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2024 has not been a good year for tight ends in the fantasy football world, and Cleveland’s David Njoku is a prime example.
Njoku was expected to be a top-10 fantasy tight end entering the season, possibly a top-5 at the position if everything broke right. He was coming off a career year where he set personal bests across the board with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns.
But Njoku’s 2024 campaign has gotten off to the rockiest of starts. He injured his ankle in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, which caused him to miss the following three games. Then, during his return against the Washington Commanders this past Sunday, Njoku was injured again, leaving early with an apparent knee injury. So, is Njoku hurt or healthy? Here is the latest:
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Is David Njoku Hurt or Healthy?
Njoku is hurt enough that he was scheduled for an MRI on his injured knee on Monday. The results have not been announced yet. There is no word on if this is a precautionary measure or if Cleveland is worried that he suffered a serious injury. Fantasy managers should prepare for the worst in case the verdict is that Njoku will be out for an extended period for a second time this season.
There might be a shred of good news as Cleveland is releasing tight end Blake Whiteheart, which probably would not happen if the Browns thought the Njoku injury was serious.
The #Browns are releasing TE Blake Whiteheart, who had been active while David Njoku was nursing an ankle injury.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 8, 2024
Who Should I Pick Up If Njoku Is Hurt?
Fantasy managers will have their fingers and toes crossed that Njoku is fine or will only miss a game or two. If that is not the case, however, the best backup plan for fantasy players might be to pick up Njoku’s understudy in Cleveland, Jordan Akins.
Akins is a towering tight end who has had middling success during his NFL career. He has a dozen catches for 98 yards on the year and scored his first TD of the season this past Sunday. Akins had 495 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2022 and could post numbers like that again if Njoku is ruled out for the season due to a torn ACL or something along those lines.
There could be a host of better options on your league’s waiver wire than Akins, though. Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft and Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely might still be available, and they have been two of the top tight ends in fantasy this year. Other options include Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton, New York’s Tyler Conklin, and Washington’s Zach Ertz.
David Njoku Fantasy Outlook
Njoku should continue to be rostered in dynasty leagues, no matter what his injury is. With the lack of tight end talent in fantasy leagues these days, Njoku has fantasy value even if he might miss the next 6-to-8 weeks because he could be a major help at the end of the season when fantasy games are crucial or in 2025 if he needs 6-to-9 months to fully recover from major surgery.
Njoku’s fantasy value has taken a hit with Deshaun Watson at QB, though. Watson is dragging everyone’s fantasy worth and stats with his subpar play. Let’s hope fantasy managers and Browns fans receive good news on Njoku’s knee and that the Browns decide to go with a different quarterback sooner rather than later.
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