Week 8 at New England Patriots
Before Cleveland's bye, Odell Beckham had one of his better games all season as he topped 100 yards for just the second time. OBJ hasn't had a great debut for the Browns as he's scored only once all year and is averaging 43 yards per game outside of his two 100-yard performances. You can expect a performance more around the 43-yard average than the breakout 100-yard games in Week 8 as he draws a brutal matchup against the Patriots. New England is allowing the fewest fantasy points to receivers all season, which means OBJ could struggle yet again. We've already seen two sub-30 yard games from Beckham and it wouldn't be out of the question to see that happen again. He's a WR2/WR3 play this week.
Week 6 vs. Seattle Seahawks
It's not a good sign when Odell Beckham Jr. has as many rushing attempts as receptions in a game (2). Baker Mayfield struggled to throw accurate passes in Week 5, completing just eight attempts all game long. So with just eight completions, it's difficult for any receiver to make a real impact. OBJ finished 2-27 as a receiver, 2-15 as a runner and 1-of-1 for 20 yards as a passer. It's nice Cleveland is finding other ways to get OBJ involved, but the bulk of his production will come from being a wideout. And until Mayfield gets better, there's always that worry with Beckham. But he's still an All-Pro level talent, and as we saw in Week 2 he can make a game-changing play at any moment. He should still be viewed as a WR1.
Week 5 at San Francisco 49ers
Odell Beckham Jr. took a back seat in Week 4, finishing with just 20 yards on two receptions. He did get seven targets, though, which was second-most on the team. It's not great to see Baker Mayfield throw for a season-high 342 yards and have OBJ only account for 20 of them, but players are going to have bad games every now and then. Beckham should bounce back this week in a decent matchup against San Francisco. We like Beckham as a WR1 in Week 5.
Week 4 at Baltimore Ravens
Odell Beckham was able to have a somewhat productive day last week considering Baker Mayfield struggled in the game. OBJ finished 6-56 on nine targets and now has at least six receptions and 50 receiving yards in every game this season. He actually gets a favorable matchup this week against the Ravens, who are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season. OBJ should be fine, and can be trusted as a strong WR1 play in Week 4.
Week 3 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Odell Beckham Jr. showed last week why the Browns made the big trade this offseason to get him. OBJ finished 6-161-1, highlighted by an 89-yard touchdown. He led the team in targets (10) as well, and should continue to put up big numbers as the season moves on. He gets a fairly tough matchup this week as the Rams have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers this season. That's a small sample size, though, and Beckham's ceiling makes him a must-start option. He's an easy WR1 in Week 3.
Week 2 at New York Jets
Odell Beckham Jr. showed off his watch while hauling in seven of his 11 targets for 77 yards. Although it wasn't a monster outing for OBJ, it was promising to see him get double-digit targets and have good numbers in a game where Baker Mayfield struggled. You can likely expect a slightly better performance this week in what should be a favorable matchup. The Jets gave up the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers a year ago. And although it's a different team, maybe playing in his old stadium will stir up something inside of him to make him play even better. No matter what, we like OBJ a lot and he should be viewed as a strong WR1.
Week 1 vs. Tennessee Titans
Odell Beckham avoided being placed on the team's injury report Wednesday, but he doesn't appear to be fully healthy. He said during a press conference Thursday his injury is "something that prevents me from opening up and sprinting," which seems troubling considering that's something a wide receiver needs to be able to do.
His injury is something to monitor, but he appears to be ready to play. He opens the season with a new team in a favorable matchup against the Titans. Tennessee allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts in 2018, meaning OBJ should have no problem doing what he does. We haven't seen a full dose of what Beckham can do in Cleveland, but we can imagine it will be pretty good. He can be viewed as a strong WR1 play.
Fantasy Upside
We don’t need to tell you how good Odell Beckham is, but we’re going to anyway. Beckham has put up 1,000+ yards in every season but 2017 when he got hurt. He started his career with three straight 1,300+ yards, 10+ touchdowns seasons. He exits a team he felt uncomfortable on and joins a Browns team with an exciting quarterback in Baker Mayfield. When OBJ is on the field, he’s electric and will no doubt make big plays in Cleveland.
Fantasy Downside
Beckham has missed 21 of a possible 80 games (26%) in the last five seasons. His durability is a major concern, especially if you’re looking to select him early on in your fantasy draft. He’s played just one full season since joining the league in 2014. There’s also a slight concern of talent overload on this roster. With Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and David Njoku in the mix, there are plenty of mouths to feed in Cleveland.
2019 Bottom Line
The injury concern is a real one, but it shouldn’t scare you away too much. Beckham is easily one of the best receivers in football and has the potential to finish the year as the top wideout in fantasy. He carries a bit of risk, so he’s not worth drafting like he’s the top WR, but his ceiling is definitely that high. He should be viewed as a late-first or early-second round option.
Week 16 at Indianapolis Colts
Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) has missed the last two weeks with an injury. The Giants struggled heavily without him against the Titans last week, and New York is hoping to have him back against the Colts.
If he does play, OBJ is a must-start. While the Colts allow the fifth-least fantasy points to opposing receivers this year and shut down the Cowboys last week, OBJ’s targets and talent are simply too much to ignore. If he’s active, he should be in fantasy lineups.
Update:
OBJ is out, so make sure you get him out of your lineup.
Week 15 vs. Tennessee Titans
Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) was hurt last week and his status against the Titans is unclear. Regardless of matchup, OBJ should be active in all fantasy lineups whenever he’s healthy, but owners should have a backup plan in case he’s on the inactive list again this week.
Update:
OBJ has been ruled out for this week. Make sure he's out of your lineup and Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram both get a small bump.
