4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW: CLEVELAND BROWNS (2021)
Today, we are continuing our 4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW SERIES as we are covering the Cleveland Browns of the AFC North!
The Browns certainly gave their fans something to cheer about as they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the playoffs last season. Some Browns fans even referred to that game as their Super Bowl due to the years of heartbreak they’ve endured and epic nature of how they beat their divisional rival. Their success was short-lived, however, as they were bounced in the next round by the Kansas City Chiefs, and Browns fans will always remember the annoying fumble through the endzone touchback ruling in that game.
Going into the 2021 season, the Browns didn’t make many offensive player transactions, but they certainly shored up their defensive unit, a topic we’ll be discussing later today. This year the Browns will be looking to make a run at the AFC North title and have a legitimate chance of winning it! In fact, don’t be surprised if they make a deep playoff push as well.
So with that said, who are the players from the Browns offense that can help you win a fantasy championship in 2021?
Find out below in our 2021 Browns 4-EYED Team Preview!
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield’s problem in 2020 was his consistency with his game outcomes. He was better in person than he was for fantasy because he visually looked like he improved throughout the season, but his fantasy performances didn’t show it. Against Cincinnati in Week 7, Mayfield had his second-best game of the entire season with 30.78 points. While that was a great performance, it was followed by three straight games where he had less than eight fantasy points per week. The Browns are a run-first team and so in order for Mayfield to bring some fantasy relevance to the table he needs to be able to open up the offense through the air consistently.
We saw Mayfield at his best from Weeks 12 to 15, and it was these performances that should instill hope for the upcoming season. Over that span, he had 10 passing touchdowns to only one interception, and he scored at least 18 fantasy points per week. Mayfield isn’t going to be someone that you draft highly, but if you wait to take a quarterback he is an intriguing backup or a late-round flier.
Running Backs
Nick Chubb
Chubb played in 12 games last season and still managed to finish as the RB9 in half-PPR scoring. If you look at the games that Chubb was able to play the whole game, he averaged 19 fantasy points per game which would have had him as the RB6. He is the lead back for the run-heavy Browns and even though he isn’t the main pass-catching back, he has shown he can be versatile and effective. Even though he missed four games, Chubb has shown that he will be no stranger to the endzone as he scored 12 rushing touchdowns last season which was tied for the fourth-most in the league.
Going into 2021, I have Chubb ranked as my RB4 even without being a prolific pass catcher. Chubb is one of the best rushers in the league and once he returned from his injury in Week 10, Chubb was the RB5 the rest of the season in half-PPR scoring and he had only 13 receptions in that span.
Kareem Hunt
Hunt is the best backup running back in the league because he is an asset in the run game, but he is the pass-catching back for the Browns. While Chubb finished as the RB9, Hunt was right behind him as the RB10. Hunt is extremely consistent with his performances and even though Chubb missed some games, Hunt played better overall when Chubb was active.
Hunt had at least three targets in 12 games last season and had at least 10 rushing attempts in 13 games. Hunt and Chubb have shown that they both can be fantasy relevant in this offense and can find success. While Chubb has an ADP of RB6, Hunt is going as the RB23 in the fourth round. Hunt is the first backup running back going in drafts and he also brings the most value. Hunt will be solid again in 2021 for the Browns been if Chubb plays the whole season.
Wide Receivers
Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham suffered a season-ending injury in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Prior to his injury, Beckham was averaging 12.55 points per game. His tenure on the Browns has him looking like a shadow of himself as he has never been able to recreate the wide receiver that we saw in his first three years in the league with the New York Giants. The days of Beckham being a WR1 are gone, but you just need to change your expectations.
Beckham is being drafted as the WR24 going in the sixth round of drafts around receivers like Kenny Golladay and Chase Claypool. This is kind of high in my opinion, but before his injury, Beckham was the WR16 through the first six weeks of the 2020 season. If Mayfield is going to be more consistent in his passing, Beckham is going to be important for that. Beckham has a ceiling of a WR2 this year so draft him as your WR2 or WR3 and you will be pleased.
Jarvis Landry
Landry played in 15 games for the Browns last season and he was their WR1. Landry led the team in targets, receptions, yards, and was tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns with five. Landry’s fantasy production was directly linked with the success of Mayfield. While this seems obvious, we sometimes see quarterbacks have bad stretches, but especially in PPR leagues, we see wide receivers still retain their value. But, from Week 1 to 11, Landry was the WR52 so he wasn’t doing much for your lineups. However, from Week 12 on, Landry was the WR14 so as Mayfield’s success rose, so did Landry’s.
Landry’s ADP is a little high at the moment as WR41 solely because he is going around Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, and Lavishka Shenault Jr. and I would rather all three of them above Landry at the moment. If you can get Landry in the ninth round or after, there is definite value there.
Tight End
Austin Hooper
Hooper is going undrafted and that isn’t surprising seeing as he did finish as the TE21 last season. Keep an eye on how his season begins though as he is an early waiver wire target for me if Mayfield does in fact take that next step. For now, though, leave the Browns tight end alone.