Third-round rookie Harold Fannin Jr. has emerged as the Cleveland Browns’ primary tight end through eight games this season, overtaking veteran David Njoku on the depth chart. He’s played in every matchup so far and leads the team in receptions and receiving yards, but is now dealing with a hamstring issue ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
With the Browns relying heavily on their tight ends in the passing game, fans are eager for the latest updates on Fannin’s availability in Week 10.
Will Harold Fannin Jr. Play Against the Browns?
Fannin was added to the Browns’ injury report on Thursday with a hamstring issue, logging a DNP. While the extent of the injury was initially unclear, the rookie returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity, suggesting the issue may be minor.
Cleveland officially listed Fannin as questionable, but NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that he’s “trending toward playing Sunday against the Jets.”
Through eight games, Fannin has hauled in 38 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns. Njoku ranks second among Browns pass catchers with 27 receptions for 260 yards and two scores, emphasizing Cleveland’s continued reliance on its tight ends.
Fannin currently sits 15th on PFSN’s Impact Rankings for tight ends, while Njoku slots in at 34th. That discrepancy highlights how pivotal Fannin’s availability could be in Week 10.
Facing a New York defense that traded away its two best players this week and benched linebacker Quincy Williams, Fannin appears positioned for another strong outing if active.
Fannin’s Fantasy Outlook
Fannin found the end zone in Week 8 against the Patriots before the bye and has now caught at least four passes in each of Cleveland’s past four games.
It should be noted that Njoku has been battling a knee injury for the majority of that run, and with a week off, the veteran TE should be in as good a shape this week as he was at any point in October.
That’s why I think this is a hinge game for the rest of the season. Do the Browns prioritize the 21-year-old tight end? If so, he’s a top-10 tight end for the remainder of the season. I’ll rank him as such starting next week should we see him dominate the snap share over a healthy Njoku, but I need to see it before projecting as much.
I have Fannin over Njoku this week, but both are just outside of my top 15 at the position for Week 10.
