Deshaun Watson tears his Achilles: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact
The long (and mostly strange) trip of Deshaun Watson took another turn today as it was confirmed Watson has indeed torn his Achilles tendon, ending his season yet again. The much maligned Browns quarterback will end his third year in Cleveland with more questions than answers. This unfortunate injury is going to create some serious question marks in regards to his dynasty (and real) future and it creates a ripple effect in terms of dynasty values across the board. Let’s take a look at some updated values now that we have confirmation that Watson will indeed miss the season.
Deshaun Watson, QB CLE
In Houston, Watson was one of the best quarterbacks we’ve seen in decades. In his four seasons with the Texans, Watson posted the following:
Passing
- Games Played: 54
- Completions/Attempts: 1,186/1,748
- Completion Percentage: 67.8%
- Passing Yards: 14,539 yards
- Touchdowns: 104 passing TDs
- Interceptions: 36 interceptions
- Passer Rating: 104.5
Rushing Stats:
- Rushing Attempts: 307
- Rushing Yards: 1,677 yards
- Rushing Touchdowns: 17 rushing TDs
Notable Highlights:
- Pro Bowls: 3 (2018, 2019, 2020)
- Led the NFL in passing yards in 2020: 4,823 yards
- Career-high in touchdowns in 2018: 26 passing TDs
In short, Watson was one of the most dominant young players in the game to start his career and an elite QB1 in dynasty leagues. However, we all know the story from there. He has faced a number of lawsuits and allegations in relation to sexual misconduct and was traded to the Browns along with a sixth round pick in exchange for three (!) first round draft picks, along with a third and fourth round selection in various drafts. Cleveland also signed him to a five-year contract worth $230 million guaranteed. It was the biggest contract in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money and it has also become the contract every team looks at and strives to avoid as Watson has struggled during his time in Cleveland, anchoring down the franchise in the process.
With his season now over, Watson will have played just 19 games for the Browns over three seasons due to suspensions and injuries, posting fewer than 3,500 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over that span. This year has been especially awful as Watson has thrown for just five touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games, with 1,148 passing yards and a QBR that comes in as a putrid 23.4. When you look at the rankings among quarterbacks, Watson actually ranks dead last in QBR, at 23.4, behind players like Will Levis, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, and Jacoby Brissett. In short, the Browns did not get the player they believed they acquired and it has turned their franchise upside down.
At 29 years old, it’s certainly safe to say we’ve seen the best Watson has to offer. The question now becomes if he has anything left to give. It sounds like he’s going to elect to do the “bridge” surgery that could put him into a position where he’s back by training camp next season, but that’s far from a given. The Browns are undoubtedly going to start looking to the future and it would be no surprise to see them look at drafting someone to take his place and just swallowing Watson’s contract to complete the single worst trade in NFL history.
Watson’s dynasty value was next to nothing prior to the injury and he’s honestly a player to just likely cut in a 1QB league. While you could make a case to keep him in a Superflex league, you may end up just burning a roster spot on a player whose career is in a massive downward spiral.
Jameis Winston, QB CLE
Winston has been the epitome of a player who can give you amazing highs and crazy lows throughout his nine years in the league. The former #1 pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs, Winston has posted 22,187 passing yards with 142 touchdowns and 99 interceptions throughout his career with Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Cleveland. This includes a truly amazing 2019 season with Tampa Bay that featured both a league-leading 33 touchdowns, but also a league high 30 interceptions. Winston is who he is – a talented player who can both win you games with his talent but also break your heart with some awful decision making. It’s hard to look at Winston and think he’s the quarterback of the future in Cleveland, but he’s also the most likely candidate to actually lead them to some wins this season. While his dynasty value has long since evaporated, Winston is worth a roster spot should the Browns decide to turn to him this season as he does have a tendency to get hot at times and become useful in dynasty leagues.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB CLE
DTR hurt his finger this week and he may end up missing some time, though that’s still to be determined. The Browns are 1-6 and in the midst of a lost season. They could again turn to Thompson-Robinson and see what he could give them, but his performance last season was less than inspiring as the threw just one touchdown and four interceptions in eight games played. He has two more interceptions this season, giving him six in his career compared to just that one touchdown pass. While he offers some potential rushing upside, that hasn’t shown up much as he’s posted just 109 rushing yards in nine games. If the Browns turn to DTR, he’ll be worth a roster spot, but he just doesn’t look anything like a quarterback to build around and may not offer the rest of this offense the same fantasy upside Winston would.
Jerry Jeudy, WR CLE
With Amari Cooper jettisoned to Buffalo, this was supposed to open up more opportunities for Jeudy. Unfortunately, his first game in the post-Cooper era yielded just one catch for 18 yards on five targets. So far, Jeudy has posted just 21 catches for 266 yards and one touchdown through seven games in Cleveland, looking more and more like a potential first round bust after his less than inspiring time in Denver. It’s possible a quarterback change can benefit him, but Jeudy’s dynasty value continues to sink. He remains a dynasty hold at the moment, but his trade value has never been worth less than what it is now. Dynasty managers need to hope Winston or DTR can somehow unlock his potential.
Cedric Tillman, WR CLE
Tillman was nearly invisible in his rookie year, posting a meager 21/224/0 line. However, his first game in a post-Cooper environment yielded eight catches for 81 yards on a whopping 12 targets. While he’s far from a lineup lock, that kind of performance makes you notice and he’s certainly a player who needs to be on rosters moving forward. Let’s face it – it can’t get worse with another quarterback than it was with Watson, so Tillman is a player who should be on dynasty rosters.
Elijah Moore, WR CLE
Another player who time somehow forgot, Moore has posted just 22 catches for 136 scoreless yards this season. The quarterback change (and trade of Cooper) just can’t be bad for him and while he’s also far away from a lineup spot, he’s a player to make sure is on dynasty rosters and someone to make sure you keep an eye on.
If there’s a winner in this development, it could be Njoku. We all remember how he absolutely exploded with Joe Flacco at the helm last year and he had ten catches for 76 yards and a touchdown this week on a massive 14 targets, and the loss of Watson had something to do with that. The 28-year old Njoku could have another big second half and he looks like a prime trade candidate for contending teams moving forward as whoever plays quarterback for the Browns will likely need a reliable safety valve.
Nick Chubb, RB CLE
Dynasty managers who have Chubb on their rosters would likely rather see him take the year off at this point. However, now healthy, the Browns are likely going to feed Chubb early and often. We’ll have to see what kind of results this yields, but it’s hard to see Chubb returning his typical results on a team where every defense will simply game plan to take him out of the equation.
2025 NFL Draft Quarterbacks
This includes the likes of Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Cam Ward, Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe, and others. The Browns are yet again at a crossroads in terms of their franchise’s future. They believed they were a quarterback away from the Super Bowl, paid through the nose to get one, then saw it backfire. If they see their season go into the toilet, it’s likely they’re going to look at finding a signal caller for the future and just swallow Watson’s contract. It would be no surprise to see any of these quarterbacks in brown and orange next season.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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