In both fantasy football and real football, Week 1 was rough for the Cleveland Browns. In their first game under new head coach Todd Monken, and with quarterback Deshaun Watson back, they got smoked by the Jacksonville Jaguars. It took until the last two minutes for the Browns to have a feel-good moment, but that moment did arrive when their rookie wide receiver ran a deep route downfield:
After Boston’s big Week 1 performance, should we consider adding the rookie on our fantasy football waiver wire?
Week 1 Summary
Going into that final drive, it wasn’t a banner day for the rookie. He had one catch for 13 yards on three targets; a pedestrian outing all around. But that changed quickly on his 46-yard touchdown. Suddenly, Boston led the team in receiving yards for the week and scored its only touchdown. And it makes us think about this receiving group.
Boston’s big catch delivered the production that he had deserved all day. He comfortably led Cleveland’s receiving corps in snaps, coming in at 92%. KC Concepcion and Jerry Jeudy, the other two big players in the WR room, were at 69% and 63%, respectively. Boston also led the team in routes run, racking up 29 routes compared to 25 for Jeudy and 19 for Concepcion. It’s clear the coaching staff is trusting him on every down, and he’ll take more boom-bust routes than Concepcion, who they are using as a slot/gadget player.
The problem is the nature of this offense. Before completing that bomb, Deshaun Watson had thrown for only 159 yards while being sacked repeatedly. The running game didn’t fare much better. Sure, there will be some weeks where the deep balls connect and these receivers can be productive. There will also be weeks like this last one, where they can’t get off the ground and even one touchdown feels like a big accomplishment.
I’d say there is a compelling argument for Boston as this team’s top wide receiver option. The coaching staff clearly trusts his abilities, and his constant on-field presence will generate value in the long run. However, I’m throwing cold water on the upside here. This offense will bottom out on many occasions, and you don’t want to start Boston during the down weeks. He’s worth a speculative add in case the talent can override his circumstances, but I wouldn’t make him your top waiver priority unless you’re in dire straits at wide receiver.
