Week 7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
David Njoku has had his three best games of the season in a row. Last week he saw a season-high in targets (12) and receptions (7) while also scoring his first touchdown of the year. He's had back-to-back games with at least 10 targets, making him a very valuable tight end in fantasy.
Making things better, he gets a great matchup this week against the Bucs. Tampa Bay has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, giving up the second-most yards to the position. TEs have also scored in three straight games vs. Tampa Bay. We like Njoku as a solid TE1 play this week.
Week 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
David Njoku tied Jarvis Landry for the most receiving yards last week (69) on the team. He also led the team in receptions (6) and targets (11). It's a promising sign for the TE with new QB Baker Mayfield. Njoku's two best games of the season have come with Mayfield under center. He still doesn't have a TD, but his involvement is nice to see.
He gets a difficult matchup against the Chargers this week, but he's been productive enough this season to be viewed as a low-end TE1 play.
Week 5 vs. Baltimore Ravens
David Njoku had his best game of the season last week, putting up season highs in receptions (5) and yards (52). He also had his third game of the season with seven targets, which means he continues to be a key part of the Browns' offense.
Njoku hasn't been great this year, but he's at least active and fairly productive. And in 2018, that's about as much as you can ask from this position. He's not a great option, especially in a tough matchup vs. the Ravens, but he can still be viewed as a low-end TE1.
Week 4 at Oakland Raiders
David Njoku caught both of his two targets for 36 yards last week. After seeing seven targets in each of the first two games, it is curious to see that number drop so much following Cleveland's QB change. It could be a sign of things to come or just a coincidence based on circumstances.
We should find out more this week against the Raiders, which has proven to be a difficult matchup so far for TEs. Oakland hasn't allowed a TD to the position all year and has only given up 10 receptions to TEs. Still, we like Njoku as a lower-end TE1 play.
Week 3 vs. New York Jets
Once again, David Njoku saw a healthy amount of targets (7), but didn't really do much with them (4 catches for 20 yards). He's second on the team in targets this season, but fourth in receiving yards. And he doesn't have a touchdown, either.
Njoku is a talented and athletic tight end. He's on the field and getting looks. But the lack of production is troubling. He's a fringe TE1 play this week against the Jets.
Week 2 at New Orleans Saints
David Njoku was the only Browns receiver outside of Jarvis Landry to finish with at least one catch (3 rec., 13 yards). He also had the second-most targets (7) on the team. While Njoku didn't have an overly productive day, he was on the field a bunch (88 percent of snaps) and got looks, which should mean good things in the future if it keeps up.
Njoku gets a decent matchup this week against the Saints. If he's able to convert more of those targets into big plays, he'll be worth a start. We like him as a low-end TE1 option against New Orleans.
Week 1 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
David Njoku had some great moments as a rookie, and now he's expected to step into a much larger role as the team's starter. Njoku is a very athletic and talented tight end, and his situation in 2018 is better than it was a year ago.
But while we expect Njoku to make a jump this year, it's hard to determine right now just how big it'll be. We know Njoku has potential, but we have to see it first before we get too excited about him. For now, he's a low-end TE1 choice in Week 1 against the Steelers.
Fantasy Upside
At 6-foot-4, 246 pounds, David Njoku is a big target at the tight end position. He’s incredibly athletic, which we got to see a little of as a rookie. Last season he split playing time with Seth DeValve, who is still on the roster, but Njoku has now moved past him on the depth chart. And while Njoku’s numbers weren’t too sexy last season, he was second on the team in receptions and receiving yards while placing first in receiving touchdowns.
Fantasy Downside
Njoku sits behind Jarvis Landry, Josh Gordon and Duke Johnson for targets in the receiving game. Last season there weren’t too many playmakers on the team for most of the season, so having those guys there this season will certainly change things up.
2018 Bottom Line
We expect bigger numbers from Njoku in his second year, but only slightly. He should become more consistent, but the lack of targets is a legit concern. His best trait is that he’ll be a great red zone threat, so he could be a touchdown-or-bust TE candidate on certain weeks. There are better options at TE later in the draft than Njoku.
Week 17 at Pittsburgh Steelers
It's been a while since we've heard much from David Njoku. He has two total catches in his last three games. He made some highlights this season, but he's not consistent enough for fantasy and should be ignored this week.
Week 15 vs. Baltimore Ravens
David Njoku only had 3 yards on 1 catch and 2 targets last week. He's a talented tight end who is a strong red zone threat, but he doesn't offer much more than that. He's too risky to trust in fantasy and is a low-end TE2 choice this week.
