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During the Cleveland Browns' Week 8 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Deshaun Watson was forced into the blue medical tent after absorbing a blow to the head. He managed to return and finish the game, but now, as the Browns prepare for their Week 9 matchup with the New Orleans Saints, Watson has been placed in the league's concussion protocol. With little expectation that Watson will clear protocol in time for Sunday's contest, Shedeur Sanders is trending toward taking the starting quarterback job in Week 9.
So how does this injury update reshape the fantasy football value of Cleveland's pass-catchers? All statistics cited in this article are sourced from PFF or Sumer Sports unless otherwise noted. Fantasy rankings and point totals are provided by FantasyPros.
Fantasy Impact: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns
Sanders started the Browns' final seven games of the 2025 season. In that stretch, he ranked as the QB28 in fantasy points per game (13.2) and failed to reach 12 fantasy points in five of those starts. Among the 36 quarterbacks with at least 250 dropbacks last season, Sanders finished with the eighth-fewest yards per attempt (6.6), the 11th-most interceptions (10), and the lowest adjusted completion rate (69.8%). Even though the Saints rank 27th in dropback success rate allowed (49.8%), Sanders is not a quarterback to trust in Week 9.
Fantasy Impact: Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns
After a promising beginning to his rookie campaign, Denzel Boston enters Week 9 as the WR37 in fantasy points per game (10.9). He has recorded fewer than 10 fantasy points in three straight games. In his first NFL season, Boston has been used as a vertical threat in Cleveland's passing attack, producing the fourth-most yards per reception (15.7) and the highest average depth of target (15.8) among the 21 wide receivers with 50 or more targets. With Sanders under center, Boston may see fewer downfield opportunities, making him a risky play against the Saints.
Fantasy Impact: KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns
Rookie KC Concepcion represents the opposite of Boston, posting the 11th-fewest yards per reception (10.7) and the fourth-lowest average depth of target (7.1) among 39 wide receivers with 40 or more targets. Concepcion's fantasy production currently depends on short-passing volume and making plays after the catch. Sanders recorded the 10th-lowest average depth of target (7.7) among the 36 quarterbacks with 250 or more dropbacks in 2025, which benefits Concepcion. Given the news that Sanders is likely to start, Concepcion should be ranked higher than Boston in Week 9.
Fantasy Impact: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
The player who benefits most from Sanders starting is Harold Fannin Jr. Fannin just posted 23.4 fantasy points in Week 8 and had a strong rapport with Sanders to close out the 2025 campaign. Down the stretch last season, Fannin made six starts with Sanders as the Browns' starting quarterback from Week 12 to Week 17, and he ranked as the TE4 in fantasy points per game (14.6) during that span. Sanders' tendency to throw short makes Fannin a potential TE1 against the Saints.
Skyler Carlin is an experienced sports writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and soccer for FanDuel Research and USA Today. Outside of writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, and playing video games. Follow skyler_carlin.