Fantasy Football: 3 Things We Learned in Week 16
Baker Mayfield Is the Truth
What a year for the Cleveland Browns. After starting the season off 2-5-1, they've caught on fire and won 4 of their last 5. The inevitable departure of Hue Jackson was a big part of their recent success, but a lot of it can mostly be attributed to one guy: Baker Mayfield.
In Week 16, Mayfield tore up the Cincinnati Bengals' defense for the second time this year -- to the tune of 284 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, each to a different receiver. It's clear that this offense is in good hands going forward.
Mayfield has kept the offense running smoothly, which has greatly helped out Nick Chubb, who has had at least 70 yards from scrimmage in each game since Freddie Kitchens took over as play-caller. However, outside of Chubb and Mayfield, there hasn't been one dominant Browns player to have in fantasy.
I mentioned above that each of his passing touchdowns went to different receivers -- Rashard Higgins, David Njoku and Darren Fells. Week 16 was a pretty exemplary illustration of Mayfield's tendencies in the second half of the season. Gone are the days of forcing double-digits targets to Jarvis Landry. Instead, Mayfield has taken the old Brees-ian approach of spreading the wealth.
So while the offense as a whole will be a valuable one going forward and a rising tide raises lifts all ships, we might not get a true stud receiver out of this offense barring the emergence of a new stud. Will you ever have the confidence to start Rashard Higgins in any given week? Or how about Antonio Callaway, who has had zero yards in two of his last three games while playing a majority of the team's offensive snaps? Njoku has been decent at a disaster of a position -- especially in Week 16 -- but he's also been wildly inconsistent.
Browns fans have waited a long time for this, and their time is finally here. Baker Mayfield is turning this franchise around, and it's going to make them an offense we need to have on our radar at next season's fantasy drafts.
