Guest of the League
Football Tour Est. 2023
Dynasty $125 - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1
Deshaun Watson

QB CLE

College: Clemson | 7 years
Height: 6'3" | Weight: 223 lbs
Birth Date: 1995-09-14
2024 Bye Week: 10

Total Pts: 103.95
Avg Pts: 6.11
Rank: 35 QB

EatMe

2024 RTSports Outlook

Watson was having a better second season in Cleveland, but injuries derailed his year, limiting him to just six games. He did have 20-plus fantasy points in three of those six games. He had eight total touchdowns and four interceptions for the season. Watson did have some accuracy issues again, completing 61.4 percent of his passes. And he made a lot of bad throws, having a 20.6 percent bad throw percentage. Watson had his season end after Week 10, needing surgery to repair a shoulder injury. He should be fine for the start of this year and resume his role as a starter for the Browns. Before his last two seasons with the Browns, Watson had 30-plus touchdowns three straight seasons and 4,000-yard seasons two of three. Watson is a great athlete and a top playmaker. Watson is a dual threat who can make big plays with his arms and legs. Watson has 400-plus rushing yards in three seasons. He will force some throws at times, which has been an issue in recent seasons, and his accuracy is a concern at this point in his career. 

FANTASY OUTLOOK: Watson is a risk after the last two seasons, but his ceiling is high. He scored some points when playing last year, showing his dual-threat ability. He could be top 10 if all goes well for him. We would make sure to get a solid backup if taking a risk on Watson, though. He has some concerns. Look for around 3,500 yards, 25 total scores and 400-plus rushing yards. 

FreeDraftGuide.com

RotoBaller's Outlook

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper will get his starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson (shoulder), back from injury in 2024. That should surely boost his fantasy value. Cooper spent most of last season with backup quarterbacks throwing him the ball, which led to some mixed results. Still, he finished as the WR20 in PPR formats while averaging 15.1 fantasy points per game. The Browns wideout also caught 72 passes for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns last season. With Watson back under center, though, the 29-year-old should find more fantasy success. In five full games with Watson under center in 2023, the nine-year wideout averaged 17.6 PPR fantasy points. The arrival of Jerry Jeudy -- who the team acquired this offseason -- could lead to fewer targets. But there's no doubt that Cooper is the team's WR1. He should provide solid fantasy value this season, and fantasy managers could confidently take him as their WR2.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper will get his starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson (shoulder), back from injury in 2024. That should surely boost his fantasy value. Cooper spent most of last season with backup quarterbacks throwing him the ball, which led to some mixed results. Still, he finished as the WR20 in PPR formats while averaging 15.1 fantasy points per game. The Browns wideout also caught 72 passes for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns last season. With Watson back under center, though, the 29-year-old should find more fantasy success. In five full games with Watson under center in 2023, the nine-year wideout averaged 17.6 PPR fantasy points. The arrival of Jerry Jeudy -- who the team acquired this offseason -- could lead to fewer targets. But there's no doubt that Cooper is the team's WR1. He should provide solid fantasy value this season, and fantasy managers could confidently take him as their WR2.

Fantasy WeekPts
Scoring
Week 123.20Deshaun Watson 45 rushing yds (4.50 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 rushing TD (6.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 13 yd TD rush
Deshaun Watson 154 passing yds (7.70 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 passing TD (4.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 3 yd TD pass to Harrison Bryant
Deshaun Watson 1 interception thrown (-1.00 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 rushing 2XP (2.00 pts)
Week 216.95Deshaun Watson 22 rushing yds (2.20 pts)
Deshaun Watson 2 fumbles lost (-2.00 pts)
Deshaun Watson 235 passing yds (11.75 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 passing TD (4.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 3 yd TD pass to Jerome Ford
Deshaun Watson 1 interception thrown (-1.00 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 rushing 2XP (2.00 pts)
Week 324.05Deshaun Watson 16 rushing yds (1.60 pts)
Deshaun Watson 289 passing yds (14.45 pts)
Deshaun Watson 2 passing TDs (8.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 19 yd TD pass to Jerome Ford
. . . Deshaun Watson 43 yd TD pass to Amari Cooper
Week 40.00
Week 5
Week 60.00
Week 7-0.75Deshaun Watson 5 passing yds (0.25 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 interception thrown (-1.00 pts)
Week 80.00
Week 921.15Deshaun Watson 22 rushing yds (2.20 pts)
Deshaun Watson 219 passing yds (10.95 pts)
Deshaun Watson 2 passing TDs (8.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 11 yd TD pass to Amari Cooper
. . . Deshaun Watson 5 yd TD pass to David Njoku
Week 1019.35Deshaun Watson 37 rushing yds (3.70 pts)
Deshaun Watson 213 passing yds (10.65 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 passing TD (4.00 pts)
. . . Deshaun Watson 10 yd TD pass to Elijah Moore
Deshaun Watson 1 interception thrown (-1.00 pts)
Deshaun Watson 1 rushing 2XP (2.00 pts)
Week 110.00
Week 120.00
Week 130.00
Week 140.00
Playoff Week 10.00
Playoff Week 20.00
Playoff Week 30.00
Player Notes
Aug 3 1:30pm CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) continues to participate fully in training camp sessions. However, the Browns aren't taking any chances with his recovery from season-ending shoulder surgery, with Zac Jackson of The Athletic reporting that the team is "closely monitoring" his rehab efforts. The 28-year-old had his best season in 2020 while still a member of the Houston Texans. Yet, he's struggled in limited action in his first two seasons in Cleveland. With that in mind, Watson has plenty of tools in his arsenal. As a result, the signal-caller is a bounce-back candidate this season, but he'll need to stay healthy.

From RotoBaller

Aug 3 9:23am CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) rested Friday, Aug. 2, after throwing for six consecutive days, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski, who added that he has not had any limitations during training camp.

Fantasy Spin: Although Watson could be held out of all of the team's preseason games, it appears likely that he will be ready for the start of the regular season. He may not duplicate the numbers he posted with the Houston Texans but he is worthy of consideration as a QB2 option in most fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Aug 2 1:30pm CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is resting on Friday after throwing the last six days straight, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters. Stefanski added that Watson has had no limitations with his surgically-repaired right shoulder in training camp. It remains to be seen if he'll be available for the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the visiting Green Bay Packers, but fantasy managers want to get a look at the 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler as soon as possible after he recorded just 2,217 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions over two years (12 games) since joining Cleveland in 2022. In 2021 with the Houston Texans, Watson led the league in passing yards (4,823), yards per attempt (8.9), and yards per completion (12.6) in his last fully healthy season and is a sleeper target for late-round QB strategists at the end of drafts this summer.

From RotoBaller

Jul 29 10:00pm CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) ended practice before the other three quarterbacks on the fourth day of training camp, but it was nothing of concern. Watson is coming off November surgery to repair the fractured right shoulder socket, and it sounds like the Browns are simply monitoring his reps in order to maintain his health. Watson threw for three consecutive days to begin training camp, and it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to play in time for the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the visiting Green Bay Packers. The 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler doesn't carry a whole lot of risk at his 167 ADP this summer in fantasy drafts, as he's being treated as a QB2 after putting up just 2,217 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions over two years (12 games) since joining Cleveland in 2022. In 2021, Watson led the league passing yards (4,823), yards per attempt (8.9), and yards per completion (12.6) in his last fully healthy season.

From RotoBaller

Jul 27 1:43pm CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) will throw in 11-on-11 drills during the team's first padded practice on Monday, July 29, head coach Kevin Stefanski said.

From TheHuddle

Jul 27 12:10pm CT

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) will be throwing in 11-on-11 team drills in training camp practice when the pads go on soon. Watson also took part in 11-on-11's this week without pads and is coming along nicely after having season-ending surgery on his right shoulder last year. He's on track to be 100% for the start of the 2024 regular season in Week 1. It's good news for a player that missed all of 2021 due to suspension and played in a combined 12 games the last two years for the Browns due to injuries. The 28-year-old signal-caller showed flashes of his high-end talent earlier in his career with the Houston Texans, but until he's able to stay healthy for a full year in Cleveland, fantasy managers should have him listed as a QB2 with upside.

From RotoBaller

Jul 26 12:33pm CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) participated in 11-on-11 drills for the first time since last season on Friday, July 26.

Fantasy Spin: Watson has long been expected to be ready for the start of the season, but it is a great sign nonetheless that Cleveland feels good enough about his shoulder holding up that it signed off on 11-on-11 drills this early. While his time with the Browns has been highly disappointing, he was starting to show signs of turning it around last season before his injury. Watson is worth rolling the dice on as a high-upside QB2 in the later rounds one more time.

From TheHuddle

Jul 26 12:10pm CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) threw in 11-on-11 drills at training camp practice on Friday for the first time since last season. The Browns are currently unsure if Watson will get repetitions in the preseason this year after having season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023, but he's taking part in practices early in camp and should be fully ready for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season, barring a setback. The 28-year-old took part in 7-on-7 drills in spring practices and is not being limited early in training camp. It's a great sign for Watson, who will be looking to stay healthy and play a full season for the first time with the Browns this year. Watson has proven to be a dynamic QB when healthy, and he has plenty of playmakers around him in Cleveland, but he's going to need to stay healthy and push the ball downfield to prove he's more than a QB2 in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Jul 25 9:20pm CT

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski addressed the media Thursday on their first day of training camp, breaking the news that he was unsure whether or not starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) would appear in any of the team's three preseason games. Watson, who had shoulder surgery during the offseason to tend to the scapular and rotator cuff injuries he suffered during the 2023 season, seems to be on his way to health but isn't there just yet. Stefanski confirmed he would discuss the details with Watson and his staff before determining when he would get game action at an appropriate time. "We'll be smart," Stefanski said. "We're very fortunate to have a great medical team around Deshaun... He looks great, feels great, so we'll just be smart about it." Watson is going off draft boards as QB22 and is a solid second quarterback option in superflex leagues heading into fantasy drafts.

From RotoBaller

Jul 25 8:43pm CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) may not play in any of the preseason games, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski, but Stefanski said Watson will participate in team drills during training camp.

Fantasy Spin: While Watson may never return to the form he showed in Houston, he isn't a bad gamble as a QB2.

From TheHuddle

Jul 25 6:40pm CT

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Thursday at training camp that he will call the offensive plays for the team in 2024. The Browns hired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey this offseason, but Stefanski will at least start the new season as the play-caller after holding the role since arriving as head coach before the 2020 campaign. Ultimately, Cleveland's offensive success hinges on whether quarterback Deshaun Watson can stay on the field. The 28-year-old former 12th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2017 out of Clemson was suspended for the entire 2021 season and has only started 12 games in the last two seasons with Cleveland due to injuries. Still, the Browns offense has finished in the top half of the league in points per game in two of the last four seasons.

From RotoBaller

Jul 17 1:10pm CT

At his second annual 7-on-7 high-school showcase through his foundation, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) didn't say whether he expects to be fully cleared for the start of training camp next week, but he did say that there have been no setbacks in his shoulder rehab. "I'm great," Watson said. The 28-year-old played in only six games in 2023 for the second straight year due to a right-shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. The good news is that he was throwing during minicamp this offseason and is expected to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener, barring a setback this summer. Watson has QB1 potential when healthy, but he missed all of 2021 due to a suspension and has played in only 12 games the last two years due to injury, which makes him a risk/reward QB2 in fantasy in 2024 in what could be a make-or-break season.

From RotoBaller

Jul 12 1:13pm CT

Dynasty | Deshaun Watson's re-emergence is being doubted by many in the media. Dynasty Analysis: The latest report casting a shadow of doubt on Watson comes from former NFL wide receiver James Jones. The report indicates Jones (as so many others have recently) believes Watson's best days are behind him. It's hard to argue as Watson has simply not looked like an elite-level player ever since joining Cleveland on what now looks like a ridiculous contract that's paying him $230 million in guaranteed money. This will be a make or break year for Watson, who is reportedly healthy and ready to go. At this point, he's an upside QB2 but not someone to build around in a dynasty league.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Jul 2 11:03am CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) surprised beat writer Mary Kay Cabot with his arm strength in minicamp. Cabot also expects him to be mostly back to himself by the start of the season.

Fantasy Spin: Cabot also said she saw no reason why he couldn't return to the elite level he was in Houston and wasn't healthy most of last season. Watson is a QB2 without a lot of fanfare, but he could provide a sparkplug backup to use in certain matchups.

From TheHuddle

Jun 19 12:00pm CT

The Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that he has significant questions about the Cleveland Browns' receiving corps this year. WR1 Amari Cooper missed the whole offseason program because he's seeking a new contract, and new wideout Jerry Jeudy missed the last three weeks with a minor undisclosed injury. The Browns still have Cooper and tight end David Njoku, but there are a bunch of questions beyond them, and quarterback Deshaun Watson needs playmakers. Jackson said he didn't see many big plays from the Browns offense during offseason workouts, and he still wonders what the team will get from Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman when the regular season begins. Watson has a lot of talent from under center, but injury question marks and the lack of receiving depth he has in Cleveland makes him a clear QB2 target in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Jun 18 7:13pm CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is ahead of schedule in terms of his recovery from shoulder surgery, according to general manager Andrew Berry.

Fantasy Spin: Watson was able to throw some during offseason workouts and should be at least a limited participant when training camp starts. He has not posted great numbers since joining the Browns a few years ago and probably should be considered a No. 2 quarterback in fantasy leagues.

From TheHuddle

Jun 18 11:50am CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) was recently throwing during 7-on-7 drills. While that was a promising sign for fantasy managers, general manager Andrew Berry painted a more encouraging picture. "First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off," Berry told the media on Monday. "He's really actually ahead of schedule. He's thrown the ball well." The 28-year-old should be ready to go for Week 1 after undergoing shoulder surgery in November. But the real question is if he'll bounce back from a forgettable 2023-24 campaign. Although there's a good chance Watson will, he's still hard to trust to be the No. 1 signal-caller on any fantasy roster.

From RotoBaller

Jun 12 12:53pm CT

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) has increased his activity by throwing passes in 7-on-7 drills during minicamp practice on Tuesday, June 11.

From TheHuddle

Jun 12 11:00am CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is throwing the football in 7-on-7 drills on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which is something he didn't do at voluntary organized team activities last month. It's a big step for Watson, who required surgery last November to fix a displaced glenoid fracture in his right shoulder. The 28-year-old has tangible QB1 upside when healthy, but he hasn't really been healthy since returning from a suspension that kept him out for all of 2021. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, Watson should be a full-go for training camp this summer and be ready for Week 1 of the regular season. Because he's dealing with a unique injury to his throwing arm, Watson should be considered a QB2 in fantasy in 2024 with upside for more if he proves he's completely past the injury.

From RotoBaller

May 23 1:10pm CT

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is throwing every other day as he continues to rehab from his season-ending shoulder surgery last year, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Watson was seen throwing passes at organized team activities on Tuesday, which means he took the day off on Wednesday while still taking part in individual and team drills. Stefanski said that Watson is "making great progress" and "looked like himself to me" after having surgery last November to fix a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his right shoulder. General manager Andrew Berry said he expects Watson to be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. The 28-year-old has clear QB1 upside when healthy, but the three-time Pro Bowler is also a pretty big injury risk, as he's played in just 12 games with Cleveland the last two seasons due to injuries and suspension.

From RotoBaller

Player Transactions
  • 28-Nov-2022: Deshaun Watson - RSUS - QB Deshaun Watson was reinstated from suspension.
  • 01-Aug-2022: CLE Deshaun Watson - Suspended - 6 games (NFL Personal Conduct Policy)
  • 20-Mar-2022: CLE Deshaun Watson - Traded - w/ pick for multiple draft picks
  • 20-Mar-2022: CLE Deshaun Watson - Signed - Five-year contract (through 2026)
  • 05-Sep-2020: HOU Deshaun Watson - Re-signed - Four-year extension (through 2025)
  • 27-Apr-2020: HOU - Exercised Option - Fifth-year option on rookie contract
  • 05-Feb-2018: HOU - Off IR - torn ACL
  • 03-Nov-2017: HOU - On IR - torn ACL
  • 12-May-2017: HOU - Signed, Draft Choice - Four-year contract (fifth-year option)
NFL Week
OppPtsPass
Com
Pass
Att
Pass
Yds
Pass
TDs
300
Yds
Rush
Yds
Rush
TDs
Fum
Lost
Int
2023 Season103.95105171111570142124
Week 1CIN23.2016291541045101
Week 2@PIT16.9522402351022021
Week 3TEN24.0527332892016000
Week 4BAL0.00000000000
Week 5bye
Week 6SF0.00000000000
Week 7@IND-0.75155000001
Week 8@SEA0.00000000000
Week 9ARI21.1519302192022000
Week 10@BAL19.3520342131037001
Week 11PIT0.00000000000
Week 12@DEN0.00000000000
Week 13@LAR0.00000000000
Week 14JAX0.00000000000
Week 15CHI0.00000000000
Week 16@HOU0.00000000000
Week 17NYJ0.00000000000
Week 18@CIN0.00000000000
Wildcard@HOU0.00000000000