Denzel

Boston

This was the worst game of Boston’s young career. After going for 40-plus yards in his first five games to start the season, the promising rookie was blanketed in coverage all afternoon and managed just one reception as a result. Boston may have had a chance at scoring were it not for a pass near the right side of the end zone sailing too far out of bounds for him to bring both feet down, but scoring opportunities were hard to come by in this one. Boston will be back on the fantasy radar as a WR3 next week against the Titans.

He’ll be a usable WR3 against the Ravens this week. Boston has returned at least 41 yards in every start this year while hitting a deep gain seemingly weekly. The 22-year-old should be Cleveland’s No. 1 target again this week.

Of the (many) Browns in real danger of missing this week’s game against the Ravens, Boston seems to be in the best shape of actually playing. Still, it is two limited sessions in two tries and we wouldn’t be surprised if he wound up with a questionable tag on Friday.

A limited practice to start the week is usually nothing more than maintenance. Boston should still be a safe bet to suit up on Sunday. The second-round rookie has already cemented himself as an impressive downfield threat with three touchdowns and three catches of 40+ yards. He’s managed several spike weeks despite the Browns’ up-and-down performances on offense. Health permitting, Boston will be a low-end WR3 for Week 6 versus Baltimore.

Boston’s score was his third in five games as a pro. This one was a 29-yard strike down the left sideline where Boston won a 1-on-1 matchup with CB Brandon Stephens. Boston’s yardage totals are not popping off the page in this limited offense, but his play-making ability has been. He has also reached at least 40 yards all five times out, giving him a non-zero floor. The rookie second-rounder continues to press his WR3 case heading into Week 6 against the Ravens.

Boston has now led the Browns in receiving in three of the team’s first four games, made more impressive by the fact that those were the first four contests of the youngster’s professional career. The second-round rookie continues to flash big play potential after catching his third pass of 46 yards or longer, this time unable to find the end zone after scoring twice in his first two games. Boston still has room to grow considering he has seen just 22 targets in the first month of the season, and could reward fantasy managers that invested late-round picks in his services handsomely in the second half of his rookie year. He’ll be an upside FLEX option against the Jets in Week 5.

What to do with this info? Stash Boston at the very least. Per Palmer, the Browns “felt he was a true pro from the day he walked into the building.” In the same pre-Thursday Night Football news dump, Palmer said that Harold Fannin is the team’s No. 3 pass catcher, despite Fannin leading the team in targets. This could indicate that the Browns plan to ramp up Boston’s offensive involvement as the season progresses.

This comes from Palmer’s pre-Thursday Night Football notes. After sharing the info, he tells readers to “read into that how you want.” Fannin currently leads the team in targets (18), though rookie WRs KC Concepcion (17) and Denzel Boston (15) are right behind him. If Palmer’s report is accurate, Fannin could slip to third in target share as the season progresses, but he remains a very talented player and target earner, deserving of a weekly TE1 ranking. Just file this away for now.

Boston’s 41 yards were his fewest in three games as a pro, though he has now contributed at least one 20-yard catch all three times out. On the rare occasions Deshaun Watson actually throws down-field, he’s looking only for Boston. That will lead to some spiked weeks, but Boston’s floor is too low to rank him inside the top 36 on a regular basis, including Thursday’s short-week home date with the Steelers.

It’s the rookie’s second touchdown grab in as many weeks. After catching an intermediate pass from Deshaun Watson, Boston spun out of a tackle and raced to the end zone for a 55-yard score — by far the biggest play of the game. Boston is cementing himself as the clear WR1 in the Cleveland offense, well ahead of KC Concepcion — who had another inefficient day on Sunday — and Jerry Jeudy, who did not catch his lone target against Tampa. Boston will have plenty of deep league fantasy appeal in Week 3 against the Panthers.