Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 10th @ 1:00 PM ET
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Betting Odds: CLE -3, 30.5 total via Oddsshark.com
Expected Weather: 41 F; Rain, Wind
Network: CBS
Writer: Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ on Twitter/X)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence (Sit), C.J. Beathard (Sit)
Take a deep breath, Trevor Lawrence managers. The good news is, on Monday he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and not a season-ending injury, as the moment in real time looked way worse than it ended up being. Lawrence is questionable going forward, and so that’s where the bad news comes in. C.J. Beathard would assume QB1 duties in Duval if Lawrence were to miss, and the entire Jags offense would take a hit as we gear up for the fantasy playoffs. High-ankle sprains are tricky to play through, so even if Lawrence guts it out he is best avoided.
Running Backs
Travis Etienne Jr. (Start, RB2)
Travis Etienne Jr. had a rushing touchdown save his fantasy night against the Bengals, as otherwise he rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries, and caught all four targets for 34 yards. His stock should be taking a hit with Lawrence potentially no longer under center, as the box will no doubt be stacked over the next few weeks. Not to mention, he’s set to face the Browns this week, which puts him on the RB2 radar.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Calvin Ridley (Start if you must, FLEX), Zay Jones (Sit), Parker Washington (Sit), Evan Engram (Start, TE2)
Christian Kirk suffered a core muscle/groin injury early Monday night that is going to require surgery and sideline him for the foreseeable future. His fantasy season is over, which means Calvin Ridley is poised to take on more targets, however, there are two issues with that. 1), Ridley was still a ghost even with Kirk out essentially all game against the Bengals, catching four of eight targets for 26 yards, and 2) Lawrence may not be throwing him the ball this week (and beyond). Ridley with Beathard is truly boom-or-bust, and you would be wise to look elsewhere if you can.
The same goes for Zay Jones and sixth-round rookie Parker Washington, who surprisingly had himself a nice night against Cincy; catching all six targets for 61 yards and a touchdown.
If there is any pass-catcher to start, it would be Evan Engram, and that’s simply because a backup QB may tend to lean on his TE. The matchup is brutal though for Engram, as the Browns are the league’s best defense against opposing tight ends this season.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Joe Flacco (Sit)
Joe Flacco made his 2023 debut last week against the Los Angeles Rams and had a box score you could have probably predicted hours prior. He finished with 23 completions on 44 attempts, for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and a costly interception in the loss to the Rams. The Browns are losers of two straight, and even if rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson returns from the concussion protocol, Flacco will likely get the call again. Either way, Flacco holds no fantasy relevancy.
Running Backs
Jerome Ford (Start, RB2), Kareem Hunt (Sit)
Jerome Ford has 18 total carries between Weeks 12 and 13, turning them all into just 84 yards on the ground. He did find the end zone through the air against the Rams last week, catching all three targets for 33 yards. Kareem Hunt still factors in on the weekly, but last week Ford owned a 50.7% snap share over Hunt’s 35.2%. The Jags are strong against the run, although they did just allow Joe Mixon to turn 19 carries into 68 yards and two touchdowns, adding six receptions on seven targets for 49 yards.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Elijah Moore (Start if you must, FLEX), David Njoku (Sit, TE2), Harrison Bryant (Sit)
You’ll have to monitor Amari Cooper’s practice participation this week, as HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed Sunday that Cooper did exit with a concussion. If he can pass the protocol in time, Cooper should offer a WR3-type output with Flacco likely to look his way often. If he misses the contest, Elijah Moore figures to be the leading receiver as he was last week against Los Angeles; and that’s saying something. He caught just four of 12 targets for 83 scoreless yards. The Jaguars are allowing the seventh most fantasy points to opposing WRs on the year, which could bode decent for Moore if he’s the defacto WR1 this week.
David Njoku posted his worst game of the season against the Rams, catching two of six targets for just 17 yards. Harrison Bryant has been the TE of choice in recent weeks, having a touchdown in back-to-back games. I would be hard-pressed to consider Bryant as a streaming option this week, although you can’t ignore the scoring efforts since Week 12.
Last week, Njoku out-snapped Bryant 59 to 31 per FantasyData.