The Cleveland Browns will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Deshaun Watson.
Is Deshaun Watson Playing in Week 7?
Watson was not listed on the injury report this week. However, he suffered what appeared to be a significant leg injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.
Watson went down after suffering a non-contact leg injury with 1:26 remaining in the second quarter of Sunday’s game.
While the Browns have not officially updated Watson’s status, he appeared to suffer an Achilles injury. Watson was in clear pain as Cleveland’s other players surrounded him on the field.
Watson was eventually carted off the field. He had a towel around his head and was in tears as he exited for the locker room.
With Jameis Winston inactive, Dorian Thompson-Robinson assumed Cleveland’s backup role, and his athletic profile makes for an interesting fantasy option.
Deshaun Watson suffers what appears to be an achilles injury on this play.pic.twitter.com/c55Fd32hn1
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 20, 2024
That said, there’s no real reason to dig this deep, even if Watson is on the shelf for an extended period of time. There are no teams on a bye next week when Thompson-Robinson draws a favorable QB matchup (vs. Ravens), and he’s in a tough spot against the Chargers in Week 9 before Cleveland goes on bye in Week 10.
After the Amari Cooper trade, there wasn’t a receiver on the Browns’ roster worthy of our attention. David Njoku’s value as a fringe starter doesn’t change, and the running game remains a full-blown committee that essentially adds a member via their quarterback.
You could make the DFS case as a deep punt play, but that’s about it. If Winston were to take over the starter duties, very little would change. Jerry Jeudy is filling the WR1 role (in theory), and he’d be the one to target if you wanted to gamble on Winston. But that’s exactly what it is — a gamble.
We’ll continue to monitor the Browns’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Deshaun Watson in Week 7?
His positional finish has declined in four straight weeks, a hard thing to do when you consider that bye weeks have come into effect. I was excited to see if this struggling offense would be able to solve one of the worst defenses in the league, but with Amari Cooper being moved to Buffalo on Tuesday, this team is a D/ST target more than anything.
Watson again sits outside of my top 20 – hopefully, you have other options in a Superflex setting (but yes, I would start him over a WR3 if pressed).
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 7 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Deshaun Watson’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 7
Watson is projected to score 11.3 fantasy points in Week 7. This includes 141.4 passing yards, 0.8 passing touchdowns, and 0.5 interceptions. It also includes 4 rushing attempts for 20.3 yards and 0.1 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Deshaun Watson’s Week 7 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.Â
Conference Championship QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (at KC)
2) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. WAS)
3) Jayden Daniels | WAS (at PHI)
4) Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs. BUF)
