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Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has failed to live up to his first-round draft pedigree. Last season he was the TE22, averaging only 6.7 PPR fantasy points per game. Furthermore, Njoku has finished outside the top-20 tight ends in four of his five NFL seasons.
Last year, Njoku played only 63.4% of the snaps and had a route participation rate of 56.6%. Meanwhile, the top-12 tight ends from last season averaged a 78.6% snap rate and a 76.2% route participation rate.
However, Njoku is a popular breakout candidate this year after all the moves the Browns made in the offseason.
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Is David Njoku the TE1 For the Browns?
The Browns made the biggest trade this offseason, sending multiple draft picks to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. While he is suspended for the first 11 games of the year, Watson will far and away be the best quarterback Njoku has ever played with in his career. However, is Njoku the No. 1 tight end for the Browns? The answer is yes.
Last year, Njoku’s fantasy production was limited because of Austin Hooper. The veteran tight end had a lower fantasy points per game average than Njoku. However, Hooper played a higher percentage of the snaps than Njoku while also being more involved in the red zone.
Hooper led the Cleveland tight ends in red zone targets (12) and receptions (nine) last season. However, Njoku was right behind him with nine targets and five receptions in the red zone. More importantly, the Browns released Hooper this offseason and eventually signed Njoku to a four-year deal worth over $54 million, clearly making him a critical part of their offense moving forward.
Should You Draft David Njoku in Fantasy Football?
The short answer to this question is yes. Njoku has a 13th-round ADP in 12-team leagues while he is the TE14 in the latest RotoBaller rankings. At that price, Njoku is worth drafting. He is the TE11 in my PPR rankings and one of my favorite tight ends to target.
While Amari Cooper is the top pass catcher on the team, Njoku has a clear pathway to the No. 2 role. The Browns have several young pass catchers, including Donovan Peoples-Jones, Harrison Bryant, Anthony Schwartz, and David Bell. However, those four players have a combined 103 receptions in their NFL careers. Don’t let his struggles the past few years sway you away from drafting Njoku.
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