Deshaun Watson fantasy outlook: Should you draft Browns QB in 2024?

Deshaun Watson has been a major disappointment in fantasy football during his two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He has recorded consecutive seasons as the overall QB35, but some of that is due to appearing in just 12 total games across the past two years. Here's where his fantasy outlook currently stands as he looks to bounce back in the 2024 NFL season.

Should you draft Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson in 2024?

Deshaun Watson

Prior to taking a year off and then joining the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson recorded three consecutive finishes among the top five fantasy football quarterbacks with the Houston Texans. This shows that he clearly has an elite upside, and considering he is still just 28, he has an opportunity to get back to being a top option.

Drafting Watson for the 2024 fantasy football season is surely risky, but his dual-threat skillset and strong previous history also give him plenty of upside. He could be a major asset in leagues that allow for two or more quarterbacks in weekly lineups and is a potential sleeper pick in traditional formats.

Deshaun Watson 2024 fantasy outlook, ADP and 2023 stats

Watson's disappointing 2023 season was limited to just six games due to a season-ending injury. He threw for 1,115 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions, while adding 142 rushing yards and another touchdown.

This was nearly identical to his first season with the Browns, which was also limited to six games, but due to a suspension, he recorded 13 fewer passing yards, one more interception and 33 additional rushing yards.

While Watson hasn't been an elite fantasy football quarterback since 2020, his age and lack of full seasons suggest that he still has room to bounce back. He ranks as the QB22 and 161st overall player in 2024 fantasy football drafts, according to his current ADP.

Is Deshaun Watson a good pick in fantasy football this year?

ADP weighed against expectations and projections is one of the key factors to consider when determining if any player is a good pick in fantasy football. In Watson's case, he's in a rare situation where he is a young player with a history of being elite but hasn't been so in several seasons.

This creates an opportunity to get Watson at a highly discounted price this year, relative to his enormous upside at a low ADP. Not many quarterbacks have as high of a ceiling as he has, especially those with a similar ADP this season. This makes him worth a gamble in the later rounds of 2024 fantasy drafts.

Where should you draft Deshaun Watson this year?

SK Who Should I Draft tool

According to Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool, Deshaun Watson's projections are just slightly behind Aaron Rodgers' for the 2024 fantasy football season. They are both coming off of season-ending injuries and have previously had elite years, so they have similar situations. While Rodgers has been elite more recently, he is much older and doesn't have the same rushing upside as Watson.

The Browns quarterback is the preferred choice to other veteran options such as Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith. Watson currently ranks as the QB22 and 161st overall player, according to his ADP. He can be targeted as a QB2 beyond the 12th round of drafts, making him a potential late-round sleeper.