Some fantasy football advice on some Cleveland Browns players in Week 1
Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season is here, and that not only means Cleveland Browns football is back. It also means that fantasy football is back.
America’s favorite pastime has turned into something much bigger than itself, especially in the last few years. Football fans geek out each year and enter fantasy football leagues with their friends, families, and coworkers all to prove themselves as the best and to earn bragging rights, and possibly some money as well in the process.
The Cleveland Browns have many exciting players that are bound to make fantasy football players happy to have them on their teams. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has several weapons on the outside in wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, in addition to the new Browns tight end Austin Hooper. The backfield is also electric with the explosive duo of running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Of course, fantasy owners always have to evaluate the weekly matchups and decide who to start and who to sit. That’s what this weekly piece will aim to help you with. We will look at the match-ups of some key Browns players that you are considering playing, and tell you whether you’d be better off starting them or putting them on the bench for this week.
Week 1 pits the Cleveland Browns against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Here are two players you should start and two players you should sit in this key divisional match-up.
Start: Nick Chubb
If you have Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, he is a must-start this week against the Baltimore Ravens. Not only do you not sit who was likely a first-round pick in your fantasy football draft in the first week of the season, but you also don’t do it when the guy had 165 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the team the previous season.
The Ravens defense is still a tough defense, and while they limited Chubb to only 45 yards in the second game against them, the potential for Chubb to have another big game is too much to have him on your fantasy bench.
Consider how many times Chubb ran the ball over 15 times in a game last season (15 games) and how he contended all year for the league’s rushing title. No matter how good the Ravens defense is, Chubb always seems to find a way to have a few breakaway runs. Given the fact that there were no preseason games, the defense may be a bit rusty, which could allow for a big game for Chubb, much like he had in September of last year.
It may be a bit much to ask for another 160-yard and three-touchdown performance in the first game of the season, especially considering all the talent on the offensive side of the football. But you can fully expect Chubb to get his fair share of touches, and Nick Chubb rarely lets his touches go to waste.
Sit: Austin Hooper
When the Browns acquired tight end Austin Hooper via free agency this offseason, it looked like the perfect signing to an already impressive offense. Adding one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the past few years to an offense already loaded with talent at the pass-catching position would give Baker Mayfield one more outlet to help grow and improve.
However, for this week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, not much should be expected from the former Falcon. Hooper is someone you should definitely consider benching in your fantasy lineup this week.
Yes, Austin Hooper comes off a season with 75 receptions with six touchdowns. Yes, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski often utilizes two tight end sets that could allow for many opportunities for Hooper to make an impact. However, according to Pro-Football-Reference, the Baltimore Ravens allowed the fewest receptions to tight ends (52) and the third-fewest receiving yards to tight ends (575 yards) in 2019.
Start: Jarvis Landry
Wide Receiver Jarvis Landry comes into the 2020 season as a proven asset on the Cleveland Browns offense. Tallying up over 80 catches in each of his two seasons with the team, he’s been a reliable target for Baker Mayfield to look to whenever he needs to find an open man.
Much like Nick Chubb, Landry had a monster game in the September match-up against the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, hauling in eight catches for 167 yards. He still performed pretty well in the second match-up of the season as well, getting 74 yards on seven catches.
While the Baltimore Ravens secondary has undergone some changes since last season, most notably the release of safety Earl Thomas, they’re still a talented unit on defensive backs that could create problems.
However, Jarvis Landry has the kind of potential to blow up against the Ravens much like he did last season. He may not be someone you want as your top receiving option, but using him as a flex will probably net you a fair amount of points in your week 1 fantasy lineup. If you’re struggling between Jarvis Landry and another option, go with Landry. He’s likely going to try to go off against the hated division rival once more.
Sit: Kareem Hunt
Following the announcement of the Browns extending running back Kareem Hunt, everyone was excited that the primary backup to Nick Chubb would remain in Cleveland for two more seasons. Hunt is good enough to be a starter for most any team, and is a huge pass-catching threat coming out of the backfield.
As good as he is in relief of Chubb and as a pass-catcher, however, you may want to press pause on that hype, for this week at least. The Baltimore Ravens allowed the fewest receptions to running backs in 2019 and only allowed one touchdown reception from a running back. With that being what Hunt does best, as he had 37 catches in just eight games in 2019, you may want to sit Hunt this week.
You can always find value at the running back position, as many teams utilize multiple running backs in their game plan. Kareem Hunt has a bad match-up in Week 1, and isn’t worth the risk of being a bust in your lineup. You can expect Chubb to get the bulk of the carries, limiting Hunt’s potential on getting points via rushing yards or rushing touchdowns.
Just play it safe this week and look for an alternative running back. Kareem Hunt will be valuable for the Cleveland Browns this season, and you’ll have your weeks where playing him will pay off handsomely. Just not this week, not against the Baltimore Ravens.