DeshaunWatson

News: 3 days agoHead coach Todd Monken said Monday that he anticipates sticking with Watson as the Browns' starting quarterback for Week 2 against the Buccaneers, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Spin: Watson will retain the starting job, despite a poor showing Sunday in the Browns' 34-10 season-opening loss to the Jaguars. While making his first regular-season appearance since Oct. 20, 2024, Watson completed 16 of 22 pass attempts for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception while rushing six times for 38 yards. Upon reviewing film of the game, Monken said he saw enough positives from Watson to stick with him as the team's starter, though the 31-year-old quarterback likely won't have much job security.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Watson will return to the field this season after a disastrous four years in Cleveland. A top-six fantasy QB (points per game) during each of his first four NFL seasons, Watson has appeared in a total of 19 games since joining the Browns, averaging a poor 13.1 fantasy points during the span. A torn Achilles suffered in Week 7 of 2024 (followed by tearing it again less than three months later) cost Watson all of 2025. Now 30 years old, with a young, unproven supporting cast and having not been a factor since 2020, Watson will open the season as Cleveland's starter, but he's a long shot to return to fantasy relevance. He should be considered only in superflex formats.