Can Harold Fannin Jr. Be A Fantasy Football League Winner In David Njoku's Absence?

Harold Fannin Jr. has been one of the top tight ends in the NFL in just his rookie season. Could he take another leap in David Njoku's absence?

Oct 26, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has been one of the top players at the position throughout his first year in the NFL. Sharing the field with veteran Pro Bowler David Njoku, Fannin has offered consistent production to a struggling Browns offense that has seemingly found new life over recent weeks. 

Fannin has remained a top contributor in Cleveland’s receiving group despite several changes at quarterback, but his production has reached new highs over recent weeks with Shedeur Sanders at the helm. The highly touted rookie signal-caller was named the starter for the remainder of the season over fellow rookie Dillion Gabriel, who previously started six games for the franchise. 

With Sanders under center, Fannin has hauled in 15 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games, offering his rookie counterpart a reliable safety blanket. He enters Week 15 as Cleveland’s leading receiver by a wide margin and will remain a leading target for Sanders in the passing game as the offense looks to continue building momentum. 

Njoku, who suffered a knee injury during Cleveland’s Week 14 loss to the Tennessee Titans, has been absent from practice this week as he works his way back. With one of the Browns’ top receiving threats sidelined, Fannin could emerge as a league-winner down the stretch of the season. 

Harold Fannin Jr. Will Be A League-Winner In Fantasy Football

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (44) catches a touchdown pass over Tennessee Titans free safety Xavier Woods (25) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The rookie’s stellar production has translated to fantasy football, where he enters Week 15 ranked as TE6 among PPR leagues. Fannin’s coming off one of his best performances of the season in Week 14, posting game-high marks in targets, receptions and receiving yards. 

Fannin is coming off a season-high 25.4-point performance, racking up eight catches for 114 yards, finding the endzone in the fourth quarter. His performance led all tight ends in fantasy scoring for Week 14, elevating expectations down the stretch of the season. The Bowling Green product has already vastly outperformed his ADP coming into the fantasy season, ranking 30th among all tight ends, with an overall ADP of 259.0 among PPR leagues, according to FantasyPros’ data. 

Down the stretch of the season, Fannin will provide valuable production for fantasy lineups over the season’s most crucial weeks as the playoffs approach in Week 16. Considering his trends of volume and production with Sanders under center, he’ll remain one of the primary targets in the Browns’ passing game, and should continue such trends versus the Chicago Bears’ 21st-ranked pass defense. Fannin is going to sustain his role as one of the premier threats in the Browns’ offense, and could help fantasy lineups to championship victories.