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The Cleveland Browns are coming off of a disastrous Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans, falling by a score of 43-13.
It was not exactly the start the new-look Browns were hoping for, but the good news is that they'll get the chance to put that behind them when they take on the New York Jets on Monday.
Odell Beckham Jr. caught seven passes for 71 yards in a Browns debut that was more about his jewelry than his actual on-field performance.
Not bad numbers, but given that they came in a 30-point loss, they rung hollow.
Of course, that doesn't matter in Fantasy Football, which is all about volume, so after a decent Week 1 stats-wise, what is the Fantasy outlook for Beckham heading into Week 2?
Cleveland will be going up against a Jets pass defense that ranked 21st in the NFL last season, but it was looking awfully good before linebacker C.J. Mosley went down with a groin injury in New York's loss to the Buffalo Bills this past weekend.
Still, it's looking like Mosley (as well as rookie defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 1) will be available for this Monday night showdown, so the Browns may have their hands full with what is an improved Jets defense.
The general dogma is that star players will get theirs no matter what, but that is somewhat flawed logic, as good defensive players are, well, good defensive players for a reason: they limit the best offensive guys.
Even with the addition of Mosley, however, the Jets' defense still has a lot to prove, and the way it melted down in the second half against the Bills after Mosley's injury was concerning.
And let's face it: the Bills are not the Browns.
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Cleveland has a plethora of weapons on the offensive end, so even if New York tries to take away Beckham, it then has to worry about Jarvis Landry, David Njoku and even Rashard Higgins in the aerial attack.
I expect the Browns to try and focus on being more careful this week, as Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions in Week 1. That might mean shorter, quicker throws for Mayfield, which could consist of plenty of slant routes from Beckham.
It would not shock me to see Beckham come up with 10 catches in this game, because he will surely be targeted a lot. Not just for the simple fact that he is Cleveland's No. 1 receiver, but also because New York doesn't seem to have an answer for him one-on-one.
Also, the Browns are in desperation mode after their Week 1 debacle.
A legitimate argument can be made that this is the easiest game on Cleveland's schedule before battling the San Francisco 49ers in the Bay on Oct. 7, as they will play host to the Los Angeles Rams next week before heading out on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.
So, yeah; the Browns really need this one against the Jets, which probably means that Beckham will try and take over this game.
Expect Cleveland to go to Beckham early and often, and if Mosley is not around to cover the middle of the field, Beckham might run wild.
