Fantasy football managers who scooped up Cedric Tillman from the waiver wire are facing a difficult decision this week. The Cleveland Browns receiver showed early promise but has since encountered a setback that could significantly impact his availability.
Recent developments regarding his injury, and the news that Dillon Gabriel is starting this week, suggest Tillman’s fantasy outlook has taken a concerning turn that owners need to address immediately.
Cedric Tillman Fantasy Outlook
Cleveland Browns receiver Cedric Tillman was a popular waiver claim after earning eight targets and scoring in the season opener, but that feels like a long time ago now.
He technically found paydirt the following week, but that was on a bizarre deflection that had no business of paying off. Without that fortunate bounce, Tillman has 8.6 PPR points in total since the strong Week 1 performance and was trending on his way back toward the free agent waters.
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On Monday, we learned that, per HC Kevin Stefanski, the hamstring injury he suffered in Detroit against the Lions will result in multiple missed games, which means you can pretty safely move on. In fact, the team placed him on the Injured Reserve, meaning he will likely be out of action until around Week 9, when Cleveland travels to New York to take on the Jets.
The volume in Cleveland has dropped off in a meaningful way, and if the target count isn’t going to overwhelm, a healthy Tillman is a tough sell. This is amplified by the fact that the Browns announced this week that rookie Dillon Gabriel will make his first NFL start.
Over the first few weeks of the season, veteran Joe Flacco passed for 815 yards and two touchdowns while throwing six interceptions. With Gabriel taking over the offense, we will likely see him look towards more established pass catchers.
So far this season, Gabriel has appeared in two games, completing just three of four pass attempts for 19 yards and a touchdown.
While these stats were primarily gained in garbage time, the former Oregon Duck passer has a great college resume. Across six seasons of college ball at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon, he completed 1,376 passes for 18,722 yards and an FBS-record 155 touchdowns to only 32 interceptions. On the ground, he scrambled for 1,209 yards and 33 scores.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe
