Several Browns worthy of fantasy selections

By Zachary Bardou  |   Monday, July 21, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

Cleveland Browns
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Fantasy footballers love owning players from their favorite NFL teams. It renders victory twice as sweet and defeat all the more crushing, also making football season an even bigger thrill ride. For fans of the Cleveland Browns, it’s been some time since they had a lot of homer options during their fantasy drafts, but that all changes in 2008.

This season, four Browns will be drafted in the first 100 picks of most fantasy leagues, while two others will find spots on rosters in the late rounds. Despite a tough schedule, these Browns will make valuable contributions to fantasy teams in every league this year.

Wide receiver: The first Brown off the board in every fantasy league this season should, without a doubt, be Braylon Edwards. Last season, Edwards amassed 1,289 receiving yards, good for seventh among NFL wideouts, and 16 touchdowns, a total that might have led the league if Randy Moss had never left Oakland.

With Donte' Stallworth having been signed as a complement, Edwards should see less double coverage this season; of course, that's not to say he had any trouble deposing of multiple defenders in 2007. He will probably be the third or fourth wideout taken in most drafts, depending on how quickly Peyton Manning can get back on the field in Indianapolis, and fantasy owners should feel comfortable drafting Edwards 20th or later.

Take Edwards before Steve Smith, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne. While those players are all in a similar class, the former two come with injury concerns and the latter now has an injured quarterback and the specter of a possibly resurgent season from Marvin Harrison to contend with.

In 10-team leagues, a lot of No. 1 overall drafters will probably pair Edwards with a second running back at the end of Round 2 and beginning of Round 3.

Running back: If the owner who picks first overall in your 10-team league is a huge Browns fan, he or she might choose to double his or her pleasure at the end of Round 2 and take both Edwards and Jamal Lewis. Well, that person would probably be taking Lewis a little too early.

Last season, Lewis proved that he can still carry the load, rushing for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 248 yards and two scores through the air. More importantly, though, Lewis flourished in the cold at the end of the year and kept the Browns’ offense moving when Derek Anderson struggled down the stretch.

In 2008, opposing defenses will have to respect the passing game, and the offensive line -- anchored by second-year phenom Joe Thomas -- should be even better, giving Lewis the room he’ll need to reproduce last season’s output. Third-tier fantasy running backs Brandon Jacobs, Maurice Jones-Drew and Laurence Maroney (expect big things this season) should all go before Lewis, but the Brown is a good choice 25th or later. He should be an excellent second back.

Tight end: Last season was a great year for a number of tight ends, including Cleveland’s Kellen Winslow. In recent seasons, the Chargers' Antonio Gates had been in a class by himself, outgaining and outscoring his peers by a wide margin and earning a draft position indicative of his vast superiority.

But in 2007, several tight ends put up excellent numbers and joined Gates in the upper tier, including Winslow, Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. Winslow topped 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his career, finishing with the third-highest total in the league and finding the end zone five times.

Witten and Gates will merit earlier picks because of the TDs they had last year (seven and nine, respectively), but Winslow should be the third tight end taken in most drafts, especially in leagues that award points for receptions. Winslow's role in his team's offense is far greater than those of Dallas Clark, Chris Cooley and Heath Miller, and he plays for a team that will score more points than the Chiefs (Gonzalez). Winslow should be taken as early as 50th overall.

Quarterback: In the wake of a 2007 season that saw unprecedented production from signal-callers, many drafters will reach for a quarterback early this year. However, some passers will be off the board too early.

After Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Tony Romo, the second tier comprises Drew Brees, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Hasselbeck and Anderson. While there is widespread concern among both fantasy freaks and Browns fans that Anderson may have been a one-hit wonder, the fourth-year quarterback will have several advantages over his peers.

Brees, Palmer, Roethlisberger and Hasselbeck will all start the season behind offensive lines that have shown signs of deterioration in recent seasons. Anderson, on the other hand, will have the services of perhaps the staunchest offensive line in football and has proven his ability to make the unit’s job even easier by remaining in the pocket and getting rid of the football.

He also has at his disposal the most prolific receiving corps of the five and should be drafted before any of them. None of them should really be taken before the 60th pick, but any selection after ought to be used on Anderson (assuming he's available and you don’t already have an elite QB).

Honorable mention: Two other Browns warrant a selection in fantasy drafts this season, but they can be added in the later rounds.

Stallworth presents a bit of an unknown factor as a new player in a new system. It remains to be seen how well he will fit into Cleveland's offense, but Stallworth should at least surpass Joe Jurevicius’ 2007 numbers (50 catches, 614 yards, three scores). Ranked just outside the top 40 fantasy receivers, Stallworth will land on fantasy rosters late in the draft as a backup and could prove to be a valuable asset if he flourishes with Cleveland.

Phil Dawson, meanwhile, should be drafted by any Browns fan with the final pick of their draft. Never take a kicker before your last choice, but if Dawson is available, scoop him up. He is a good kicker and the Browns will score lots of points, making him as good a pick as anyone before the season starts. Better kickers won’t remain in the last round, but depth at the other positions is much more important.

Undraftable sleeper: Expect no more than five people on earth to draft the Browns' defense in 2008, but be sure to keep your eye on the unit as the season gets underway. It remains to be seen whether the offseason moves (adding tackles Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers, for instance) made by the organization will be able to turn this defense into a winner.

Even if a miracle isn’t worked, however, fantasy owners who cycle defenses based on matchups could still make good use of Cleveland’s during Weeks 3 and 8 against the Baltimore Ravens.
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About Zachary Bardou

I am a freelancer journalist, editorialist and blogger from Richmond, VA. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and my work has since appeared in Richmond Magazine, Style Magazine, High Times Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Shoutmouth.com and...
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