Week 1 at Carolina Panthers
David Njoku has his new long-term contract with the Browns and looks to be a strong contributor on the Browns offense. However, Jacoby Brissett is at quarterback and the Panthers had one of the top defenses in the league last season, despite the team only winning five games. It's hard to put too much stock into Njoku with a quarterback facing arguably a top-five defense. Still, Njoku may also be considered the second target in the passing game. That helps put him near the top of the TE2 category.
2022 Fantasy Upside
David Njoku signed a four-year contract with the Browns after originally receiving the franchise tag this offseason. Not only that, but Austin Hooper is now in Tennessee, so Njoku is the guy at the tight end position for the Browns. You can also make the argument he’s the No. 2 passing option, certainly No. 3, if we include Kareem Hunt.
2022 Fantasy Downside
If Jacoby Brissett is the quarterback, the Browns’ offense takes a hit and Brissett will possibly connect more with Amari Cooper and the running backs. Speaking of the running backs, Cleveland is more of a running team. You also hope Njoku can break 500 yards for just the second time in his career, going on his sixth season.
2022 Bottom Line
Being the main guy at the tight end position for the Browns, Njoku should crack 500 yards, as the Browns will need a second person catching passes down the field besides Cooper. It feels like the Browns now value Njoku more after giving him an extension and letting Hooper walk. And you can get him very late in drafts as a deep TE2. He’s worth a stash, especially if we finally get word before the season on the status of Deshaun Watson.
Week 15 vs. Raiders
David Njoku is also in a great spot for increased volume with Landry and Hooper out of the lineup. Njoku has shown a high ceiling this year: seven receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. He's a talented and athletic tight end who can make big plays downfield, so he figures to be a major factor in this depleted Browns' passing game this week.
Njoku goes up against a Raiders defense that ranks 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game allowed to tight ends, making this a terrific matchup. He's firmly on the streaming radar as one of the top options in this passing game. The one risk is that the Browns go extremely run-heavy here, but Njoku still looks like an appealing play.
Week 10 at Patriots
David Njoku is the preferred choice at tight end for the Browns, as he leads the tight ends in average target depth (8,4) and air yard share (10.37%). Having said that, it's hard to trust him as a streamer with how volatile his production has been. Njoku has one finish as TE2 and five finishes outside the Top-30.
Njoku goes up against a Patriots defense that ranks 2nd in aFPA, so this is a matchup to avoid. I'd only consider starting him if you're shooting for the moon with upside. This also makes him a decent choice in DFS tournaments.
Week 7 vs. Broncos
David Njoku followed up his massive Week 5 breakout with a dud against the Cardinals, catching 1-of-2 targets for only six yards. However, he could be in line for more work with the Browns' injuries at running back and wide receiver. If you're desperate for a tight end, you could do worse as a streamer if OBJ and Landry are out. The Broncos rank third in aFPA to tight ends, so this is a tough matchup, but tight end is a thin position.
Week 6 vs. Cardinals
Njoku flashed his athleticism and downfield ability last week, demonstrating his high ceiling with a 7-catch, 149-yard game, including a 71-yard touchdown. It would be great if the Browns would just hand Njoku the keys to the primary tight end spot in this offense because he could really do some damage if given consistent targets.
Njoku goes up against a Cardinals defense that ranks 2nd in aFPA to tight ends, so this is a tough matchup. While he led the team with a 24.14% target share last week, he was still out-snapped by Austin Hooper (72.22% to 63.89%). It's a bit premature to get overly excited about Njoku's blow-up game, but keep an eye on him because he has the talent to emerge as a weekly TE1.
Week 8 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
David Njoku caught two balls for 20 yards and a touchdown on only 12 routes run in Week 7 with Austin Hooper sitting out. Njoku looks set to split snaps with Harrison Bryant again in Week 8, but the timeshare makes both players difficult to trust in fantasy. Njoku actually got the short end of the timeshare in Week 7, meaning he cannot be trusted as anything more than an unexciting TE2 whose managers will be hunting for a touchdown.
Week 15 at Arizona Cardinals
David Njoku returned from injury last week, but it wasn't a great outing. He finished 1-4 on three targets while playing just 38% of the offensive snaps. He gets a dream matchup this week against a Cardinals defense that has been oddly terrible against tight ends in 2019. So it's a great matchup with a talented player, but it's hard to trust someone who caught just one pass a week ago. He's a high-risk play in Week 15.
Week 2 at New York Jets
David Njoku caught the Browns' lone receiving touchdown in Week 1. He also finished with four receptions for 37 yards on six targets. Njoku is a great red zone threat, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him score on a consistent basis. His ceiling will always be a little limited in this offense with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, but he should be able to get around three receptions for ~40 yards every week. Those numbers would put him on the edge of TE1 territory.
Week 1 vs. Tennessee Titans
David Njoku is a talented tight end in a strong offense, which means he should produce TE1 numbers this year. He finished as a top 10 scorer at his position last season in both standard and PPR, and there's no reason why there should be a major decline.
He does draw a tough first matchup against the Titans, who allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2018. Tennessee gave up just two touchdowns to the position all season. We still like him as a low-end TE1, though, as he offers a high upside, especially when you consider the other players available at the position.
