Cleveland Browns 2020 Preview
Can the Dawg Pound bounce back?
TEAM OVERVIEW
After a disappointing 2019 season that began with Super Bowl aspirations and ended without a playoff birth, the Cleveland Browns will attempt to right the ship with the help of new head coach Kevin Stefanski. On the offensive end, Stefanski is joined by another new arrival, TE Austin Hooper. These new additions, combined with the return of All Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett and the incredibly talented Odell Beckham Jr. should assist in lifting the Browns into wild card contention.
2019 TEAM DATA & FANVEST’S 2020 ESTIMATES
CLE 2019 REGULAR SEASON AGAINST THE SPREAD (ATS) PERFORMANCE
FANVEST’S 5 FANTASY IMPACT PLAYERS
For fantasy purposes, the most important piece of this Browns offense is the backfield led by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb projects as the bell cow after racking up over 1,400 rushing yards and maintaining an impressive 5 yards per carry average last season. His stellar 2019 campaign included a top 3 finish in avoided tackles, yards after contact, and runs of 10+ yards according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Any way you slice it, Chubb is a 1st-round pick in all formats.
Kareem Hunt won’t get the same touch volume as Chubb, but Hunt’s 60% snap share in weeks 9–17 suggest the Browns will at least keep him on the field enough to warrant flex consideration in season-long leagues. If Chubb goes down, Hunt would instantly become a top 5 fantasy RB. That potential is not too shabby for a 6th-round ADP.
The Baker Mayfield hype has died down after a mediocre sophomore campaign, and a deeper look into his 2019 performance does not instill confidence. Baker’s meager 14.3 fantasy points per game ranked just 19th and he did not even crack the Top 20 of PFF’s Highest-Graded QBs. The surrounding cast makes him a passable backup QB option in season-long formats, but he shouldn’t be started in anything but the deepest of leagues.
The TE position projects to be a multi-headed monster for the Browns. Former Falcon Austin Hooper will lead the pack, but head coach Kevin Stefanski used 2 TEs or more on 53% of the Vikings plays in 2019 which ranked 2nd according to SharpFootballStats.com. This heightened TE usage is very likely to transition over to the Browns where 2nd-team TE David Njoku would serve to benefit. Similar to Kareem Hunt, Njoku will have some fantasy value in his current role, but if Hooper were to go down, Njoku would get a huge boost.
Finally, the WR group will be led by Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry who are both individually talented enough to be the #1 pass catcher for most NFL teams. Assuming a full season is played in 2020, both players shouldn’t have any trouble accumulating over 100 targets each, and their respective fantasy ceilings will only be limited by the overall offensive output of the Browns. Both Landry and Beckham had 20+ deep targets, over 300 yards after the catch, and 25+ red zone targets in 2019 (PFF).
CLE 2020 WIN TOTAL & OUTLOOK
FanDuel Sportbook is currently offering a line that anticipates some significant improvement after their 6 win campaign just a year ago. However, the Fanvest model is not nearly as kind to the Browns, suggesting under 8.5 wins is a very strong play to consider for bettors in 2020.
