talented groups in the league, but twice this season, the opposing quarterbacks, excluding Jacksonville, have had their best games of the year against them. The group continues to get pressure on the quarterback, but their lack of turnovers over the past three weeks limits their output in fantasy. So far, through three weeks, the Browns defense hasn’t had a single week with double-digit points. Overall, the Browns' defense is ranked 15th in fantasy this season, and their best player, Myles Garrett, could be slowed by multiple injuries.