Once a first-round draft pick, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was traded by the Denver Broncos this past offseason due to inconsistent play, injury woes, and a looming contract extension. The Cleveland Browns acquired him and subsequently gave him a three-year extension, and while it took Jeudy a while to settle in with the franchise, he’s showing encouraging signs of the player who was promised back in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Browns’ quarterback situation appears to be in flux with head coach Kevin Stefanksi declining to name a starter for Week 16. The door is open for Dorian Thompson-Robinson to take over under center, but should Jeudy be in DFS lineups even without notorious gunslinger Jameis Winston at the helm?
UPDATE: On Wednesday, the Browns officially named Thompson-Robinson as the starter for Week 16. He will be under center for Sunday’s contest.
A career revival
Jeudy is in the midst of a career-best season — his 70 catches and 1,052 receiving yards are both high marks for the 25-year-old, and his four touchdowns leave him two scores shy of tying his best year in that department.
While it’s been a good campaign overall, the scorching-hot stretch Jeudy is riding at the moment is even more impressive. From the time Winston took over as Cleveland’s starting QB, Jeudy has posted 49 receptions for 678 yards and three touchdowns. He’s tallied at least five catches and 64 yards in each of those seven contests, has surpassed the 100-yard mark three times, and posted an unbelievable 9-235-1 receiving line against his former team in Week 13.
When it comes to fantasy football, Jeudy is producing at an equally-impressive level. He’s averaging a career-high 15.2 fantasy points per game, but in the seven games with Winston as the starter, Jeudy is averaging 19.6 points per contest and hasn’t scored less than 12.9 in a single week. But, will this production last if Thompson-Robinson emerges as the starter?
Week 16 outlook
It’s difficult to tell exactly how Cleveland’s quarterback room will shake out over the coming days. On one hand, Winston is still the superior talent over Thompson-Robinson, but it’s also become clear that Winston’s turnover problem is an issue in the eyes of the coaching staff (and possibly the greater powers that be). A couple of weeks ago, the veteran signal-caller asked the man upstairs to deliver him from interceptions, but it appears his prayer fell upon deaf ears — Winston threw two picks in the following contest, plus three more in Week 15’s loss to the Chiefs, which brings his grand total to 12 INTs on the season.
With a 3-11 record heading into the final three games of the campaign, the Browns may want an extended look at what Thompson-Robinson can achieve in actual game action. The second-year pro has thrown just 146 passes at the NFL level, and while he’s made a play or two that caused fans’ ears to perk up, he’s still seen limited time in live situations. If he performs well, perhaps Cleveland discovers a diamond in the rough. If he doesn’t show much potential though, they’ll likely have a juicy draft pick for when April rolls around.
If DTR does get the start, expect a more inconsistent passing attack against the Cincinnati Bengals simply due to his lack of live-game reps. While the quality of targets may decrease, passing volume is likely to remain high in a game which could quickly get out of hand for the Browns. If they play from behind, especially against a high-powered Bengals offense, Cleveland will be forced to air it out. However, Cincy is 27th in passing yards allowed per game and 26th in defensive EPA/pass, so they aren’t a fearsome unit to face in that regard.
What to expect from Jeudy?
With a quarterback change looking like it’s in the cards, don’t expect too much from Jeudy in Week 16. If Thompson-Robinson starts, the Browns’ pass catchers will all take a hit in fantasy value.
With that said, the fifth-year wideout is likely in line for plenty of targets regardless of who’s under center. While he may not have the deep-ball upside of the past few weeks, Jeudy would still be a threat to gain yards after the catch from underneath passes and designed screens. He could even find the end zone against a soft Bengals defense and continue to chase his career-best mark for touchdowns.
At $6,700 in DraftKings’ NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire contest, he could still provide decent value with the right roster construction. Just don’t count on Jeudy to deliver another 40-plus point bomb like he did against his former team.
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