Fallout from Deshaun Watson’s suspension

At final. Finally. It’s about time.

We even have some closure on the Deshaun Watson punishment within the aftermath of two dozen sexual misconduct lawsuits. The final ban is 11 video games.

So basically, the enchantment verdict is an inverse of the unique six-game suspension. He now will likely be eligible to play simply six video games as a substitute of miss simply six video games.

For fantasy functions, this nearly eliminates him from our draft boards, for a few causes.

First, we anticipate some overly optimistic managers to draft him too excessive. We’re unsure we’d draft him in any respect — can’t think about that even when we did, he would survive on our roster till his projected Week 13 debut.

So we anticipate his value to stay too excessive for our consideration. Now, if it will get near his return date and you discover him forgotten in your waiver wire (presumably, however extremely unlikely), then we’d take into consideration including him at that time. But not throughout the draft.

Next, we’re not assured he’ll produce stellar fantasy outcomes. He missed all of final season on the exempt record because the allegations mounted and the authorized course of performed out. He just isn’t eligible to return till the Week 13 conflict in opposition to his former group, the conveniently scheduled Texans on Dec. 4.

He most up-to-date begin was the 2020 season finale, Jan. 3, 2021. What sounds worse? Nearly two years since his earlier begin? Twenty-three months: Seven hundred days? All are true, and none of them sound good.

Point being: Expect some rust, possible rather a lot, when he does return. And returns to a brand new offense. We may get temporary glimpses of the previous Watson, however we’re not satisfied we’ll see classic manufacturing from him at any level this season.

Hence, there isn’t any motive to waste a draft decide on him, then a roster spot for 12 weeks of the season, solely to get undependable, underwhelming outcome.

The excellent news is, we don’t assume it’ll have a dramatic peripheral influence on the remainder of the Browns offense — at the least not when it comes to fantasy projections in comparison with present draft values.

His absence ought to assist working backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, since there possible will likely be a higher reliance on the working recreation with Jacoby Brissett underneath middle. But we additionally don’t assume it’ll change the draft values of the large receivers.

Chiefly, Amari Cooper already is undervalued with a mean draft position that routinely has him taken across the seventh spherical. Cooper is notoriously feast or famine in no matter offense he’s in, and we don’t anticipate that to alter. Not each Brissett recreation will likely be a dud, and when he blows up, Cooper is prone to get a pleasant windfall of manufacturing.

Similarly, the opposite Browns WRs don’t actually change in worth, since that they had so little to start with. The subsequent better of the bunch might be Donovan Peoples-Jones, and that’s not somebody who had a number of worth even when Watson had gotten off scot-free. And not one of the relaxation even warrant draft consideration in any state of affairs.

And tight finish David Njoku may truly profit as nicely, since he could be a large red-zone goal, and Brissett is prone to abandon go performs on goal-line scrambles or QB rush play-calls.

Plus, we simply really feel the necessity to state the apparent, exterior of deep leagues or two-QB codecs, Brissett just isn’t a viable fantasy QB possibility in Watson’s stead.

The Madman gained’t be taking Watson this year. Maybe we’ll see you subsequent year, however be sure to behave.