The Cleveland Browns may not be the first thought among fantasy football players, but here are three players to watch for on draft night.
Although the Cleveland Browns are entirely immersed in their preparation for the upcoming 2016 regular season, many fans have alternate priorities. Since 1962, fans have played fantasy football, and with the development of wide-ranging fantasy leagues, the game has expanded.
Now that participating is easy, and money is often on the line, an estimated 75 million people will play some sort of fantasy football during the 2016 season. And as the game becomes more popular, the analysis becomes more precise.
Many fantasy players are drawn in by the most popular and expensive players as they are the ones they hear about the most. And to no one’s surprise, Browns players are not well represented within this elite group.
But that doesn’t mean a fantasy team manager can’t make the most out of a few Cleveland players who may go under the radar on draft day. It is important for everyone who plays fantasy to analyze players who may go as late-round steals. Having depth and finding lesser-known players is an effective strategy, and if done successfully to any degree, the results will most often not be matched.
Cleveland players can often easily be overlooked, but these three notable players will not disappoint the fantasy players who go the extra mile and do their research this season.
Next: Running back Duke Johnson
One of the most overlooked players in all of football this season is second-year running back Duke Johnson. Most fantasy leagues count receiving yards for running backs, making Johnson a sneaky good pick if available in a later round.
The University of Miami graduate thrives in the passing game out of the backfield, as his speed and agility are his most valuable assets. In his rookie year, Johnson rushed for only 379 yards, while producing 534 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.
In many fantasy rankings, Johnson will be placed lower only because of his lack of production on the ground. But as the 2015 season proved, the Browns can successfully use the second-string running back to spread the field and open up options in the passing game.
Another factor contributing to Johnson’s value in fantasy leagues this coming season is the recent struggles of Isaiah Crowell. Both on and off the field. Crowell has placed doubt and shaken the confidence of both the coaching staff and the fans. While Crowell will certainly still play a significant role in Cleveland’s offense this year as their starting running back, Johnson will play more snaps than he did in 2016, especially if Crowell continues to struggle.
Next: Tight end Gary Barnidge
Even for the Browns, breakout seasons are common among players who are given an opportunity. In 2015, it was tight end Gary Barnidge who took advantage of his new role in the offense.
Scoring a career-high nine touchdowns in his first career 1,000-yard season was enough for the seventh-year tight end to capture league wide attention. Now, the question many fans are asking is whether or not the 6-foot-5 Barnidge can match his breakout year with another productive one.
In fantasy circles, debate over Barnidge is common. Many will argue that his 2015 season was a fluke, and some will even claim that he will struggle because his role in 2016 will be diminished. But in reality, since the role of the tight ends in head coach Hue Jackson‘s offense is crucial, Barnidge’s role may even be more involved than it was a year ago. This bodes well for fantasy owners who have the tight end, since they can trust the reliable player to record at least a handful of points for them.
In the fantasy world of tight ends, there is Rob Gronkowski, and then there’s everyone else. The reality is that only one person in each fantasy league can draft the talented New England tight end. Success for the remainder of the league partially rests on how well the remaining tight ends are evaluated.
If a fantasy manager is in search of a reliable, injury free and possibly special player, Barnidge is one of the better options at the position.
Next: Wide receiver Corey Coleman
The Ray Farmer era is now merely a bad memory in the minds of Browns fans, and the impact of the front office turnover was felt immediately. After trading the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Browns selected wide receiver Corey Coleman with their first-round pick, the 15th-overall selection.
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Coleman, who stood among the receivers drafted in 2016, fit in immediately in training camp with a team so desperately in need of a downfield threat.
Though drafting rookies in fantasy leagues is uncommon due to the uncertainty they present, drafting one like Coleman and placing him in a low-risk role would be a beneficial move fantasy managers would be wise to consider.
Coleman will likely drop in most drafts merely because of the lack of name recognition, and he will most likely be available as a third receiver option.
If Cleveland’s offense is going to improve at all in 2016, the production has got to come from somewhere. With Coleman immediately being labelled as a starter on the team’s unofficial depth chart, it is safe to assume that he will have a large part in whatever offense is manufactured. A No. 1 receiver on a pass heavy offense is never a bad pick late in a draft, even if the team is expected to perform poorly.
Next: Will Andrew Hawkins make the final roster?
This doesn’t even mean that Coleman needs to start every week for a fantasy squad. in fact, the rookie may have his ups and downs. But the reward is much higher than the risk, and it is smart to grab Coleman before he becomes a widely known deep threat across the league.