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    Deshaun Watson clinical to send Browns to 3-1

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    Deshaun Watson completed 24-of-33 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the Browns’ 27-24, Week 4 win over the Steelers, adding 33 yards on seven carries.

    Watson made very few mistakes through the air against a solid Pittsburgh defense, although a third quarter fumble on a scramble attempt and a fourth quarter interception on tipped pass at the line of scrimmage allowed the Steelers the runway to make the game interesting late. Watson also badly missed a wide open Harold Fannin on a third down play that would have allowed the Browns to ice the game, instead giving the ball back to Aaron Rodgers with under four minutes to play while up eight points. Rodgers would work his late-game magic to knot the game at 24 before Watson drove the Browns into field goal range to set up the go-ahead kick with 10 seconds on the clock. Watson had a 20-yard carry wiped from his ledger due to penalty that would have padded his counting stats further. The two turnovers notwithstanding, Watson played a largely clean game that saw the Browns improve to 3-1, currently alone atop the AFC North, pending the outcomes of the Ravens and Bengals games Sunday. The Browns turn the page to a Week 5 meeting with the Jets, where Watson will remain a surprising high-end QB2 in fantasy circles.
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  • CLE Quarterback #4
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    Watson again led the Browns to a heart-stopping fourth quarter comeback after the Titans tied the game late in the fourth quarter. Watson connected with Harold Fannin for a long gain that put the Browns in field goal range before they won the game at the buzzer. Watson targeted KC Concepcion a team high ten times, mostly on well-designed short area passes. He was seven percent over his expected completion rate — one of his best rates of the 2026 season. Watson rushed for a touchdown in the second half after being flushed out of the pocket; it was his first rushing score of the season. Watson, who now has two straight games without a passing score, should remain in superflex lineups next week against a pass-funnel Pittsburgh defense.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Watson has now taken 13 sacks over the last two weeks. The Browns’ QB1 was under pressure all afternoon by the Ravens, but found himself in position to lead a game-winning drive with 1:59 left on the game clock. Watson started the drive with a nine-yard completion to Jaleel McLaughlin, but came up big on a third-and-five when he found Jerry Jeudy for a 33-yard gain to move into Ravens territory and position his team for the game-winning field goal attempt. Three plays later, Andre Szmyt, who missed the go-ahead field goal earlier in the game, converted on a 37-yard try to propel the Browns into first place in the AFC North. It wasn’t a pretty game for Watson, but that’s nothing new. He has thrown for just 319 yards and one touchdown in his last two games and has just two touchdowns in his last three games. He shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a low-end QB2 in next week’s road game against the Titans.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Watson also fumbled four times in rainy New Jersey conditions, somehow losing only one. Rather nonsensically drawing some “he’s back” chatter of late, Watson was indeed back this week, but just to the miserable form he’s displayed for nearly his entire Browns tenure. Alibis abounded — the weather, losing KC Concepcion to an early concussion — but Watson just wasn’t spinning a good ball, with the rather large exception of his 29-yard touchdown strike to Denzel Boston down the left sideline in the fourth quarter. That was a single-coverage thing of beauty. But other than that, Watson’s ball was fluttering and he was not making good decisions. That included on the Browns’ final play from scrimmage, a 4th-and-11 from their own 19 where Watson bafflingly did not attempt a throw, instead pulling the ball down and losing a fumble as he ambled near the sideline. Terrible. Although this will likely be an outlier performance in terms of its ineffectiveness, today was a reminder that Watson is never going to reclaim his long-ago Texans form. That should include for Week 6 against the Ravens, where Watson will struggle for superflex relevance.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Per Fowler, sources around the league say Watson could get six total starts this year. The bar is low in Cleveland. Watson has not yet thrown for 240 yards in a game and has just five passing touchdowns this year. He is a QB2 against the Steelers tonight.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    The multi-score start was Watson’s second straight, though his yards per attempt fell precipitously for the second consecutive week. He’s now gone from 9.3 YPA in Week 1 to 7.9 to 4.8. Absolutely everything was underneath this afternoon, though we suppose the effort did come in a win. Watson found Harold Fannin for seven catches and a pair of scores after hitting the tight end seven total times between Weeks 1 and 2. The flip side was that Watson had just one completion longer than 20 yards, a 28-yard strike to Denzel Boston. Watson also missed a snap late after taking a big hit, but ended up returning ahead of what proved to be the game-winning field goal. Watson hasn’t been quite as bad as feared, but he’s hardly silencing the critics, including Browns fans who occasionally booed Sunday. The Steelers will be a tough short-week matchup this Thursday. Watson won’t be in the superflex mix for that one.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Watson was far more accurate than he was in Week 1’s meltdown loss to the Jaguars. He was 6.5 percent over his expected completion rate and once again hit rookie WR Denzel Boston for a long touchdown. Watson navigated the pocket well and was passably accurate on short-area throws (his 3.6 aDOT is as low as it gets for a full game’s work). His Week 2 play all but guarantees he’ll hang on to the Browns’ starting QB gig for at least a few more weeks before Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel get another shot under center. Watson will have superflex appeal in Week 3 against a gettable Carolina defense.
  • CLE Quarterback #2
    Schefter said it “feels like Shedeur’s time is coming” if Watson bombs in the Browns’ Week 2 matchup with the Bucs following his Week 1 collapse against Jacksonville. Sanders, in that scenario, would be under center for the Browns’ home opener against the Panthers in Week 3. Sanders, who is slightly more accurate than Watson in the short and intermediate areas, would be an upgrade for Harold Fannin and KC Concepcion. He would likely be a downgrade for downfield air yards eater Denzel Boston.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    The Browns open the year with a two-game road trip before returning to Cleveland for their home opener next week. Watson was a disaster in Week 1, turning the ball over twice while throwing for 205 yards and one score. Another showing like that versus the Bucs this week and he could be sent to the bench. Shedeur Sanders would then draw the start against Carolina in Week 3. It’s unlikely the Browns offense turns things around under Sanders, but things truly cannot get worse than they are right now.
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Monken had been a little more evasive on the issue in his post-game interview after Week 1’s shellacking. It appears the Browns would like to touch the hot stove at least one more time against the Buccaneers. Expectations for all Browns pass-catchers and runners can be lowered even against a middling Bucs defense. Monken added “there were some really good things on film.”
  • CLE Quarterback #4
    Watson added six carries for 38 yards on the ground. The Browns had a lethargic offense for the most part in Week 1, plagued by several delay-of-games and a variety of other penalties. The box score reads just one turnover for Watson, but there were many other opportunities. His interception occurred in Jaguars territory on the Browns’ first drive of the game. Watson then threw an interception that was dropped on the second drive, and fumbled twice; one was recovered by the Browns and he was just barely ruled down on the second. The Browns were finally able to score a touchdown on a 46-yard throw from Watson to rookie Denzel Boston with the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. The Browns offense with Watson at the helm is ultimately turnover-prone and lethargic but has room for fantasy production in negative game script situations. Watson is a fantasy QB3 heading into Week 2 against the Buccaneers.

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    Christian Watson is questionable to return in Week 9 against the Panthers with a chest injury.

    Watson was hurt on a deep pass in the middle of the second quarter, and went to the locker room to be evaluated. The 27-year-old was playing well prior to the injury with six catches for 100 yards on his seven targets. Matthew Golden will be the primary wideout target for Jordan Love if Watson can’t return.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • LV Wide Receiver #18
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    Jack Bech (forearm) was a full participant in Thursday’s practice.

    That’s back-to-back full practices for Bech after the Raiders opened up the 21-day window for the wideout. He’s worth monitoring in redraft leagues in part because the options ahead of him aren’t exactly elite, but fantasy managers don’t need to consider a stash just yet.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • SEA Running Back #8
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    Jadarian Price (chest) was a limited participant during Thursday’s practice.

    Price gets in the limited session after coach Mike Macdonald said that it was realistic that the tailback could be back Monday night against the Bears in Week 8. Zach Charbonnet was a full participant Thursday, so the Seattle backfield could finally be at full strength — or close to it, anyway — for the stretch. That’s nice for the Seahawks, but creates a lot of confusion from a fantasy perspective.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
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    Rashid Shaheed did not practice Thursday.

    Shaheed received positive news on his knee injury that caused him to leave Sunday’s blowout win over the Chiefs, but there’s a pretty good chance that he’s going to miss at least Week 8’s game against Chicago on Monday. Assuming that’s the case, it will lead to more snaps for Tory Horton both as a receiver and as the primary returner.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • SEA Running Back #26
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    Zach Charbonnet (knee) was a full participant during Monday’s practice.

    It’s obviously a positive development for Charbonnet, who appears to be on track for his season debut against the Bears in Week 9. Fantasy managers just have to keep in mind that the rug was pulled from underneath last week when the Seahawks ruled the tailback out late in the week. Jadarian Price (chest) was a limited participant, but fantasy managers who want to use a Seattle tailback on Monday night won’t have clarity until Saturday at the earliest.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • ARI Running Back #22
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    Tyler Allgeier (toe) was a limited participant during Thursday’s practice.

    Allgeier was able to get a bump up after a DNP for Wednesday. It appears to just be a case of rest for the 26-year-old, but fantasy managers who will consider Allgeier for Week 8 against the Cowboys if Jeremiyah Love (ankle) can’t go — Love was also limited Thursday — should keep an eye on Friday’s designation.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • ARI Running Back #4
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    Jeremiyah Love (ankle) was listed as a limited participate in practice Thursday.

    That’s a second straight limited session for Love. The Cardinals are taking this slowly with the 21-year-old ahead of a potential return in Week 8 against the Cowboys, but fantasy managers will obviously need to pay close attention to how much he practices Friday and his injury designation.
    - Christopher Crawford
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    Panthers declared TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, OLB Jaelan Phillips, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, G Damien Lewis, G Torricelli Simpkins, and DT Bobby Brown inactive for Week 8 against the Packers.

    The Panthers are extremely shorthanded along the offensive line and on the defensive side of the ball, most notably in the secondary and with the pass rush. That could spell trouble agains the high-powered Green Bay passing game, particularly with wide receiver Matthew Golden active. The Panthers look to halt their recent skid on the road in hostile territory at Lambeau Field.
  • GB Wide Receiver #0
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    Matthew Golden (shoulder/foot) is active for Week 8 against the Panthers.

    Golden got in a lone limited session in preparation for the team’s Week 8 meeting with the Panthers on a short week, ultimately able to go as he looks to continue to recent hot stretch in fantasy production. No limitation in expected role has been passed by the team, meaning Golden should be good to go for a normal workload against the Panthers. Fantasy managers can confidently insert him into Week 8 rosters as an upside WR2. Inactive for the Packers are TE Jonnu Smith, RB Kaleb Johnson, LB Zaire Franklin, G Donovan Jennings, C Sean Rhyan, and G Travis Glover.
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    Colby Parkinson (ribs) did not practice Thursday.

    Parkinson will have one more chance to get back no the practice field Friday to avoid an injury designation entering the weekend. The veteran tight end was in and out of the team’s Week 7 game with the injury but managed to finish it, apparently feeling much worse after the adrenaline wore off. Fantasy managers of Parkinson and Tyler Higbee will want to track Parkinson’s status closely to end the week. An absence from Parkinson could also bring Davis Allen into the fantasy spotlight after the young tight end scored twice against the Raiders.