The 2023 fantasy football season is back and better than ever as drafts fire off across the nation. Now is the time to dive into Cleveland Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones’ 2023 fantasy projections to determine whether or not managers are receiving value on draft day. Can Peoples-Jones hold off the added competition on the roster, and should he be a player you draft this year?
Get a trade offer in your dynasty or redraft league? Not sure who to start or sit this week? Leverage PFN’s FREE fantasy tools — the Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Calculator and Start/Sit Optimizer! Put the finishing touch on your A+ draft with 1 of our 425+ fantasy football team names.
Donovan Peoples-Jones’ 2023 Fantasy Projection
Peoples-Jones was someone I felt was being slightly undervalued with the potential to become his team’s No. 2 target following the departure of Jarvis Landry.
While Cleveland’s passing attack struggled, DPJ took the next step forward and put together a quietly good season. His best stretch of play came between Weeks 4 through 11, averaging 4.7 receptions on 6.6 targets for 72.4 yards as the WR28 with a 12.6 PPR/g average.
From Week 4 through the end of the season, Peoples-Jones handled 19.3% of the targets and saw a 28.6% air-yard share while posting a 1.69 yards-per-route run rate.
Peoples-Jones set a career-high with 96 targets, recording 61 receptions for 839 yards and three touchdowns, while finishing 36th in yards per team passing attempt (1.15) and 28th in yards per target (8.7).
For a player many drafted as nothing more than bench depth, DPJ was finding himself in lineups, finishing as a WR3 or better in nine of his 17 games despite the Browns spending the first 11 games with Jacoby Brissett under center.
Luckily for pretty much everyone involved, Cleveland made it through the offseason with no off-field issues and turned their attention squarely to the upcoming season. For Peoples-Jones, it might be one he doesn’t enjoy as much as last season.
Did the Browns Draft Peoples-Jones’ Replacement?
Typically, success is built upon year over year. But that might not happen due to the Browns making a concerted effort to rebuild their WR room. Amari Cooper is the clear-cut No. 1, plus Cleveland went out and traded for a highly talented Elijah Moore, who is looking for a fresh start away from the Jets.
However, it’s likely that the Browns drafted Peoples-Jones’ replacement in Cedric Tillman, with the 74th overall pick in the third round.
While Moore is expected to play out of the slot primarily, Tillman is a legit perimeter X receiver with a complementary route tree. He’s not the most dynamic athlete, but he’s refined as a route runner. With Peoples-Jones entering the final year of his rookie contract, it certainly appears Tillman was drafted to be a starter sooner rather than later.
Fantasy managers hoping for a step forward by DPJ in 2023 will likely find themselves disappointed. The Browns’ passing offense will be more efficient, and Peoples-Jones, in my current projections, is slated to catch approximately 40-45 passes for 500-530 yards with two touchdowns. His role will fluctuate between the third to the fifth option depending on personnel.
Should You Draft DPJ This Year?
The low cost on draft day made Peoples-Jones appealing as a fantasy commodity to me last season as a final selection. That won’t be the case this year, but he’s certainly not going to break the bank.
Based on the current ADP, Peoples-Jones is currently being drafted as the WR69 with an ADP outside of the top 200 on most sites. That places him outside of the 16th round and often even going undrafted.
To no surprise, Cooper is being drafted as the Browns’ WR1. Moore then comes off the boards as the WR2 in the 10th to 12th round, but at the moment, Peoples-Jones is still going well ahead of Tillman, who is currently going outside the top 300.
The ADP disparity between Peoples-Jones and Tillman is somewhat surprising. While I find it fair managers are drafting DPJ ahead, it shouldn’t be as wide as it currently is.
If targeting a Browns wide receiver for 2023 fantasy football leagues, I would likely just go all in for Cooper based on his production and value. Peoples-Jones has a lower upside than Moore. When compared to Tillman, if this season goes as expected, Peoples-Jones will lose snaps in favor of Tillman, whose role will only grow as the season progresses.
Peoples-Jones feels more like a floor-play choice than someone who will make a difference on your fantasy rosters when compared to Cooper, Moore, or even Tillman down the road.