The breakout season fantasy football managers got from Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku was a bit unexpected considering the franchise had four different starting quarterbacks under center in 2023. Yet, his elite production over the back half of the season makes him one of the more interesting fantasy options at tight end heading into the upcoming 2024 NFL season.
Can fantasy managers expect more elite production from the Browns TE in 2024?
Should You Select David Njoku at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 81st Overall (TE9)
- Strong 2023 Finish: Njoku’s TE6 finish in full-PPR formats, with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six scores, was impressive given the instability at quarterback. His strong performance over the back half of the season, where he was the TE1 in PPR formats over the final 12 games, suggests he has significant fantasy upside.
- Slow Start with Watson: However, Njoku’s slow start in 2023, particularly with Deshaun Watson under center, is a concern. In the first six weeks of the season, Njoku was the TE22 with just 19 receptions for 162 yards and no touchdowns. His limited involvement in the passing game during this period is worth noting.
- Comparison with Amari Cooper: During the same time frame, Amari Cooper was Watson’s preferred target, averaging five receptions, 96 yards, and scoring two touchdowns over five games. This suggests that Njoku may not be Watson’s go-to option, which could limit his ceiling when Watson is healthy and starting.
- Expanded Role with Backup QBs: Njoku’s role in the offense expanded significantly when backup quarterbacks took over, leading to his TE1 performance over the final 12 games. This shows that Njoku can thrive in this offense, especially when the team leans more on him in the passing game.
- Yards After Catch and Big Plays: Njoku led all tight ends with 599 yards after the catch last year and had seven receptions of 30+ yards, trailing only George Kittle. This indicates that Njoku is a dynamic playmaker who will likely continue to see designed plays to get the ball in his hands.
- Impact of Jerry Jeudy’s Addition: The addition of Jerry Jeudy could impact Njoku’s target share, but it doesn’t necessarily diminish his value. Njoku’s proven ability to produce after the catch and in the red zone should keep him involved in the offense, even with additional competition for targets.
- ADP Analysis: Njoku’s current ADP of TE9 at No. 81 overall in the eighth round makes him a solid value pick. He has demonstrated top-five upside at the position and could provide significant value if the Browns continue to utilize him as they did late in 2023.
- Final Verdict: Njoku is a top-10 fantasy TE heading into the 2024 season with the potential to break into the top five if his role remains consistent. His price point in the eighth round represents excellent value for a player with his upside, making him a strong draft day target for fantasy managers.
PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for David Njoku
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis. Since Njoku is ranked outside the top 75 in the PFN Consensus Rankings, we’ve listed the consensus TE rankings instead.
4) Trey McBride, TE | Arizona Cardinals
5) Dalton Kincaid, TE | Buffalo Bills
6) Evan Engram, TE | Jacksonville Jaguars
7) George Kittle, TE | San Francisco 49ers
8) Kyle Pitts, TE | Atlanta Falcons
9) David Njoku, TE | Cleveland Browns
10) Jake Ferguson, TE | Dallas Cowboys
11) Brock Bowers, TE | Las Vegas Raiders
12) Dallas Goedert, TE | Philadelphia Eagles
13) T.J. Hockenson, TE | Minnesota Vikings
14) Dalton Schultz, TE | Houston Texans
David Njoku’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
On the surface, Njoku’s TE6 finish in full-PPR formats — with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six scores with a combination of Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Joe Flacco under center — should be a very encouraging sign for a potentially better year in 2024 with more stability under center.
Yet, Njoku’s slow start to last year when Watson was the main quarterback under center certainly requires a closer look. Through the first six weeks of the season, Njoku was the TE22 with just 19 receptions for 162 yards and no scores. His involvement in the passing game was fairly limited, his production was disappointing, and the struggles of the passing game were still concerning with Watson struggling.
Njoku’s averages in 2023 (min. 90% of offensive snaps played by Watson)
- Averaged five targets, four receptions, 35 receiving yards, and 8.32 fantasy points over a five-game sample size.
Njoku’s numbers with Watson under center aren’t exactly encouraging for a repeat breakout performance in 2023. Furthermore, when you compare Njoku’s production with Watson under center directly to Amari Cooper’s production over the same sample size, it would appear Cooper was Watson’s preferred go-to option.
Cooper’s averages in 2023 (min. 90% of offensive snaps played by Watson)
- Averaged five receptions, 96 yards, and scored two TDs through five games
Yet, when head coach Kevin Stefanski was forced to turn to backup quarterbacks repeatedly last year, we started to see Njoku’s role in the offense expand exponentially.
Over the last 12 games of the season, Njoku was the TE1 in PPR formats with 62 receptions for 720 yards and six scores on 101 targets. It goes without saying, but that is outstanding production for the TE position.
Despite this, can we definitively say he is in store for the same type of role in 2024?
The team added Jerry Jeudy this offseason, and it feels a bit difficult to project exactly what the target distribution will look like in Cleveland this year.
Now, does either the addition of Jeudy or Njoku’s diminished production with Watson under center suggest the veteran tight end will revert to a streaming option at tight end? No, absolutely not.
Njoku led all tight ends with 599 yards after the catch last year, and his seven receptions of 30+ yards in 2023 finished behind only George Kittle. This type of production likely means Stefanski is going to continue to try to get the ball in Njoku’s hands as much as possible.
Njoku caught the second most screens (16) of any tight end not named Evan Engram last year. He was great to finish the year and is likely to get more looks schemed up by Stefanski as a result, but his dip in production with Watson is worth noting.
He is still a top-10 fantasy TE heading into the 2024 NFL and has top-five potential if the Browns continue to utilize him similarly to how they did over the back of last season.
Is Njoku a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Njoku’s ADP currently sits at No. 81 overall, going off the board as the TE9 behind Evan Engram and just ahead of Brock Bowers and Jake Ferguson in the eighth round.
Njoku proved he has an overall TE1 upside in this offense over the back half of 2023, which makes his price point in the ninth a great value.