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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones has gained sleeper status throughout the offseason in fantasy football. Coming off a 34 receptions, 597 yards, and three touchdowns season, he could be on his way to fantasy relevance.
The third-year player out of Michigan has every opportunity to be the Browns' WR2 wideout behind Amari Cooper, but has he seized the opportunity? If he is the clear-cut WR2, is he worth drafting in a Browns' run-heavy offense?
Those are the questions we'll explore, and of course, we'll dive into what Deshaun Watson's 11-game suspension means for Cleveland's secondary pass-catchers.
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Is Donovan Peoples-Jones the WR2 of the Browns?
All indications point toward People-Jones seizing the WR2 chair behind Amari Cooper, and ahead of a combination of David Bell and Anthony Schwartz. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, and Austin Hooper leave behind 229 targets from a season ago, so there are plenty of receiving opportunities to go around.
Holy smokes. Baker Mayfield launches a Hail Mary and Donovan Peoples-Jones comes down with it! pic.twitter.com/EucELAu2lq
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 17, 2021
Sure, Peoples-Jones hasn't been remarkably impressive since he came into the league in 2020, but he was a sixth-round pick buried behind two former Pro-Bowl wideouts in a low-volume passing offense. The possibility of a breakout certainly exists with his greatest opportunity to date in front of him.
Is Donovan Peoples-Jones Worth Drafting in Fantasy Football?
Peoples-Jones is sitting around the WR82 spot in National Fantasy Championship ADP, which is an indication the high-stakes fantasy gamers aren't bullish on him. He's being drafted behind the likes of Parris Campbell, KJ Hamler, and Sammy Watkins.
Of course, in deep leagues who are drafting players that low on the board, feel free to take a shot on whoever you like most. Ultimately, Peoples-Jones can't be expected to produce many fantasy-friendly weeks while Jacoby Brissett is under center.
If you're drafting Peoples-Jones, it's a long-term play for when Deshaun Watson is under center for Cleveland in Week 13. In shallow leagues without a ton of bench spots, it's more than likely he'll be your first cut casualty of the season after one or two unproductive weeks.
Cleveland opens its season against the Panthers, Jets, Steelers, and Falcons, so chances are the Browns will look to ground and pound with minimal passing attempts in at least three of those four games. Baker Mayfield, Zach Wilson (or Joe Flacco), Mitchell Trubisky, and Marcus Mariota aren't going to present enough of a threat to make those games quarterback shootouts.
Feel free to pass on Peoples-Jones, but it would be a savvy move to place a waiver claim on him a few weeks prior to Watson's return.
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