This Cleveland Browns defense under second year coordinator Jim Schwartz will be one of the best defense options for fantasy owners in 2024 because of playmakers Myles Garrett, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Denzel Ward to go along with other key members returning from a top-5 fantasy scoring defense in 2023.
This Cleveland Browns unit surprised a lot of people last season because of the tough schedule and the injury to Deshaun Watson forced the defense to have to step up a level that most people didn’t think they could get to. The introduction of former Super Bowl champion DC Schwartz helped them reach that potential quickly and they maintained it with all of the quarterback changes the team went through in 2023. Speaking of 2023 let’s look at the production that Cleveland had in 2023.
Browns Defense 2023 Production
The Browns defense last season had 49 Sacks, 18 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries, and three touchdowns while allowing 328 points and 4,593 yards allowed for 166.0 points on ESPN PPR leagues which was the third best defense on ESPN rankings.
The interceptions was the most impressive part of this defense last year because of the fast play and the pressure created from the defensive line made throwing under pressure a living nightmare in 2023 for their opponents, it reminded me of the 2017 Eagles defense because the both defense would get either the right amount of pressure to cause a turnover at the exact moment it needed to help the team win the ball game which is amazing to see if you’re a Cleveland Browns fan and Browns defense fantasy owner.
Browns Defense 2024 Projections
ESPN is projecting the Browns defense to be the number 1 fantasy defense in 2024, with 46 sacks, 14 interceptions, 9 fumble recoveries, and three defensive touchdowns, while allowing 314 points and 5,421 yards in 2024 for a total projection score of 138.98 points.
Meanwhile Fantasy Pros has the Browns Defense as the fifth ranked defense in their ECR rankings for 2024. The projections that Fantasy Pros give them is 112 points with 48 sacks and 14 interceptions.
It’s no coincidence that both ESPN and Fantasy Pros are both projecting the same amount of interceptions because this defense will continue where they left off in 2023 in regards to turning people over because the system is the same from the year before and they didn’t lose to many crucial pieces from that defense like other defenses did this offseason. Myles Garrett is still going to be Myles Garrett, as he’ll continue to find ways to get to the quarterback like he has in his entire Cleveland Browns tenure.
Final Thoughts
The Browns Defense better be the first defense off the fantasy boards in your fantasy drafts because of the potential of creativity and having the knack of being ball hawks when they can be and wrecking quarterbacks’ lives in 2024.
The key is the play of Owusu-Koramoah and that linebacking core because the defensive line and secondary are going to continue to do it’s thing in 2024, If the linebackers continue their level of success in 2024 that they had in 2023 they’ll be the best defense in football, and I think that’ll happen. The combination of all three units working together is what creates a great all around defense and Jim Schwartz is the guy that has brought that and will continue to bring that level to create chaos all throughout the league in 2024.
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