Cleveland Browns Depth Chart Debate: Is David Njoku Or Harold Fannin Jr. TE1?
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The Cleveland Browns fell short of their second win of the season on Sunday in rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s first NFL start. Cleveland’s tight end group played a massive role in the team’s offensive production, accounting for nearly half of Gabriel’s 190 passing yards.
Both David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. have gotten out to hot starts this fantasy football season, and continued a trend of encouraging play on Sunday despite the loss.
Njoku led all Browns pass-catchers with six catches for 67 yards on nine targets, leading the team in all three statistical categories. Behind him, Fannin hauled in each of his four targets for 13 yards but salvaged an otherwise disappointing fantasy football performance with a touchdown on Cleveland’s first scoring drive.
Fannin’s fast start to the season has helped him carve out a significant role in the Browns’ pass game behind the Pro Bowl veteran. His notable production to start his rookie campaign has raised questions over his status as the backup. Here’s our take on who should be considered TE1 in Cleveland’s offense.
David Njoku Fantasy Outlook
Njoku proved to be a valuable target for Gabriel in the rookie’s first start. His production has remained consistent during the first five games of the season, entering Week 6 as the team’s second-leading receiver in both receptions and yards. Following his Week 5 performance, Njoku is checking in at TE17 in fantasy football among PPR leagues, coming off a TE7 finish with an 18.7-point performance versus Minnesota.
Njoku’s Week 5 showing is a promising breakout showing for fantasy owners, considering his lowly 3.1-point outing in Week 4. As the season rolls on, Njoku will continue to see volume in a consistent role in Cleveland’s passing attack. I’m confident he’ll finish the season significantly higher than TE17 despite the Browns’ offensive struggles.
Harold Fannin Jr. Fantasy Outlook
From a fantasy standpoint, Fannin has performed equally efficiently through the first five games of the season, entering Week 6 ranked No. 2 on the Browns’ in targets. Fannin shocked owners with a season-high 13.6-point performance in Cleveland’s opener, outscoring Njoku in fantasy through the first two weeks of the season. His production has helped him to a TE18 start in fantasy, entering Week 6 one spot behind his veteran counterpart in PPR scoring.
Fannin’s target share and touchdown potential presents an immensely safe floor as the TE2 in his offense, as he’s proven to be a starting-caliber option for fantasy football lineups despite his role behind Njoku. He’s also outscored the Pro Bowler in three of the team’s five games to start the season.
The Final Verdict
It’s hard to dethrone a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end and notable past trends of fantasy production for a rookie backup after five games, despite the flashy start for Fannin. Njoku should remain Cleveland’s TE1, at least for the time being. While Njoku has managed greater production to this point of the season, I’m quite optimistic that Fannin will finish the season as one of Cleveland’s top-four receivers in yards, receptions and targets.
The Browns’ rookie starter has shown faith in a star-studded tight end group, and Kevin Stefanski’s offense will continue to feature both pass-catchers going forward. Both should be considered startable options at tight end in fantasy football, but I’m going to take Njoku as my pick for TE1 for the time being.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.