Deshaun Watson Fantasy Stats

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken was pleased with quarterback Deshaun Watson's performance in the team's preseason opener on Saturday in the 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, saying that he functioned at a "high level," per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Monken said the QB competition between Watson and second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders will continue for at least another week, and Jackson writes that "it's hard to imagine much changed Saturday in what was a predictably uneven first performance in a game setting for both QBs." The 30-year-old Watson went 11-for-15 passing for 126 yards, adding four rushing yards on three carries while losing a fumble. It was Watson's first game action since October of 2024 due to a torn right Achilles tendon. Almost all of Watson's yardage on Saturday came on short throws, and his most impressive work came while converting a first-and-25 with three straight completions. Sanders finished his outing going 6-for-11 passing for 79 yards and an interception. If Watson is solid in joint practices with the Buffalo Bills this week and in the second preseason game, he could be named the starter by Monken.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson looked sharp under center during Saturday's preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears. The veteran quarterback got the first chance to start and made the most of his opportunity. Watson completed 11-of-15 passing attempts for 126 yards during the 34-10 defeat. He played the entire first half and led his team to its only two scoring drives of the game. Watson did lose a fumble on a sack in Chicago territory, but it was mostly a solid day for Watson. Both Watson and Shedeur Sanders should continue to compete for the starting gig throughout the preseason. Watson outplayed Sanders in the first preseason game, but there are still two more to go

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken informed the QBs on Wednesday afternoon that quarterback Deshaun Watson will start the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Monken plans to start Shedeur Sanders in the team's second preseason game at home against the Buffalo Bills next Saturday. While Watson starting the team's first preseason game could mean he's in the lead over Sanders in Cleveland's QB competition this summer, it also might mean absolutely nothing. Watson and Sanders have been splitting first-team work during training camp, with no clear leader having emerged yet. How the two signal-callers perform in preseason action could be the deciding factor for who will start in Week 1 of the regular season in September. Regardless of who wins the competition for the Browns' starting QB job, they should be avoided in all single-QB formats and considered a low-end QB2 with limited upside and a short leash in two-QB superflex formats.

The Cleveland Browns still haven't picked a starting quarterback. According to Zac Jackson, the team's unofficial depth chart will list Deshaun Watson "OR" Shedeur Sanders at the top of the position when it is released Tuesday. Sanders took all of the first-team reps Monday, but Cleveland has bounced those opportunities between the two quarterbacks throughout training camp. Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie season, finishing the year with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Watson is trying to win the job after missing all of 2025 while recovering from a re-ruptured right Achilles. He returned for the full offseason program and has been competing throughout camp. The "OR" designation doesn't tell us who will ultimately start Week 1, but it makes one thing pretty clear: this race is still open. Until the Browns settle it, neither quarterback carries enough job security to be trusted in standard one-quarterback fantasy leagues.

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said on Wednesday that quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will continue to alternate first-team reps in training camp practices until he names a starter, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Monken said who leads the No. 1 offense in the joint practice against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 20 will follow the natural rotation, which means it would likely be Watson. There has been no clear leader in this QB competition, although Sanders reportedly had his best day of camp on Tuesday. Watson, meanwhile, struggled early, but he reportedly had his best day of camp on Wednesday. We should start to see some separation in the competition once the team's preseason slate kicks off on Aug. 15 against the Chicago Bears. Neither QB is attractive in single-QB fantasy formats, and whoever wins the starting job entering the 2026 regular season will be on a short leash with minimal fantasy upside.

Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson have alternated first-team reps through the install period of training camp, and head coach Todd Monken intends to continue that approach into the preseason. Monken told NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe, "[I'm] going to start one quarterback the first preseason game, the other one will start the second one, and then most likely, the leader of the competition's going to start the third," also saying, "The next week is going to decide who gets each of those games." Monken has stressed that he wants one of his quarterbacks to make it clear that they deserve the starting job, noting that despite his growth over the past four months, Sanders still has room to improve, while Watson needs to cut down on the turnovers after throwing six interceptions through this stage of training camp. The Browns play their first preseason game against the Bears on August 15, and who gets that start could be a telling indication of who could be the team's Week 1 starter.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown six interceptions through the first four practices of training camp, according to ESPN. The rough start comes as Watson tries to win the starting job after he and Shedeur Sanders handled most of the first-team work during the offseason. Saturday brought more trouble, including a short pass that was tipped before being returned for a touchdown and another throw intercepted by safety Donovan McMillon. Watson has not played in a regular-season game since tearing his right Achilles in October 2024. He completed 63.4% of his passes for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions across seven starts that season. Cleveland has not named a starter, and Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green are also part of the competition. Watson still has time to settle into the new offense, but six interceptions in four practices is a concerning start. He remains only a speculative Superflex option unless he wins the job and shows a significant improvement during the preseason.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took all of the first-team reps in practice on Friday on Day 3 of training camp, according to ESPN Cleveland. Watson went 18-for-27 passing on the day with no touchdowns and an interception. He also took all the first-team reps on the first day of training camp practice on Wednesday, with second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders getting the first-team looks on Thursday. For now, head coach Todd Monken plans to alternate first-team reps every day for Watson and Sanders as they compete for the QB1 job entering the start of the 2026 regular season in September. Watson struggled on Wednesday, at one point throwing back-to-back interceptions in 11-on-11 team drills. There's no clear leader in the competition just yet, but we should get a clearer picture once the pads go on to start next week. Whoever wins the Browns' starting QB gig will probably be on a very short leash and won't be a very exciting QB2 option in superflex fantasy leagues. Monken isn't expected to name a starter until much later in camp.

The Cleveland Browns opened training camp on Wednesday, and it was quarterback Deshaun Watson who took all the first-team reps, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into it, though, as head coach Todd Monken said he will continue to split first-team QB reps in practice between Watson and second-year signal-caller Shedeur Sanders. Watson struggled on Day 1, throwing interceptions on back-to-back throws in 11-on-11 drills. Monken didn't disclose a timetable for naming a starting QB this summer, but he did say he plans to play his starters in the preseason. It will likely be Sanders' turn with the first-team offense on Thursday. There were conflicting reports this offseason speculating on which way Monken might be leaning for the starting QB role, but the bottom line is both Watson's and Sanders' play will determine the winner in camp and the preseason. Whoever wins the starting gig will likely be on a short leash and will be no more than a volatile, low-end QB2 for fantasy managers in two-QB superflex leagues.

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said on Wednesday that quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will continue to split first-team reps early on in training camp, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Monken also mentioned that there is no definitive timeline for when he wants to name the team's starting QB. We might not know for a while still which way Monken is leaning in the team's QB battle. Watson, 30, has the experience edge, but he has also played in just 19 games since joining the Browns on a lucrative deal, and he didn't play at all in 2025 after needing multiple surgeries to fix a torn Achilles tendon suffered in 2024. Sanders, meanwhile, has the momentum and has impressed the coaching staff since he fell to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft. The 24-year-old showed plenty of growing pains as a rookie with 1,400 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in eight games (seven starts). Whoever wins the Browns' QB job to begin the regular season will be on a short leash and will be nothing more than a low-end QB2 target in two-QB superflex fantasy leagues.