Fantasy Football Player Notes

Expected by many to be an early pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders fell to the fifth round and was drafted by the Browns, who had already taken QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Sanders wound up playing eight games and making six starts. The son of former NFL great Deion Sanders had a rough NFL debut, completing 56.6% of his passes and averaging 6.6 yards per attempt, with seven TD passes, 10 interceptions, and 23 sacks. The Browns, however, didn't provide their quarterbacks with much of a supporting cast last season, as the offensive line struggled and the WR group was among the worst in the league. No more than a late-round option in superflex leagues, Sanders is expected to compete with veteran Deshaun Watson for playing time this season.

Entering the final year of a burdensome five-year, $230 million contract that has been an albatross around the neck of the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson will compete with second-year man Shedeur Sanders to be the Browns' Week 1 starter. An electric dual-threat quarterback early in his career, Watson has been a flop since being traded to the Browns in 2022. The oft-injured Watson has started only 19 games for Cleveland over the last four seasons. He's averaged just 6.0 yards per pass attempt and 177.1 passing yards per start with the Browns. Watson has at least offered a little bit of rushing value, averaging 24.5 rushing yards per game since the trade. But it's fair to wonder whether that rushing potential still exists after a pair of Achilles tears, the latter of which sidelined Watson for all of 2025. Watson is no more than a late-round option in superflex leagues.