Browns WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) did not practice on Tuesday. He's more likely than not to miss Saturday's Wild Card game vs. the Texans. Tillman has been a full-time player for Cleveland over the second half of the season and averaged 5.0 targets over the last seven games, so his absence would be felt. The rookie's snaps would likely go to some combination of WRs David Bell, James Proche, and Marquise Goodwin.
Browns WRs Elijah Moore (concussion) is active for today’s game vs. the Bengals. He’s cleared concussion protocol but still might not play much with Cleveland having nothing to gain today. WR Marquise Goodwin (knee) is inactive, leaving the Browns with WRs Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and James Proche alongside Moore.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (heel) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Bengals. He said Thursday that he expects to be ready for the Wild Card playoff game next weekend. WRs Elijah Moore (concussion) and Marquise Goodwin (knee) are listed as questionable. Both guys will likely be held out of this meaningless game. Cedric Tillman is the best target bet in Cleveland's WR corps this weekend.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (heel) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Jets. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported less than an hour ago that Cooper was likely to play, but he reportedly didn't feel good enough in pregame warmups. His absence leaves Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell, and James Proche as Cleveland's five active WRs. We'd try to avoid the group against the Jets' top-ranked WR defense. TE David Njoku should get a target boost with Cooper out. QB Joe Flacco is no more than a low-end QB2 tonight considering the matchup and Cooper's absence.
The Browns traded WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Lions in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Peoples-Jones turned in a promising 2022 season, catching 61 of 96 targets for 839 yards and three TDs. But he's been mostly invisible so far this year, totaling just eight receptions on 18 targets. He joins a Lions offense still searching for a consistent No. 2 WR behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. WR Josh Reynolds has been good in spurts this year, but WR Jameson Williams has continued to disappoint. We'll see what kind of role Peoples-Jones can carve out, but he's unlikely to emerge as a reliable fantasy option this season. The 24-year-old is set to hit free agency in March. The Browns, meanwhile, are left with WRs Marquise Goodwin, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell behind Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore.
Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes Browns QB Deshaun Watson will be “much better” in 2023. We’re in strong agreement there. Watson struggled across six late-season games last year, tallying 6.5 yards per attempt and a 58.2% completion rate. But let’s recognize that he played his first regular season games since the 2020 season. And we’re ultimately talking about a small sample of 170 attempts. Cleveland added WRs Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman to a receiving corps already featuring Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Njoku. Watson sits inside the top 10 of our QB rankings.
The Browns selected Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Flash back to 2021 and it was Tillman leading the Tennessee WR corps with 64 catches, 1,081 yards, and 12 TDs. He was off to another strong start last year with 230 yards and 1 TD in 2 games before hurting his ankle. Now, Tillman’s breakout didn’t come until his fourth college season; he’ll already be 23 when his rookie season kicks off; and he has a big transition to make coming from Tennessee’s college-style attack. So he’s not a perfect prospect. But Tillman puts a big check in the size and athleticism boxes at 6’3, 213 pounds with 4.5 speed and a 37-inch vertical. And he flashes dominant contested-catch ability and strong YAC skills on tape. The fantasy ceiling here is exciting. Landing in Cleveland puts him in a crowded WR corps. With Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Elijah Moore round, Tillman probably doesn't have a shot at rising above fourth on the 2023 depth chart. The long-term outlook remains intriguing, though. Check out Tillman's initial projections in our 2023 fantasy football WR rankings.
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