Cleveland Browns @ Arizona Cardinals: Who to Start in Fantasy?
The Cleveland Browns still have slim playoff hopes, so they’re a team to watch still as your fantasy playoffs are underway. Any game with Cleveland in it is going to have some players you will want to start, mainly because of their well known offense when it comes to big names. Coming off a win to the Cincinnati Bengals, traveling west to Arizona is next up for Cleveland.
The west coast hasn’t been nice for the Browns, but they’re hoping for a change in this once against the Cardinals. Facing off against a young, exciting quarterback in Kyler Murray, the Browns are in must win mode, if they won’t to even have a winning record, let alone a playoff chance.
Here, we take a look at some players you should think about starting in your fantasy lineup potentially, or your daily fantasy.
Nick Chubb - Nick Chubb has been the best running back in the entire league in terms of rushing and it’s simple, he’s often good for a big run once a game. Then, he wears the defense down with multiple chunk plays. This style of running has had the second year running back as an easy start in terms of fantasy football all season long.
Last week Chubb ran the ball 15 times for 106 yards, totaling a little over 12 fantasy points. With Kareem Hunt in the picture, he’s taken some carries, but it better suits Cleveland this way. Chubb is still the go-to back and leads the league in rushing, just to show how big of an impact he still is.
Against the Cardinals, Nick Chubb will be an easy choice to start as he is slated for just under 17 projected fantasy points. Teams haven’t had a problem putting up points or yards against Arizona and it shouldn’t start now.
Jarvis Landry - If you told a Browns fan that Jarvis Landry would be their best wide receiver this season over Odell Beckham Jr, they would think you’re crazy. But, that is the case, no matter the reason, Landry has been solid and it’s translated over to fantasy sports.
Landry hasn’t seen a single digit performance since before the bye week, just to show the consistency he has been working with. Last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught four passes for nearly 80 yards, a good yard per catch ratio that really has a fantasy impact.
This week Jarvis should be slated in your second wide out spot or even your flex position. The Arizona Cardinals will key in on his best friend Odell Beckham, likely creating more opportunities for Landry as it always does. If Baker Mayfield is on his mojo, Landry could be in for a big game as he’s worked as a security blanket often this year for the second year quarterback. When Baker needs to get rid of it, Jarvis is often open to save the day, at times this season.
Kareem Hunt - Hunt has played himself into an interesting position where many Browns fans want to keep him on the roster while Nick Chubb is on his rookie deal. Who wouldn’t though, as he’s been a nice change of pace from Chubb, and provides the best one-two running back punch in the league. In his five weeks back, Hunt is scoring consistently, with his lowest output being a solid 11.8 fantasy points.
He’s the perfect option to slide into your flex position as he’s going to grab some sure fire points for your fantasy team. The main reason is his ability for to have multi-catch games and then he makes people miss after receiving the ball. Throw in a rushing touchdown here and there and Hunt is definitely one you want. Against the Cardinals things should be no different as Cleveland will use him as they have any other team and will see touches through the air and on the ground.
Christian Kirk - Looking at his college tape, many just felt that Christian Kirk would be good and this season he has been pretty decent. Kirk has the ability to take it the distance off any route, which makes him so dangerous. The second year receiver already has better numbers than his rookie season and should top out around 800 yards receiving this season.
Kirk has a couple big games over a 100 yards and will continue to improve along with the growth of Kyler Murray. In fantasy Kirk has been kind of hit or miss, but he catches multiple passes a game which really helps his fantasy scoring element. Projected for 13.7 fantasy points against the Cleveland Browns, sliding him into that slot position wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Kyler Murray - Kyler had a solid start to the season, which had fans who doubted the Cardinals pick quiet for a while. He’s had a decent rookie season with a 16-9 touchdown to interception ratio and has added a few touchdowns on the ground.
Against the Browns, he could be in a position to run a lot if the defensive line is able to wreck some havoc, which could cause problems for Cleveland if they cannot contain him when he gets outside of the pocket.
Kyler will be looking to bounce back from a three interception game against the Steelers last week. Slated over 19 points in projected fantasy impact, he’s worth a look to roll with on Sunday against the Browns.
