Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson Receives Intriguing Fantasy Ranking

ESPN kicked off its 27-hour Fantasy Football stream, and in the first hour, they discussed whether or not you should draft Cleveland Borwns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) participates in drills before an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fantasy Football has become its own beast. It seems as though everyone and their mothers are in a fantasy football league and it has shaped the way football is watched across the country. It's become so big that ESPN does a 27-hour Fantasy Football Marathon where they give tips, analysis and advice going into 2024.

This year, the Cleveland Browns have a ton of names at the top of their position groups, from the defense, to David Njoku at tight end, Amari Cooper at wide receiver and a sleeper that is Nick Chubb at running back. The one guy missing? Deshaun Watson.

📺 the 2024 @ESPNFantasy marathon kicks off at 7 PM ET on ESPN2🚨

27 hours of everything you need to know from our entire squad

We are going to get over 1,000,000 drafted teams

Let’s go pic.twitter.com/8RWL8bl5Dh

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 19, 2024

We all know the story by now. Watson's incredible career start was knocked off the rails, and now he is struggling to get back to his old form. The 2024 season feels like his last chance to turn things around and prove to himself, the Browns and the league that he still has it in him to be a top-five quarterback.

Until then, he has a lot of work to do, and his Fantasy Football ranking backs that up.

Heading into 2024 on ESPN ranked Watson directly in the middle of the pack at No. 16 among quarterbacks. It's impossible to argue that ranking and frankly, if there was an argument, it would be that he is too high.

Now, I'm a firm believer that he is going to take the league by storm this year. He has a different aura around him this offseason, and he finally seems comfortable in Cleveland for the first time since he has been here.

Watson finds himself one spot behind Kirk Cousins and in front of the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jared Goff. At the top of the list are your normal suspects. Josh Allen sits in pole position followed by Jalen Hurts, Anthony Richardson, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.

One could make a compelling argument for Watson to be in either of those groups. It is up to him to prove it in 2024.