2016 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Cleveland Browns team outlook

There might not be a lot of hope for Fantasy owners looking at the Browns for answers. Our Dave Richard breaks down the best of what you can expect and where the hidden value might be hiding.

Somehow, you've landed on the page where we talk about the Cleveland Browns. It's not the prettiest page in the world. It's not the one with the most hype, nor does it highlight a dozen players ready to lead your team to a Fantasy title. Alas, the Browns are part of the NFL and therefore should be featured. And they do have some players who can help your roster. Heck, Gary Barnidge was the Cinderella story of the year in Fantasy last season. Plenty of people won with him.

But expecting this eclectic roster to shock the world and compete in the rough-and-tumble AFC North is tough. Banking on Robert Griffin III to bounce back from a star-crossed tenure in Washington is even tougher.

That's not to say there isn't any optimism. The wide receivers, led by Travis Benjamin's 966 yards and five touchdowns last year, got a boost when the team drafted Corey Coleman in Round 1 and then learned Josh Gordon would be allowed to play after the first four weeks of the season. That duo gives the Browns some instant talent that should help.

Nothing will help more than new head coach Hue Jackson, who will inject a lot of creativity into the play calling. In his last two stops as a playcaller he's leaned toward throwing the ball more than rushing, but not by a lot. Whether he's got enough in his bag of tricks to make the Cleveland offense relevant in Fantasy remains to be seen.

In late July the NFL announced Josh Gordon would serve a four-game suspension as part of being reinstated on a conditional basis. It means the once-electric receiver will resume playing football. But will it mean big things in Fantasy? Gordon last posted huge numbers in 2013 -- 87 catches for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. But in 2014 he failed to score in five games and had just 24 catches for 303 yards. In 2015 he was suspended for the year. It seems unlikely Gordon will regain his '13 form -- it's been three years! -- but the opportunity to serve as a No. 1 receiver in an offense likely to play from behind most weeks does offer some appeal. If you bank on Gordon averaging five catches per game and 13.0 yards per catch he'll deliver 60 receptions and roughly 800 yards (if he stays out of trouble). Not bad for a No. 3 receiver. Draft him as such in Round 8 or so, minimizing any risk to your roster. He's not worth taking a chance on any earlier when hotter, younger receiving talent with 1,000-yard potential is on the board.

No one was terribly impressed by the 3.6 rushing average Johnson put up as a rookie last season, but the 61 catches on 74 targets for 534 yards (8.8 yards per catch) and two receiving scores certainly got a lot of attention. In full-point PPR leagues Johnson had a better season than Jeremy Langford, Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy and C.J. Anderson. So it's no surprise that owners in PPR formats are ready to chase Johnson again this summer, but what about non-PPR leagues? The hunch is that Johnson will continue to see a lot of touches under Hue Jackson -- the coach has a strong track record of leaning on pass-catching running backs. Perhaps Johnson has a shot at 1,000 total yards and 70 grabs. He's a Round 6 target in PPR leagues while owners in standard formats should consider him when he falls to Round 7.

As is the case with most out-of-nowhere players, Fantasy owners are skeptical about Gary Barnidge continuing to be a quality option. Given an opportunity to start and play regularly last season, he thrived to the tune of 79 catches on 125 targets for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. But that was with Josh McCown as his quarterback -- this season he'll start out with Robert Griffin III, a passer who is notorious for not connecting with his tight end. Then in Week 5 he'll see Josh Gordon return. Pair that with rookie Corey Coleman on the field and Barnidge is going to have a hard time getting the 7.8 targets he averaged last year. Owners should expect Barnidge to serve as a touchdown-or-bust Fantasy option, meaning he won't help too much if he doesn't score in a given game. Tight ends like Zach Ertz, Antonio Gates and Julius Thomas are better.