Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Michael Penix Jr.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Michael Penix Jr. News
Wednesday, September 2, 5:54 PM
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is expected to eventually take over as the starter under center, according to Cameron Wolfe. Penix is still working his way back from a partially torn left ACL from last year. He was cleared to begin doing team drills as of last weekend. Wolfe mentions that he believes it's too soon for Penix to start in Week 1, but it doesn't sound like it'll take him too long before he's ready to go. The expectation is that Tua Tagovailoa will begin the season as the starter while Penix gets fully healthy. The 26-year-old is likely still viewed as the future in Atlanta, but they need to make sure he's healthy first.
Deshaun Watson vs. Michael Penix Jr.
Still trying to decide between Watson and Penix Jr.? 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 Michael Penix Jr. is projected to score 8.3 points.
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