Team news: Cleveland Browns | Page 11

Bill Belichick not budging when asked about his starting QB, repeating what he said earlier in the week: Told everybody to be ready to go.

Related Players: Mac Jones, Bailey Zapper, Malik Cunningham

One of the least compelling quarterback controversies in recent memory, not of these QB options make sense in your fantasy lineup.

Mac Jones was asked if he’s starting: “Hope so. That’s the plan, I think.”

Related Players: Bailey Zappe, Malik Cunningham

You can feel the confidence exude out of the Patriots QB. No matter who gets the start, leave them on the waiver wire.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will be making the call on the team’s starting quarterback for this week’s game against the Giants and he wasn’t in a sharing mood when it came to his thoughts on the matter on Tuesday.

“I’ve told all the players the same thing: Be ready to go. Hopefully they will be,” Belichick said.

Related players: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Will Grier, Malik Cunningham

As the story said, Jones has started every game this year, but he was pulled in favor of Zappe for the final drive of the team’s Week 10 loss to the Colts. Grier is also on the 53-man roster and Cunningham is on the practice squad, but Belichick didn’t bite when asked at his press conference if he’s made a decision about who will be under center on Sunday. From a fantasy standpoint, this isn't a decision that should impact most leagues outside of the very deepest.

The Patriots will come off their bye this week to take on the Giants on the road. At this point, there’s not much clarity as to who will be the starting quarterback.

Related players: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Will Grier

We may have to wait another day or two to find out who will get the start, but despite a matchup against the Giants, the starter will likely not be a great fantasy option anyway.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the first quarter against the Ravens and is heading to Injured Reserve. It’s a displaced fracture in his right glenoid in his shoulder, and he’ll have surgery to repair it. Full recovery is expected.

Related Players: P.J. Walker

This is a hit to all of the Browns fantasy pieces, and Walker himself doesn't provide much value, either. The team will have to lean even harder on their great defense.

Question: Is Mac Jones still the team’s No. 1 quarterback?

Bill Belichick: “We have a lot of things to work on this week as a team. We’ll work through those. That is what we are going to do this week.”

Related players: Will Grier, Bailey Zappe

At this point, it's anyone's guess what the Patriots do at QB heading into Week 11. Jones was 15-for-20 for 170 yards but did throw another interception. Strangely, the team went to Zappe on their final drive needing a touchdown to win. Zappe eventually threw an interception to end the game. If Jones doesn't start, it could be Zappe or maybe Grier - or maybe Malik Cunningham makes a return. Those in deep two-QB or superflex leagues should pay attention to this situation this week.

Brown QB Deshaun Watson is dealing with an ankle injury.

Related players: P.J. Walker

Watson left the game right before halftime but did return in the second half after getting his ankle taped up. He left the game with a walking boot, according to the post. Watson did say he would be fine, but we can't trust that. Watson will get an MRI Monday so the hope is we'll know more sooner than later.

The Broncos are back from their bye and head coach Sean Payton has his eyes on upping the contributions of one member of the offense.

Payton is focused on getting the ball to Marvin Mims more often in the second half of the year.

“How do we get Marvin more touches and how do we incorporate him more into what we’re going offensively?’’ Payton said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. “I’m sitting here looking at a notepad with his jersey number on it in front of me. And that’s our job as coaches. We really believe we have a good, young, talented player."

Related players: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy

Mims had nine catches for 242 yards and a touchdown — a 60-yarder in Week 2 — in the first four weeks of the season, but he had just two catches for four yards over the next four games. The second-round pick has also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, so it’s not hard to understand why the team wants him more involved the story said.

Browns Deshaun Watson took all the first team reps in the part of practice open to the media Friday and certainly looks likes he’s starting Sunday vs the Cardinals

Related Players: P.J. Walker

Good news for football fans, in general, is that we don't have to watch Clayton Tune vs. P.J. Walker, but we still aren't sure how much of an upgrade Watson is. Amari Cooper is now locked in as a WR2.

I think last week we got a glimpse of what we’ll see when it comes to the run game. I think Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. are all going to be involved, and on Thursday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt essentially said as much.

“Really, it’s by committee right now,” Van Pelt said. “Everybody’s going to get their touches. I see all those guys (Ford and Hunt) as 1A, 1B. They could all come in and be productive, which they’ve shown. That was our plan last week going in with Jerome coming off of the injury, not sure he was going to make it. So, we just wanted to put him in on third downs early, see how he felt, and then know that we could get him the ball in the fourth quarter with fresh legs.”

It seems like the three-deep running back rotation that has come to fruition won't be ending any time soon. With Jerome Ford back in Week 8, he handled nine carries to Kareem Hunt's 14. Pierre Strong Jr.'s took ten carries himself, as the veteran Hunt went touch-less in the fourth quarter.

Ford should be the only legitimate fantasy option this week, as an RB2/3.