Deshaun Watson Fantasy Outlook Paints Him as Intriguing QB1 in Week 13

The time has finally come for quarterback Deshaun Watson to lead the Cleveland Browns. The NFL ruled he complied with the terms of his 11-game suspension and will officially be eligible to play in Week 13. It gives fantasy managers in need of help at the position a major opportunity to improve.

Deshaun Watson Fantasy Outlook

The last time fantasy managers saw Watson suit up, he was looking rusty in preseason action. That's expected from a guy that was learning a new playbook with a new team. Keep in mind he has been sitting in on team meetings since October and practicing with the team since mid-November, though.

While he may not come out of the gate firing, there's no reason to think Watson will play with any less aggressiveness than he has in the past. This is a QB that led the league with 4,823 passing yards in his last full season (2020). He also ranked first in yards per attempt (8.9) and made the Pro Bowl.

From a fantasy perspective, Watson provides a ton of upside due to the fact that he averages 31.1 rushing yards per game in his career and has logged 17 touchdowns on the ground. Those added points helped him finish as the No. 4 QB in 2018, the No. 5 QB in 2019 and the No. 5 QB again in 2020.

The amazing matchup that Watson draws in Week 13 has to be mentioned here as well. The Houston Texans have posted the sixth-worst total defense DVOA rating in the NFL and allow a whopping 385.0 yards of offense per game (No. 29 in NFL). The Browns should have no struggles moving the football.

If you've been stashing Watson on your bench, do not waste any time sliding him into your starting lineup. The 27-year-old checks in as the No. 6 QB in The Duel's Week 13 fantasy football rankings.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. 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. 

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