Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 17th at 4:05 PM ET
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
Betting Odds: Clev -3, 53.5 over/under total via Oddsshark
Network: Fox
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield (Sit, QB2)
The Brown’s passing attack has been frustrating this season. People were expecting Baker Mayfield to take the next step, into the top tier of NFL quarterbacks but that hasn’t happened. Baker has been up and down in his passing efficiency. He had a game where he completed 45.45% of his passes and a game where he completed 90.48%. Those were weeks 4 and 2 respectively. He only has 3 passing touchdowns so far this season and one rushing. He has been protective of the ball with only 2 interceptions and none in the past 3 games. A lot can be made of the wide receivers in Cleveland being hurt but when they do play they either aren’t on the same page with Baker or they can’t get open. The Cardinals are very good against the pass. They are ranked top 10 by CBS in terms of points given to the quarterback position. They are undefeated for a reason. The game line has this game being a high-scoring affair. That should lean toward more opportunities for Baker. This is a chance for Baker to make a statement with a good game and a win but I don’t expect it. I would be looking for better options.
Running Backs
Nick Chubb (Start, RB1), Kareem Hunt (Start, RB2), Demetric Felton (Sit)
The Browns have built their team around the run game. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have been fantasy stars so far this season. What’s nice about this backfield is even though it’s a near 50/50 split both are producing for fantasy. Chubb is a locked and loaded RB1 for fantasy. He has had 20+ rushing attempts in the past 3 games and over 100 yards the past 2. He is playing on 63.1% of the team’s snaps. The Cardinals are a tough defense but Chubb has done so well you can’t bench him. Hunt has been steller while only playing 44.7% of the team snaps. He has scored rushing touchdowns in 4 out of 5 games so far this season and has been involved in the passing game. Hunt has 21 targets so far on the season and 17 receptions. Hunt also has been averaging 5.4 yards per attempt and Chubb is at 5.8. I expect a lower game from both of them based on the strength of the Cardinals defense but both are still in your fantasy lineup. With the points expected from the game, we could see a touchdown for both. Demetric Felton wasn’t involved in week 5 and only played 3 snaps.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Odell Beckham Jr. (Start, WR3), Donovan Peoples-Jones (Sit, WR4), Rashard Higgins (Sit), Austin Hooper (Sit, Flex), David Njoku (Start)
The passing game for Cleveland has been a mess so far this season. They are still dealing with injuries to Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr missed the first two weeks of the season. There seems to be a disconnect between Beckham and Mayfield. After week 3, 5 catches on 5 targets, they followed that up with 2 out of 7 and 2 out of 3. The yardage for Beckham hasn’t been over 30 the past 2 weeks either. There is some hope that Beckham can turn it around and return to his previous glory but it’s hard to count on that for fantasy. In a game with a high over/under you can still hope that Beckham gets a touchdown and see targets. In week 5 the Browns played in an 89 point total game. In that game, Donovan Peoples-Jones got 6 targets and hauled 5 of them for 70 yards. He played on 68% of the team’s snaps which beats Rashard Higgins who only played on 47% of snaps. Higgins did find the end zone on his 5 targets, 3 receptions 29-yard day. Neither Higgins nor Peoples-Jones are startable for fantasy but one of them will find the end zone in week 6. If I had to pick one to start due to byes and injuries I would flex Peoples-Jones. The tight ends for Cleveland have been soaking up targets this season. David Njoku led the group and team week 5 with 7 targets. He had a massive day of 149 yards and a score on 7 catches. Austin Hooper was kept off the stat sheet in week 6. He has had 16 targets on the season while Njoku has had 17. With the high-scoring expected nature of the game and the Browns looking to be behind I expect Njoku to soak up targets as the Cardinals focus on the running backs. The Cardinals are the best against the TE according to CBS.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray (Start, QB1)
Kyler Murray has led the Arizona Cardinals to a 5-0 record and is the only undefeated team in the NFL. Murray has been a good fantasy quarterback so far this season but has left owners feeling wanting more in some games. In week 5 against the 49ers, Murray only threw for 1 touchdown and had almost no rushing upside. In the first 2 games of the season Murray scored 9 total touchdowns and since then only has 4. The Browns are ranked 27th in giving up points to the quarterback position. They recently just got torched by Justin Herbert. Murray will be looking to continue the undefeated season. He should get some more rushing attempts as the Browns have a great front 4 that can rush the passer.
Running Backs
Chase Edmonds (Sit, Flex), James Conner (Start, Flex)
The Browns are 5th best in giving up points to the running back position. This does not bode well for a Cardinals rushing attack that has been less than stellar. Chase Edmonds and James Conner have been splitting carries so far this season. Edmonds has 49 on the season and Conner has 23. Over the past 3 weeks, Conner has been overtaking Edmonds on rushing attempts. The saving grace for Edmonds is his involvement in the passing game. He outpaces Conner in targets 26 to 4. What kills Edmonds is his lack of touchdowns this season which has really hurt his fantasy value. Conner has been a red zone threat. He has 15 red zone rushes which he has converted into 5 touchdowns. With Edmonds, you are expecting him to capitalize on his 63.1% of the snaps but he hasn’t done that so far. You may not be able to do that with bye weeks and injuries but I’m looking for other options. I think Conner continues to be efficient on his 43.2% snap share and may even see an increase this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
DeAndre Hopkins (Start, WR1), A.J. Green (Start, WR2), Christian Kirk (Sit, Flex), Rondale Moore (Start, Flex), Some Random Tight End (Sit)
A.J. Green is up for bounce-back player of the year. He has been the recipient of DeAndre Hopkins getting the top coverage from defenses. The Browns have a middle-of-the-road pass defense. With a high over-under for the game, the Cardinal wide receivers look to feast. DeAndre Hopkins is still a top-end wide receiver in the NFL and for fantasy. He has 34 targets and 23 catches over the season so far. He can beat almost all coverage and is still the go-to for Kyler. A.J. Green has been the second receiver for the Cardinals that they have been missing. He has 26 targets and 16 catches for the season. Hopkins has 4 touchdowns and Green 2. You can start them both in a high-scoring matchup. After the top 2, there are reasons to be happy with the wide receivers. Tight end Maxx Williams went down with a season-ending knee injury in week 5. It is unclear who will be starting at tight end for the Cards but you can’t start them. This leaves large vacated targets that need to be absorbed. I believe that Rondale Moore will see the majority of them. He has been 3rd on the team in wide receiver targets just outpacing Christian Kirk 24 to 23. He has 2 more red-zone targets than Kirk and gets more catches in shorter routes than Kirk. I think both Kirk and Moore could find themselves with good stat lines come Monday morning. Kirk is playing on 60.7% of the team snaps which dwarfs Moore’s 39.6% but in week 5 it was a difference of only 4 snaps.
– Dustin Ludke (Dunit13dl on Reddit)