Jacoby Brissett’s fantasy football outlook was arguably the only one among the Cleveland Browns’ players to see an increase with the news that Deshaun Watson would be suspended for 11 games. Now that he looks set to start through the first 12 weeks of the 2022 season, what is Brissett’s fantasy outlook, and how should managers view his ADP in fantasy drafts?
Jacoby Brissett’s fantasy outlook for 2022
Brissett’s role as the starter for the Browns has largely been reinforced with him being held out of the Week 2 preseason game. Following the news that Watson’s suspension would be extended, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Brissett would get first-team snaps leading up to the season.
Brissett is largely viewed as the “safe” option for the Browns in Watson’s absence. He is not expected to light up opposing defenses, but with just a 1.4% interception percentage, the hope is he will not make many mistakes. Unfortunately, safe quarterback play rarely results in joy for fantasy managers. Despite being a full-time starter in both 2017 and 2019, he did not finish above 20th at the position in either season.
If we look back at Brissett’s time as a starter last year, he was largely fine. He struggled in Week 2 but came in after Tua got injured, so he had not been game-planned around as the starter. In the games he started, Brissett scored between 6.64 fantasy points and 20.3 fantasy points. That spread belies the problem. His ceiling is a 20-point producer, but his floor also falls well below 10 points.
That is the worst possible combination when it comes to a fantasy asset. As a full-time starter in 2019, Brissett topped 20 points just four times, falling below 10 on another four occasions. In 2017, he surpassed 20 points just once and returned performances below 10 on four more occasions. Rarely does he give managers the big 20-plus point performances, and he more often completely struggles, returning scores below 10.
How the Browns’ depth chart impacts Brissett’s fantasy projection for the season
The Browns’ offensive depth chart is not loaded in terms of pass catchers. Amari Cooper is a fantastic player, but the other receivers have question marks. David Njoku has never managed to translate his talent onto the field consistently, either. Brissett willheavily rely on the likes of Cooper and receiving back Kareem Hunt.
The strength of this offense is the offensive line and the run game. Therefore, we could see the Browns look to “hide” Brissett by using the run game to control proceedings. Nick Chubb is one of the best pure backs in the league, and the Browns’ offensive line is a top-five unit. That group could easily control games and limit what Brissett needs to do, especially when playing with a lead.
Given the strength on defense the Browns have assembled, gaining control of the clock with their rushing attack could be very effective. They have talented players across their defense who hope to restrict opponents and prevent their offense from getting into shootouts with their backup QB under center.
Brissett’s ADP for 2022
We have seen Brissett’s ADP begin to creep up in Superflex formats following Watson’s increased suspension. When Watson was only set to miss six games, Brissett was going outside the top 35 at the position. However, now he is set to start 11 games, increasing his value in leagues where every starter is rostered.
Brissett is by no means a QB to chase in drafts. We have seen what he is as a starter. Over the course of a year, he is a low QB2 with a limited ceiling and a less-than-ideal floor. That is not a recipe for success for fantasy. The only real reason to draft Brissett is either to cover Watson or as a QB3 that can fill bye weeks.
However, it is worth keeping an eye on things in Cleveland. Joshua Dobbs was extremely impressive in spells during the second preseason game. If Brissett struggles and does not provide the security the Browns are searching for, they could turn to a higher-upside player like Dobbs to lead their offense. Brissett should be one of the last QBs drafted in Superflex formats and should be nowhere near your draft board in 1QB leagues.