Deshaun Watson has been placed in concussion protocol ahead of the Browns’ Week 9 matchup against the Saints. With so little time to clear protocol, Shedeur Sanders is set to start for Cleveland this week. Here is a look at how that will affect Denzel Boston’s fantasy value.
Deshaun Watson Injury; Shedeur Sanders Set to Start
In Sunday’s game against the Steelers, Deshaun Watson suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jaquan Brisker. The hit took him out of the game for four plays to be checked for a concussion. Watson was cleared to return and played the rest of the game. However, he reportedly started to suffer from concussion symptoms on Monday night and informed the Browns medical staff on Tuesday morning, immediately putting him in the concussion protocol. While there is still an outside chance of Watson clearing all of the necessary hurdles by Saturday, it seems likely that Shedeur Sanders will get his first start of the season.
Denzel Boston Year-to-Date Production
Denzel Boston is off to an excellent start to his rookie season. Boston has only two fewer yards than the Browns’ leading receiver Harold Fannin Jr. He is tied with Fannin with the team lead in receiving touchdowns as well. Boston also ranks second among all rookies in receiving yards, with just four fewer yards than Carnell Tate. That has Boston ranked second in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds. However, after a great start to the season, the second-round pick has started to cool off a bit. He is averaging just 26.3 yards per game over his past three games.
Denzel Boston Week 9 Outlook vs. Saints
On paper, this should be a good matchup for Denzel Boston and the Browns offense. The Saints’ defense ranks 26th in the NFL in EPA/play and 31st in success rate. Since this game is being played in New Orleans, there is also no concern about bad weather affecting the passing game. The biggest concern is how Shedeur Sanders will perform if asked to step in. There were mixed results in Sanders’ starts last season, but it was mostly negative.
During his rookie season, Sanders ranked 44th out of 45 eligible quarterbacks in adj. EPA/play and 43rd in success rate. There is hope that Sanders could be better this season after getting another full offseason under his belt. The offense could also look slightly different with Sanders than it has in the past two months with Deshaun Watson. That could make it hard for the Saints to prepare for how Cleveland is going to play. However, it would be safe to assume that the offense will be less explosive with Sanders than it was with Watson.
Denzel Boston Fantasy Verdict
Denzel Boston should stay on the bench for most fantasy owners this week. Boston has not scored a touchdown since Week 5 against the Jets and hasn’t gone for more than 50 receiving yards since Week 4 against the Steelers. Boston’s production was already heading in the wrong direction, and the quarterback change, while a new variable, is likely to make the Browns’ offense less explosive.
This is a favorable matchup against the Saints’ defense, and there is always a chance a new quarterback gives more targets to a receiver than the old quarterback did. However, those are variables that are hard to count on, especially with how poorly Shedeur Sanders played last season. Unless you are in a truly desperate situation in a deep league, Denzel Boston should remain on the bench this week.
