Njoku recorded four receptions on five targets for 42 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Steelers.
Analysis: Njoku finished second on the team in both targets and receptions, behind only Nick Chubb. He hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter to tally the first score by either team in the game. With Sunday's effort, Njoku will close the 2022 season with a career-high 58 receptions despite playing in only 14 games. He'll likely continue to see a significant role in the offense in 2023, pairing with Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones as the Browns' top pass catchers.
Jan 8, 2023 4:50 PM EST
Njoku caught one of three targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Commanders in Week 17.
Analysis: It was a quiet volume day for the passing attack despite quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing for three touchdowns. Watson attempted just 18 throws, and Njoku had his fewest targets since Week 11. A hopeful sign for the receivers and organization is that Watson looked like the quarterback Cleveland thought it was getting in the second half. That's when he completed 6-of-10 passes for 146 yards and three TDs.
Jan 2, 2023 5:58 AM EST
Njoku secured two of five targets for 14 yards in the Browns' 17-10 loss to the Saints on Saturday.
Analysis: Njoku turned in a modest performance on a day that wasn't exactly conducive to the passing game, with Amari Cooper the only member of the air attack to put up fantasy-worthy numbers. The veteran tight end still managed to extend his multi-catch streak to 11 games, and he'll have a better matchup overall against the Commanders on the road in a Week 17 clash on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Dec 24, 2022 6:26 PM EST
Njoku (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Saints after logging a full practice listing Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Njoku's practice reps were limited Tuesday and Wednesday, but the tight end's return to a full session Thursday has him ready to go for Saturday's contest. Through 11 games to date, Njoku has recorded a 51/551/3 stat line on 67 targets, a pace that keeps the 2017 first-rounder on the fantasy lineup radar this weekend, while facing a New Orleans defense that has allowed an average of 195.1 passing yards thus far.
Dec 22, 2022 12:41 PM EST
Njoku (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: The same was true Tuesday, with Njoku listed on the practice report ever since missing Week 13 with a knee injury. He's played 96 and 94 percent of snaps in two games since, and should get plenty of playing time this Saturday against the Saints, albeit in a game that may not have many pass attempts due to bad weather.
Dec 21, 2022 1:30 PM EST
Njoku (knee) is listed as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Two separate knee injuries have cost Njoku time this season, including a Week 13 absence, but he played 96 and 94 percent of offensive snaps the past two games en route to 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets. The workload checks out and seemingly makes him a solid TE1 for fantasy, except that the Browns offense has struggled with QB Deshaun Watson and now faces some ugly weather in Cleveland this weekend unless forecasts drastically change. Projections as of Tuesday called for the type of wind and precipitation that would make it hard to confidently start any QBs, WR or TE in the game.
Dec 20, 2022 1:33 PM EST
Njoku recorded three catches on six targets for 28 yards in Saturday's 13-3 win over the Ravens.
Analysis: Njoku tied Amari Cooper for the team lead in targets, though he couldn't take advantage of his opportunity. His longest catch of the day went for only 13 yards, and he now has under 30 receiving yards in three of his last four games. Despite the lack of production, Njoku has racked up 25 targets in that span, a good indication that he remains heavily involved in the Cleveland offense.
Dec 17, 2022 6:20 PM EST
Njoku (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Ravens, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: As expected, the knee issue that resulted in Njoku's reps being capped Tuesday and Wednesday won't affect his availability for Saturday. Given that he's logged a 12-88-2 receiving line on 16 through his first two games with Deshaun Watson under center, Njoku should profile as one of the top fantasy options at tight end during the Week 15 slate.
Dec 15, 2022 11:44 AM EST
Njoku (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Njoku was listed as a limited practice participant for the first two days of practice in Week 14, just as he has been so far in Week 15, yet by Friday of Week 14 Njoku was removed from the Browns injury report entirely. Particularly given that he played 67 snaps and drew nine targets in Week 14, it can likely be assumed that Njoku will be ready for a three-down workload when the Browns face Baltimore on Saturday.
Dec 14, 2022 2:35 PM EST
The Browns listed Njoku (knee) as a limited participant on Tuesday's estimated practice report, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Cleveland won't get back on the practice field until Wednesday, but because the team plays on Saturday in Week 15, the team had to issue its first official practice report Tuesday. Njoku may have his reps capped when the Browns actually return to the field Wednesday, but assuming he didn't suffer any setbacks with his knee during this past Sunday's loss to the Bengals, the tight end should be good to go this weekend versus the Ravens. Njoku has demonstrated an early rapport with Deshaun Watson, finishing with 12 receptions for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets since the quarterback debuted Week 13 against the Texans.
Dec 13, 2022 12:45 PM EST
Njoku caught seven of nine targets for 59 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Bengals.
Analysis: After missing the previous game due to a knee injury, Njoku showed instant chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson in their first game together. The pair linked up for a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and Njoku's nine targets marked his second-highest total of the season. Njoku will look to build on this strong effort in Week 15 against the Ravens.
Dec 11, 2022 2:44 PM EST
Njoku (knee) isn't listed on the Week 14 injury report, so he'll be available Sunday against the Bengals, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.
Analysis: Njoku will return after missing one game as a result of the injury. This will be the tight end's first game alongside quarterback Deshaun Watson, who struggled to build chemistry with any of Cleveland's pass catchers in his Week 13 team debut.
Dec 9, 2022 11:05 AM EST
Njoku (knee) was a limited practice participant Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: After sitting out last Sunday's 27-14 win over the Texans with the knee issue, Njoku has opened Week 14 prep with a pair of limited sessions. The Browns won't decide on whether Njoku carries a designation into this weekend's game against the Bengals until after Friday's practice, but the tight end is expected to return to the lineup Sunday, per Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com. If Njoku puts an end to his one-game absence this weekend, he'll be playing in his first game with new starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who returned from his 11-game suspension last week and made his season debut against Houston.
Dec 8, 2022 1:59 PM EST
Njoku (knee) was a limited practice participant Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Njoku missed three of the past six games with two separate knee injuries but reportedly is expected to return from a one-week absence for Sunday's matchup with Cincinnati. Petrak notes that the tight end looked good at Wednesday's practice, though the Browns kept him limited rather than unleashing Njoku as a full participant. That could be coming Thursday or Friday.
Dec 7, 2022 1:06 PM EST
Njoku (knee) is expected to practice this week and play Sunday against the Bengals, Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com reports.
Analysis: Njoku was sidelined for Week 13 due to a knee injury, marking his third absence over the past six weeks. However, the tight end is presumably feeling better and trending in the right direction to start Week 14. Nonetheless, fantasy managers should monitor Njoku's participation throughout prep to ensure he's still on track to suit up later in the week. When available, the 2017 first-round pick has been a consistent producer, totaling 41 receptions for 464 yards and two scores across nine appearances.
Dec 6, 2022 11:31 AM EST
Njoku (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: With Njoku unavailable, Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown are slated to lead the Browns' tight end corps in Week 13, with Bryant a candidate to log enough volume Sunday to merit fantasy lineup consideration. Njoku will now target a potential return to action Dec. 11 against the Bengals.
Dec 2, 2022 9:45 AM EST
Njoku (knee) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Back-to-back missed sessions cloud Njoku's status for Sunday's game against the Texans, but the tight end has one more chance to practice ahead of the contest. If, however, Njoku is out or limited this weekend, Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown would be in line for added snaps in Week 13.
Dec 1, 2022 10:58 AM EST
Njoku (knee) is not in line to practice Wednesday, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: Per coach Kevin Stefanski, Njoku's current knee issue is different than the one listed on last week's injury report. In any case, the tight end's status is now worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game against the Texans. If Njoku ends up out or limited this weekend, Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown would be in line to log added snaps in Week 13.
Nov 30, 2022 10:51 AM EST
Njoku secured five of seven targets for 29 yards and a touchdown in the Browns' 23-17 overtime win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Analysis: Njoku's day was mostly pedestrian until he recorded an impressive 12-yard touchdown grab in the back of the end zone with 32 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Njoku notably saw five more targets than fellow tight end Harrison Bryant, who'd taken on a larger role during his teammate's recent absence with an ankle injury. Njoku's trip to the end zone was his first since Week 3 and only his second of the season, giving him some momentum going into Deshaun Watson's debut as the starting quarterback against the Texans in Week 13.
Nov 27, 2022 3:55 PM EST
Njoku (ankle/knee) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Even though Njoku wasn't a full practice participant at any point this week, the Browns apparently saw enough from him to conclude that neither his knee nor ankle issue would keep him off the field Sunday. That being said, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram on Friday that he was undecided if Njoku would see a major increase in his workload after the tight end played just 25 snaps (37 percent) in the Week 11 loss to Buffalo as he made his return from a two-game absence due to a left high-ankle sprain. If Njoku's snap count remains limited to some degree once again, Harrison Bryant -- who logged seven targets and a 75 percent snap share Week 11 -- may be able to maintain a prominent role at tight end.
Nov 25, 2022 12:51 PM EST
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