Deshaun Watson is reportedly healthy and in a “great head space” as he prepares for an “ongoing competition” for the starting role, presumably against high-profile newcomer Shedeur Sanders. The 30-year-old veteran carries a massive $34.9 million salary for 2026, a steep price given he has played only 19 games since 2021 due to dual Achilles injuries and past legal controversies.
Watson could legitimately slow down Sanders’ breakout momentum in 2026. While team leadership is calling for fan support, the high-stakes battle between the expensive incumbent and the rising rookie will be one of the NFL’s most scrutinized storylines this summer. Superflex dynasty leaguers would be wise to buy the dip on Sanders.
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The Cleveland Browns a quarterback at No. 182 in Taylen Green, an athletic marvel with a 43.5-inch vertical and a 4.37-second 40-yard dash. Green scored a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score and a solid 19.9 Breakout Age, proving he possesses the “cheat code” dual-threat profile—verified by his historic 777 rushing yards at Arkansas—to completely wreck defensive game plans.
In dynasty Superflex formats, Green is an interesting late round flier or taxi squad add, as the expectation is that Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson will compete for the starting job for Todd Monken’s Browns.
Monken recently reached a new level of coachspeak ridiculousness when he expressed excitement over the Browns quarterbacks’ strong start and their impressive command of the team’s new offensive playbook during offseason workouts.
The position group currently features newcomers Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel alongside veteran Deshaun Watson, who is recovering from major injuries and carries a franchise crippling salary. Although no starter has been named, Sanders is reportedly the frontrunner to lead the offense when the season begins.
Watson is the new Russell Wilson. He will start games in 2026, but Sanders is projected to play more games and carries some value in dynasty leagues. Cleveland will be hyper-focused on finding a new franchise QB in the 2027 NFL Draft. Until then, only the team’s ancillary weapons can be considered solid buy low options in dynasty.
A legitimate camp battle is brewing in Cleveland, where league-average play from Shedeur Sanders, and his sack-magnet rookie profile, provides the only viable option to prevent Deshaun Watson from seeing the field. Meanwhile, Watson is the ultimate sunk cost asset, a $230 million objectively pedestrian QB ensuring the team finishes with a 7-10 record.
Unless Cleveland burns their premium draft capital on a rookie QB like Ty Simpson, Sanders has a real shot to seize the starting job and finally bury Watson for good. Though both Sanders and Watson are ships passing in the night at his point in their respective careers, they currently have near equivalent dynasty values.
Todd Monken is attempting the ultimate sports necromancy by trying to revive Deshaun Watson. The $230 million franchise anchor most recently posted a 72.4 True Passer Rating (#31) and bottom-barrel EPA per Play after single-handedly turning Cleveland into a fantasy football wasteland.
With a torn Achilles and the looming presence of Shedeur Sanders, Watson’s grip on the QB1 chair is officially looser than a pair of gas station sweatpants. While no one is expecting a 2019 Houston resurgence, at just 30 years of age, Watson has the ability to be fantasy relevant and keep Sanders’ dynasty stock suppressed all season.
The Cleveland Browns have opened the practice window for quarterback Deshaun Watson, the team will now have 21 days to decide if they want to activate him or shut him down for the rest of the season.
Watson has missed the entire season with an Achilles injury suffered last season. In his absence young quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have each gotten opportunities to start.
Sanders has played well in his recent starts and the team is likely to want to continue to see what they have in their young quarterback for the rest of the season.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
