Browns @ Saints
Final Score: Saints 35 – Browns 14
Writer: Jesse Maida
No NFL game this season had more than three 30+ yard touchdowns. This game had five, two of them scored by Taysom Hill. This matchup truly was the Taysom Hill show, with the Saints’ Swiss Army Knife completing a pass, catching a ball, and rushing for a score, all on the first drive! This game was closer than the score line indicates, as it was tied 14-14 entering the last 15 minutes, but the Saints turned it into a blowout, scoring a touchdown on three straight 4th quarter possessions.
Two Up
- Taysom Hill – Unstoppable performance despite two turnovers. Hill had a career-high in receptions (8) while scoring three rushing touchdowns.
- Jerry Jeudy – 26 PPR points, the third-best of his career. Winston has transformed Jeudy into a consistent WR3 with a high weekly ceiling.
Two Down
- Nick Chubb – Winston is averaging 44 pass attempts as a starter. Negative game flow and zero receiving work are killing Chubb’s value.
- Alvin Kamara – Still a weekly top-10 RB, but Taysom Hill’s usage lowers Kamara’s ceiling. No TDs since Week 6.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Jameis Winston: 30/46, 395 Yards, 2 TD | 1 Carry, 8 Yards
Jameis Winston bounced back from a terrible performance two weeks ago against the Chargers. The offensive line play was much improved, allowing him to find some rhythm, ripping apart the Saints’ secondary for 395 passing yards. This blowout loss certainly was not on Winston, as he did not turn the ball over, limiting his turnover-worthy plays. Winston is averaging 44 pass attempts in his three starts and will remain a weekly streamer due to this insane passing volume. The upcoming schedule is rough, but 40+ pass attempts should lead to fantasy points, as long as you understand that Jameis can burn you on any given week.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 0/1, 0 Yards
Took over for Winston on the final drive of the game in garbage time.
Running Back
Nick Chubb: 11 Carries, 50 Yards
This was Chubb’s most efficient game of the season, picking up a few nice chunk gains on the ground, with a long of 14, but his fantasy value remains nearly non-existent. Chubb did not register a target despite 46 Winston dropbacks and now has commanded only six targets in his four games since returning from injury. With the Browns often playing from behind and passing more in neutral situations, Chubb is an RB3 with limited upside due to his lack of usage in the passing game. Chubb has failed to finish in the top 24 RBs in all four of his starts, averaging six PPR points.
Jerome Ford: 5 Carries, 10 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 29 Yards
Ford outscored Nick Chubb in both 0.5 PPR and PPR leagues, securing all four of his targets for 29 yards. He remains a zero on the ground, failing to surpass 14 rushing yards for the third straight week, and should only be considered as a desperation PPR option in deep leagues or a handcuff with low-end RB2 value if Nick Chubb were to miss time.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jerry Jeudy: 11 Targets, 6 Receptions, 142 Yards, TD
It only took five years, but Jerry Jeudy is finally delivering consistent fantasy production with a high-end ceiling, thanks to Jameis Winston. Jeudy had one of the best games of his career, catching four receptions for 127 yards, including an 89-yard touchdown, all in the first half. He added two receptions for 15 yards in the second half. Jeudy is averaging 9.3 targets per game with Winston as the starter and will continue to be a WR3 option with a WR1 weekly ceiling if he’s able to find the end zone.
David Njoku: 9 Targets, 9 Receptions, 81 Yards
After taking a backseat to Jeudy, Tillman, and Elijah Moore before the bye, Njoku earned nine targets this week, second only behind Jeudy. He caught all nine of those targets while also adding a 2-point conversion. The Saints are vulnerable against slot/in-line routes, and Njoku was able to take advantage of this matchup, racking up 60 YAC. Njoku has earned 7+ targets in five straight games, averaging nine per game over that span. This consistent volume should keep him in the conversation for the top-5 TEs for the rest of the season.
Cedric Tillman: 8 Targets, 3 Receptions, 47 Yards
It was a fantastic three-week run, but it couldn’t last forever. Tillman disappointed this week, catching only three balls for 47 yards, but still had eight targets, including numerous end zone shots. With the Browns passing 40+ times a game, spread across (basically) only four options, there is plenty of receiving work to go around. The other three options, Jeudy, Njoku, and Elijah Moore, all had at least 18 PPR points, and it was Tillman’s turn to take a backseat, much like Njoku in the Browns’ previous game. The upcoming schedule is tough, but all Browns pass catchers should be considered options going forward, especially with six teams on bye in week 12.
Elijah Moore: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 66 Yards
Much like Jerry Jeudy, Winston has revived Elijah Moore’s career. Moore scored his first touchdown on the season and has 8+ targets in all three games with Winston as the starter. There’s enough passing volume to support four Browns’ pass catchers. Of those four options, Moore is likely to have the lowest ceiling due to his lack of touchdowns (only four since 2022), but he’s secured 6+ catches in three of his last four games, providing a solid floor.
#Browns WRs in 3 games with Jameis Winston
– Cedric Tillman: 9.3 targets per game, 73.7 yards per game, 3 TDs
– Jerry Jeudy: 10 targets per game, 98 yards per game, 1 TD
– Elijah Moore: 9.7 targets per game, 59.7 yards per game, 1 TD— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) November 17, 2024
New Orleans Saints
Quarterback
Derek Carr: 21/27 248 Yards, 2 TD |1 Carry, 8 Yards
Post-game, Derek Carr said he feels like he’s playing the best football of his career. He certainly played fantastic this week, completing 78% of his passes for 248 yards and two TDs without his top-two receivers yet again. Other than an underthrown ball to Foster Moreau, which should have been a 35-yard touchdown, Carr played at a high level. After the bye next week, Carr has a favorable schedule and could be streamed as a low-end QB1 if needed, and should be a solid QB2 in Superflex leagues.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara: 16 Carries, 67 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 22 Yards
Alvin Kamara had 20 touches for nearly 90 yards and looked like his usual excellent self, but considering the Saints scored 35 points, fantasy managers will be disappointed, and they should be. Taysom Hill scored three rushing touchdowns, and Derek Carr hit Juwan Jonson for a 1-yard score with Kamara lined up in the backfield. Even Kamara’s ‘disappointing’ fantasy days provide a high floor due to consistent receiving work, but this week felt different, with Hill not only eating into Kamara’s workload on the ground but significantly out-targeting Kamara through the air. It seems every season, we go through a stretch where Taysom Hill becomes a real thing, and in 2024, that time is now. Kamara has not scored a touchdown since Week 6 but remains a top-10 fantasy RB in that span. However, the overall RB1 ceiling he displayed in Weeks 1-4 does not seem realistic for the final six games.
Jordan Mims: 2 Carries, 3 Yards
Jordan Mims has taken over the Jamaal Williams/Kendre Miller role, receiving multiple carries in three straight games.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Taysom Hill: 1/2 18 Yards, INT | 7 Carries, 138 Yards, 3 TD | 10 Targets, 8 Receptions, 50 Yards, FUM(L)
My fingers are sore just from typing out that box score. The Saints’ Swiss Army Knife was everywhere in the first half, posting one of the most insane stat lines you’ll ever see: 1/2 for 18 yards and an INT, two carries for 9 yards and a TD, and eight targets, seven receptions, 36 yards, with a lost fumble. Taysom Hill somehow saved his best for the second half, ripping off two long touchdown runs, including a 75-yard score to ice the game. Hill commanded a dominant 37% target share, which led to a career-high eight receptions. This performance makes Hill a must-start after the bye, as he’s finished as the TE5 or better in three of his last five games, including this week’s TE1 performance with 42 fantasy points!
Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 87 Yards, TD
Valdes-Scantling scored another long touchdown, as he did last week, and he’s done throughout his career. He took a catch and ran for a 71-yard score for his third touchdown in the last two weeks. It’s been a nice two-week run for the veteran receiver, but after the bye, he remains a touchdown-or-bust option. Turning seven targets into five receptions for 196 yards and three touchdowns is obviously not sustainable.
Foster Moreau: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 50 Yards
Foster Moreau was dinged up early but made big plays all game long. It could have been an even bigger day if Carr had not underthrown him on a 35-yard pass, which would have been an easy touchdown.
Juwan Johnson: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards, TD
Juwan Johnson had fewer targets and yards than Moreau, but he managed to score a 1-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter, his first score since week 1. All three Saints tight ends are utilized in this offense, but only one really matters, and that’s the one who just scored 42 fantasy points.