Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em

Will Levis (@ TB) – In a move that surprised nobody, the Titans officially named rookie Will Levis the starter going forward this week. Levis cooled off a bit in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh but has a plus matchup in week 10. The Buccaneers have given up 71.9 fantasy points in the last two games to opposing quarterbacks including 794 passing yards. Rookie C.J. Stroud shredded this Tampa Bay defense on Sunday and Levis will also have success against this secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Russell Wilson (@ Buf) – The last time we saw Wilson and the Broncos they upset the Chiefs at home. Wilson finished that game with 3 touchdowns on just 114 passing yards. It was an impressive day for Denver which has won two in a row. Up next they get to face the Bills in Buffalo coming off the bye. Buffalo is looking to put last week’s struggles behind them and I expect their defense to own this contest. Look for Buffalo to control the clock and run the ball taking the pressure off of Josh Allen.

Running Backs

Start ‘Em

Brian Robinson Jr. (@ Sea) – Robinson Jr. and the Commanders will be on the road again this time heading to Seattle. Washington squeaked by New England last Sunday and Robinson scored his 5th rushing touchdown of the season. The Seahawks were shredded on the ground last week by the Ravens for 298 total rushing yards. Expect the Commanders to feed Robinson early and often in this contest. Fellow running back Antonio Gibson is also worth considering as both could be in for big days.

Sit ‘Em

Jerome Ford (@ Bal) – Jerome Ford could be in for another tough day in Baltimore. The last time the Browns faced the Ravens, Ford was held to just 26 rushing yards on 9 carries. Baltimore’s defense has looked dominant, especially at home. Last week they held Kenneth Walker III to just 16 rushing yards and 1.7 total fantasy points. Sit Ford this week and most of the Browns offense.

Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em

DJ Moore (vs. Car) – Since his week 5 explosion vs. the Washington Commanders, Moore has yet to break 10 fantasy points (Half PPR). Some of that has to do with the injury to Justin Fields and an inconsistent Bears offense. Up next Moore gets his revenge game as Chicago welcomes the Panthers on Thursday night. I see Moore finding the end zone this week vs. a surprisingly stingy Panthers secondary.

Sit ‘Em

Davante Adams (vs. NYJ) – Despite the coaching and quarterback change last week, Adams had another dud of a game. In fact Adams hasn’t broken double-digit fantasy points since week 4. Up next he gets to face the Jets defense who have locked down opposing wide receivers all year. Eventually, Adams’s numbers will pick up again just not this week.

Tight Ends

Start ‘Em

Kyle Pitts (@ Ari) – It’s been another disappointing season for Kyle Pitts owners. Pitts has only found paydirt once this season and has struggled to produce much of anything. If you’re going to start Pitts this is the week to do it. The Falcons head west to take on the woeful Cardinals. I see Pitts finally get back in the end zone vs. an Arizona defense that has given up touchdowns in back-to-back games to opposing tight ends. The change at quarterback to Taylor Heinicke should help this offense overall which has been lackluster under Desmond Ridder.

Sit ‘Em

David Njoku (@ Bal) – As I stated earlier the entire Browns offense is due for a tough day vs. Baltimore. On top of that, Njoku is also dealing with a knee injury that is keeping him out of practice. Even if he were fully healthy I would still sit Njoku in this one. The Ravens are allowing an average of just 4.1 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.

Start of the Week

Tony Pollard (vs. NYG) – What happened to Tony Pollard this season? To say Pollard has been underwhelming is and understatement. He hasn’t found the end zone since week 1 and has only broken the 100-yard rushing mark once this year. Thankfully for Pollard and the Cowboys, they get to face the lowly Giants this week at home. The last time these two teams faced Pollard had 2 rushing touchdowns and Dallas hammered New York 40-0. Pollard will finally get back in the end zone this week as the Cowboys will look to control the clock. Dallas is a massive 16.5 favorite in this one and the point spread still may not be enough.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 10 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Jerome Ford

Jerome Ford filled in admirably for the Cleveland Browns after Chubb exited. He showed explosiveness and vision and was a threat in the passing game. Even though he looked the part in relief, can he handle the full-time role?

That’s tough to say as we haven’t yet seen Ford handle more than 16 carries in a game (which came on Monday night). That said, if they stay with Ford they wouldn’t have to give up any draft picks or take a hit against their cap.

Kareem Hunt

Update: Hunt has signed a one-year deal with the Browns worth up to $4 million.

Kareem Hunt is still a free agent which is somewhat surprising. Hunt is still only 28 years old and was productive in 2022 backing up Chubb. The fact that he is still available leads me to believe his asking price is too high for teams to pull the trigger. If that’s the case would he take less money to return to Cleveland?

Possibly, now that he knows he can handle the majority of the carries. Like Ford though Hunt’s most carries in a game in 2022 was 13. If Hunt was signed we would most likely see a mix of him and Ford.

Cam Akers

Cam Akers is once again in Sean McVay’s dog house and this time it looks like the Rams are ready to trade him. I like the fit here with Akers in the Browns offense and there are rumors they have interest. Akers would likely cost a mid-round draft pick and the Browns have 8 total picks next year.

I could see the Rams letting Akers go for a 5th or possibly a 6th and the Browns have two of each. Even in an up-and-down 2022 Akers had 7 rushing touchdowns and 786 rushing yards. At 24, Akers still has plenty to offer if he goes to the right situation.

The post Running Back Options for the Cleveland Browns appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford – (32.3% Owned)

It turns out Stafford can still have success without Cooper Kupp. Stafford has thrown for over 300+ yards in his first two games as he continues to build rapport with his young receivers. One of those targets is of course Puka Nacua who is on a record-breaking pace in his rookie season. If you’re struggling at the quarterback position, Stafford is worth a look.

Running Backs

Jerome Ford – (13.1% Owned)

We now know star running back Nick Chubb is out for the season which means it’s Jerome Ford’s time to shine. Chubb suffered a gruesome knee injury on Monday night that was so bad they couldn’t show the replay. In his absence, Ford showed he is more than capable of taking over the lead-back role. Ford finished with 106 rushing yards including an impressive 69-yard scamper. Cleveland will need more of that from him to have any chance this season.

Matt Breida – (1.6% Owned)

Another key injury at the running back position was to Saquon Barkley who went down with an ankle injury. It looks as of now that Barkley will miss 2-3 weeks as he recovers. Matt Breida will most likely take over the starting duties but don’t expect huge production. Breida has been quiet thus far this season and should only be claimed if you are deep at the RB position.

Jaylen Warren – (40.7% Owned)

Now is the time to pick up Jaylen Warren if he is available in your league. Warren has looked like the more explosive back in the Pittsburgh Steelers backfield thus far. With Najee Harris struggling it’s only a matter of time until Warren gets more touches. What should you do with Harris? It’s time to think about putting him on the trade block.

Wide Receivers

Skyy Moore – (59.6% Owned)

It took a while but Skyy Moore finally showed his upside in week 2. Moore caught his first NFL receiving touchdown versus the Jaguars as he finished with 70 yards on the day. It’s still too early to lock him into your starting lineup but this is encouraging for Moore going forward.

Marvin Mims Jr. – (15.1% Owned)

The volume isn’t there yet but Mims Jr. showcased his speed on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Mims Jr. had 113 yards on only 2 targets including a touchdown. He was also impressive on special teams as he returned a punt for 45 yards. If Mims and Russell Wilson can continue to build chemistry he could be a big threat in the Broncos offense.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz – (29.2% Owned)

Zach Ertz hasn’t found the end zone yet in 2023 but the volume has been there. Ertz has 18 targets in his first 2 games as Joshua Dobbs has shown he is not afraid to throw him the ball. Expect this to continue and for Ertz to eventually have a break-out performance.

The post Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ivan Mulinder

The Cleveland Browns beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24 – 13 on Friday, August 12th and there were a number of important takeaways from the game, some good, and some bad. Let’s have a closer look at some of the key analyses.

QB Deshaun Watson 

Deshaun Watson made his Browns debut and looked rusty. This is no great surprise when you consider that his last competitive game was against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 2020/21 where he threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 41-38 loss. Watson threw the ball 5 times with 1 completion for 7 yards, but Anthony Schwartz dropped three of these passes. The Browns have been clear that Jacoby Brissett is getting most of the first team reps in practice so it’s unsurprising that we saw him for such a short period in the game. The good news is his pocket presence looked good and he looked dangerous when scrambling – which is something the Browns lacked with Baker Mayfield. Once he’s back up to game speed Watson is going to be an excellent weapon in the Browns Offense.

C Nick Harris

Unfortunately, Centre Nick Harris suffered an ACL injury to his right knee. Nick had put on weight but kept his mobility and the Browns were hopeful he was going to have a good season. The way he was driven back wasn’t a good omen and now he’s going to have surgery on his knee and will be out for the season. Fortunately, the Browns brought in Ethan Pocic in Free Agency and his backup is Dawson Deaton. Deaton played Guard for Texas Tech and was the Browns 7th Round pick in the 2022 Draft going at number 246. This means he isn’t a starting caliber Centre.  Will the Browns move to bring back JC Tretter? I doubt it as they cut him from their roster, but Billy Price is still available in Free Agency so I wouldn’t be surprised if a move was made for him. 

WR Anthony Schwartz

I’ve mentioned already that Anthony Schwartz had a poor game. He didn’t register any yardage on Friday with multiple drops. Trying to look on the positive side, at least he got into positions to make catches which is more than he achieved in his rookie year in 2021. The Browns Wide Receiver Room remains a concern for me. Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Bell didn’t play and have had a good Training Camp so far, but there is little to excite outside of those three. Michael Woods II was having a good Camp but pulled his hamstring and Javon Wims is now in his 4th season, so if he was going to have an impact you would think he’d have made it by now. Personally, I’d really like to see the Browns move for Will Fuller who is still available in Free Agency. 

CB Martin Emerson Jr

The Browns Cornerback Room has to be one of the deepest, if not the deepest, in the NFL- Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Greedy Williams, AJ Green, and now Martin Emerson.  Emerson looked in total control all night and capped off a superb performance with a Pick 6 going 74 yards at the end of the first half to put the Browns in the lead. The only battle is going to be for the CB6 slot, but Herb Miller also looked good with a fine interception, and he is a 2-year veteran so he understands the game more and is learning from outstanding players. 

RB Jerome Ford 

The Browns love their Running Backs and Jerome Ford was motoring against the Jaguars. He had 10 carries for 57 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, and a rushing touchdown. In addition, he had 4 receptions for 45 yards, with an average of 11.2 yards per reception, and a receiving touchdown. Ford was selected by the Browns in Round 5 of the 2022 Draft with pick 156 and with this performance, and the Browns need at Wide Receiver, it could be that Kareem Hunt is traded to a team that is short of an RB1. With Nick Chubb, D’Ernest Johnson, Demetric Felton, and now Jerome Ford the Browns are loaded at Running Back, with an honorable mention to John Kelly. 

QB Battle

So, the Browns move on to a home game next week against the Philadelphia Eagles where we should begin to see more of their starters playing. However, don’t expect to see Jacoby Brissett on the pitch for long as the QB battle between Joshua Dobbs and Josh Rosen is a fascinating one from the evidence of Friday’s game. Dobbs completed 10 of 13 attempts for 108 yards and a touchdown whereas Rosen went 6 of 7 for 56 yards. It would appear that the Browns have much better depth at QB this season than last year where Case Keenum wasn’t even given the opportunity to start despite Baker’s horrendous injuries. As for all teams let’s hope there are no more serious injuries.

The post Takeaways from the Browns 24-13 victory over the Jaguars appeared first on Pro Football Mania.