Browns Fantasy Rankings, Projections, Analysis for Every Player

Expectations couldn't be higher for the Cleveland Browns entering this season under head coach Freddie Kitchens as he looks to build on a successful 2018 campaign.

Can quarterback Baker Mayfield sustain his meteoric rise into Year 2? Is Odell Beckham Jr. still a top five receiver in this league? Will Nick Chubb emerge as the top running back in a crowded backfield that now includes Kareem Hunt?

Our analysts rank all their key players by scoring format, project their season-long stat lines and analyze their overall outlooks heading into the season.

Browns Fantasy Rankings, Projections

Baker Mayfield, QB

• Pass: 371 comp | 569 att | 65.3 comp% | 4,498 yds | 31.2 TDs | 14.1 INTs
• Rush: 46 car | 167 yds | 1.2 TDs

Nick Chubb, RB

• Rush: 258 car | 1,236 yds | 10.8 TDs
• Rec: 32 catches | 248 yds | 1.7 TDs

Kareem Hunt, RB

• Rush: 57 car | 258 yds | 2.2 TDs
• Rec: 19 catches | 189 yds | 1.3 TDs

Odell Beckham Jr., WR

• Rec: 92.1 catches | 1327 yds | 10.2 TDs

Jarvis Landry, WR

• Rec: 75.9 catches | 879 yds | 4.8 TDs

Rashard Higgins, WR

• Rec: 35.6 catches | 482 yds | 2.8 TDs

Antonio Callaway, WR

• Rec: 20.6 catches | 285 yds | 2.1 TDs

David Njoku, TE

• Rec: 54 catches | 632 yds | 4.8 TDs

Note: Projections as of August 22.

>> Get our experts' latest fantasy rankings and projections in our Draft Kit.

Browns Fantasy Outlooks

Chris Raybon analyzes Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens' playcalling tendencies to predict who could benefit the most.

• Once Kitchens took over the offense, breakout rookie Nick Chubb handled 19.8 of the team's 26.4 backfield touches per game. Chubb averaged 0.98 PPR and 0.83 standard points per touch last season, and thus would have needed 17.6 touches per game to crack the top 10 PPR backs and 16.2 touches per game to crack the top 10 in standard. Chubb could easily maintain RB1 numbers even if Kareem Hunt pushes for double-digit touches once he returned mid-season. In the meantime, the Duke Johnson trade and unproven No. 2 back Dontrell Hilliard's lingering preseason hamstring injury could potentially result in even more volume for Chubb than he had over the second half of last season.
• Monken preaches balance, but it's not the usual kind of fantasy-value-draining balance we're all too familiar with. Instead, it was a fantasy owner's dream. His top three perimeter wideouts were showered with air yardage totals that ranked second, 15, and 21st at the position. His slot receiver ran the second-most slot routes in the league. His top tight end was on pace to finish fourth in air yards at the position, and both of his top two tight ends finished top-20 in red zone targets. The result? Four different wide receivers of his finished inside the top 36 in PPR and top 45 in standard points per game. As a team, the Bucs led the league in WR fantasy points and were top-seven in TE points. Not to mention, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jamison Winston combined for a QB2 finish despite neither one of them having ever cracked the top 10 in 16 combined seasons prior. We saw glimpses of this out of Mayfield once Kitchens took over. Jarvis Landry's target share decreased from 30% to 21% but his yards per target increased from 5.6 to 8.2 while Mayfield was hyper-efficient at distributing the ball to wide receivers Breshad Perriman (14.5 YPT), Rashard Higgins (10.6 YPT), Antonio Callaway (10.3 YPT), and tight end David Njoku (9.2 YPT).

• Speaking of Njoku, Monken's tenure with the Bucs coincided with a three-year period in which they ranked top-four in tight end TDs each season. Meanwhile, Year 1 of Kitchens — who has seven years of experience as a tight ends coach — saw Browns tight ends post a top-six finish in TDs, as well. Entering his third season way lower on the defense's list of priorities than his talent would otherwise warrant, Njoku could be this year's Eric Ebron.