Who Should I Start? Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17.8 | 16.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Deshaun Watson News
Monday, August 24, 6:14 AM
The Cleveland Browns have named veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson as their starter for the 2026 season, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. Watson battled second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders throughout training camp and two-up-and-down preseason games, and with neither able to take a clear grasp on the role, head coach Todd Monken's decision did not come until late August. Watson completed only five of 12 pass attempts in the team's second preseason game on Saturday, adding an interception to his lost fumble from preseason game one, but he showed enough in practice to earn the starting job in what will be his tenth professional season. A three-time Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans, Watson was acquired by the Browns in 2022, where he has gone 9-10 as a starter and most recently missed the entire 2025 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon for the second time. Watson is RotoBaller's QB32, and he will be backed up by Sanders.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | 8.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Shedeur Sanders News
Monday, August 24, 6:27 AM
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders famously fell to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he found the field for seven starts as a rookie and was eventually named a Pro Bowl alternate. He spent his second training camp in a battle with veteran Deshaun Watson, and on Monday, head coach Todd Monken named Watson as the starter, with NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reporting that Sanders will serve as his backup. Sanders looked sharp to start Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, but threw a late interception with the inconsistency that has plagued him throughout camp creeping into a live game scenario. While Watson did not perform any better on Saturday, completing only 41.7% of his passes and throwing an interception of his own, he showed enough throughout camp to win a battle with no obvious separator. Sanders has been drafted as the consensus QB29 throughout fantasy draft season, but Monday's news is certain to push him off of draft boards.
Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders
Still trying to decide between Watson and Sanders? 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 17.8 points this week while Shedeur Sanders is projected to score 8.6 points.
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