Deshaun Watson Fantasy Outlook Paints Tricky Draft Value Following Suspension News

The NFL officially handed out Deshaun Watson's suspension on Monday morning, and the Cleveland Browns quarterback will miss the first six games of the 2022 season.

Although this was expected, this news adds to the fact that Watson's fantasy football value offers a very tricky situation for managers ahead of drafts. A potential top-five quarterback when on the field, Watson has the ability to win your league, but it's merely a question of where he should be drafted.

Deshaun Watson Fantasy Outlook

Watson currently checks in with an average draft position of No. 155 overall and the 18th QB taken off the board. He hasn't played a game since 2020, but finished at QB5 that season with the Houston Texans. In fact, he's been a top-five quarterback in every season save his rookie year.

The dual-threat capabilities (419 yards, 5 TDs per year) and elite passing skills of 3,800+ yards and 26+ TDs in his last three years show what an impact the new Browns' gunslinger has on fantasy rosters.

He's on a new team, but there's not much to be concerned about in terms of fantasy production. Did the Browns rush the ball at the sixth-highest clip last season? Yes, but with Baker Mayfield at quarterback. That number will look way different this season.

Does Watson have enough weapons in the passing attack? Yes, the combination of Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Njoku and Nick Chubb are on par with his previous group of playmakers in Houston.

It all comes down to draft position. It won't be surprising to see Watson's ADP climb slightly now that the uncertainty of his future is gone. His ADP suggests he'll go somewhere in the 12th round, but be on the lookout for players in your league willing to take an earlier chance. Just keep in mind, you'll need another solid quarterback (or take your chances streaming) for the first six weeks of the season.

After all, you don't want to dash your season's hopes in the first six weeks just to stash an elite football talent.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.