San Francisco 49ers @ Cleveland Browns

San Francisco will travel to Cleveland for a game that features two of the NFL’s best defenses. This is reflected in the game total, which is the lowest of the week at just 37 points at the time of this writing.

This is also partly due to the fact that Deshaun Watson’s status is very much up in the air as he tries to return from the shoulder injury that kept him out of Week 4. If he sits, Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get his second start against another tough defense after he threw three interceptions against the Ravens two weeks ago. 

Theoretically, DTR should be a bit better prepared coming out of their bye, but it would be unfair to expect too much from the rookie going up against this San Francisco defense.

If Watson sits, you will want to bench pretty much all your Browns players if you have any reasonable backup options. The Fantasy Life consensus ranks currently have Jerome Ford on the RB2 borderline and Amari Cooper as high-end WR3 or flex play, but be sure to check in with our Start/Sit tool later in the week as we get more information. 

If DTR is the QB, David Njoku is maybe the one guy you could consider rolling out there after he saw a season-high seven targets with the rookie under center in Week 4.

On the San Francisco side, it is difficult to consider benching any of your stud 49ers, but this game has all the signs of a letdown spot due to the low game total and strong defense on the other side.

Of course, CMC should always be in your lineup, but beyond him, this seems like a game where we may only have one of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or George Kittle deliver fantasy value.

Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass in the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in a NFC Wild Card playoff football game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns have managed to shut down opposing offenses at every position, which will make for a really good matchup when San Francisco has the ball. Unfortunately, a great defensive performance may not be enough to win if the Cleveland offense fails to get anything going. 

I expect Cleveland to try to slow this game down and keep it close, but if Thompson-Robinson has multiple turnovers again, the game could get out of hand quickly. 

The 49ers are 6.5-point road favorites (which further supports the idea that Watson is unlikely to play) and could choose to pull their starters relatively early in this one if they have the game in hand. 

Fantasy managers will have some tough decisions on their hands this week, but the good news is that a juicy matchup with the Vikings awaits in Week 7, so any players who disappoint this time out will be prime bounce-back candidates going into next week. 

All expectations are that San Francisco will keep their undefeated season going for at least another week, and you won’t hear any argument from me. Just don’t be surprised if you forget this game is happening in the early window on Sunday due to a lack of scoring.