Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Lamar Jackson


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.9 16.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0

Deshaun Watson News

Deshaun Watson's Starting Job Doesn't Erase Preseason Concerns

Saturday, September 5, 9:29 AM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson won the starting job, but his preseason left plenty of reasons to stay cautious in fantasy. Watson looked comfortable in the opener against Chicago, completing 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards, although he lost a fumble on a fourth-down sack. A week later, the offense went nowhere against Buffalo. Watson finished 5-for-12 for 36 yards with an interception before Cleveland shut down its starters for the preseason finale. Todd Monken still gave him the Week 1 job after evaluating the full offseason, camp, joint practices and games, so the Browns clearly saw more than the uneven game tape. Fantasy managers don't have to be as patient. Watson hasn't played a regular-season snap since tearing his Achilles in October 2024, then re-rupturing it and missing all of 2025. The job is his, but the August inconsistency did little to suggest an immediate fantasy rebound. Watson is best left to deeper Superflex formats until he shows he can string together productive games again.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
26.9 38.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Lamar Jackson News

Ravens "Optimistic" About Reaching Extension With Lamar Jackson

Wednesday, September 2, 2:20 PM

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said on Wednesday that he is "optimistic" about reaching a contract extension with quarterback Lamar Jackson, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. "We would love to get a deal done as soon as possible," DeCosta said. The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $260 million extension with Baltimore in April of 2023, but with an $84.3 million salary-cap number for 2027, the Ravens want to get an extension done with the star QB so that they can spread that cap hit out over multiple seasons. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time MVP battled nagging injuries for much of last year, which led to a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he threw for only 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in a career-low 13 starts. Jackson also ran the ball a career-low 67 times for 349 yards and two touchdowns. With better health, Jackson should rebound as an elite, high-end QB1 for fantasy purposes because of his dual-threat abilities at the position.


Deshaun Watson vs. Lamar Jackson

Still trying to decide between Watson and Jackson? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Deshaun Watson is projected to score 18.9 points this week while Lamar Jackson is projected to score 26.9 points.