Shedeur Sanders' Fantasy Football Value Might Be Sunk In Cleveland

Michael Fabiano | Apr 26, 2025

Shedeur Sanders went from a projected top-10 pick in the NFL draft to a fifth-rounder on a Browns team overflowing with quarterbacks. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The free fall is over.

After waiting two-plus days and four-plus rounds, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was finally drafted … by the Cleveland Browns. I’d actually praise the pick in real and fantasy terms if it weren’t for what the Browns have already done in the offseason and in the draft.

Obviously, their first blunder came in 2022 when they traded a king’s ransom in draft picks to acquire Deshaun Watson and then signed him to a $230 million fully guaranteed contract. That has not worked out well, as Watson has barely played due to injuries … and he wasn't great when he was on the field. Watson remains on the payroll too (for now), though we don’t know if he will play in 2025 because of a torn achilles.

The Browns also traded for Kenny Pickett and signed veteran Joe Flacco in the offseason. At that point, I assumed Flacco would be their starting quarterback in Week 1. After all, he won Comeback Player of the Year in coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense not too long ago. The old veteran was also a nice fantasy asset, averaging over 20 points per game in his starts.

Cleveland wasn’t done at quarterback, though, as it drafted Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon in the third round. He appeared to be their quarterback of the future, assuming Watson and his massive cap hit will eventually get the boot. Instead, the Browns added yet another quarterback to further muddy the waters.

That quarterback, of course, is Sanders.

The team now has control of five field generals, and there isn’t one who sticks out as the best of the bunch. Watson has the best fantasy resume, but he’s coming off multiple achilles tears and seems like a shell of his former self. I’d prefer to see Flacco next, but can he bring back that old magic at the age of 40? Pickett has been an NFL dud, and I can’t see my way to project Gabriel or Sanders as Year 1 starters, no less Week 1 starters.

We’ll need time to see how this all shakes out, as the Browns are not going to have five signal-callers on their roster. Maybe they cut Watson and eat the dead money. Who knows. But for now, I’d struggle to pick even one of these quarterbacks as the best fantasy bet in redraft leagues. Hell, who gets the nod in a dynasty draft … Gabriel or Sanders?

It’s a fantasy football mess … much like the Browns offseason moves.