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Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson has reportedly had a strong training camp as he gets ready for his 1st full season in the NFL since 2020 due to off-the-field issues which led to his exit from the Houston Texans.
Watson played 6 games last season after serving an 11-game NFL-imposed suspension. He was rusty, completing a career-low 58.2% of his passes with an average of just 6.5 yards per pass attempt. His 79.1 passer rating was also a career worst.
All indications are that Watson is back to his former self, and he could round back into elite form in his 1st full season as the starting QB in Cleveland.
The team went out in the offseason and brought in more weapons, including WR Elijah Moore, as well as WR Marquise Goodwin. Unfortunately for the latter, he is dealing with blood clots in his legs and lungs, and is on the non-football injury list. The team also has one of the deeper offensive lines in the AFC to help protect the signal caller.
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Deshaun Watson’s ADP: 68.58
(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)
Watson has been drafted as a QB1 in preseason fantasy drafts. After shying away from him because of off-the-field issues and a looming 11-game suspension, plenty of fantasy managers are rolling the dice that Watson will be able to return to elite form.
The early returns have been good, as Watson has reportedly enjoyed a tremendous training camp, he has been crisp with his passes, he has jelled nicely with WR1 Amari Cooper, and, of course, Watson has the luxury of handing off to one of the best in the game in RB Nick Chubb. Watson is also tucked in behind a deep offensive line, which should offer plenty of protection to do his thing.
Among quarterbacks, Watson’s ADP is 9th, well behind Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert (34.97), Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields (38.22) and Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (47.24), who are just ahead of him in the 2nd tier of QB1s after the elite signal callers.
Watson’s ADP puts him just ahead of Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (72.85), Indianapolis Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson (73.59) and Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins (78.98), rounding out the Top 12.
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Deshaun Watson’s 2022 stats
Games: 6
Passing yards: 1,102
Completions | attempts: 99 | 170
Passing touchdowns: 7
Interceptions: 5
Carries | rushing yards: 36 | 175
Rushing touchdowns: 1
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Where should you draft Watson?
Last season, Watson was only worth stashing away on benches for a potential run late in the season. However, he was very rusty, and the first couple of games were like his preseason, and a successful late-season run really never materialized for fantasy managers.
Back in 2020 with the Houston Texans, his last full NFL campaign, Watson completed a career-best 70.2% pass attempts for 4,823 yards, 33 TDs and 7 INTS, while running for 444 yards and 3 scores. The Browns would be tickled pink if he could come anywhere near approaching that type of production.
Remember, Watson is still just 27 years old, so he has plenty of tread left on the tires. It’s a matter of shaky off the rust, and all indications are that he has done just that with a full offseason of workouts under his belt. However, can fantasy managers hitch their wagons to his star? The answer is yes.
On draft day, there are 2 types of fantasy managers. There is a manager who goes for the elite passers, or Top 5 NFL signal callers, shoring up the position early in the draft. Then, there is a manager who goes with the 2nd tier of quarterbacks in the middle rounds. That’s where Watson falls in. Really, from Fields to Cousins, the fantasy values are rather interchangeable. However, Watson has elite potential, unlike some of those around him.
If you were to scoop up Watson in Round 6, or heaven forbid any earlier, then the value just isn’t there. But if you take him in Round 7 or later, he has the potential to single-handedly lead a manager to a fantasy championship if he can regain his 2020 form. If he is more like the 2022 version of himself, heaven help us all. There are less questions about him this season than last season, but pardon the pun, the jury is out on whether he is still elite or not.
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