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Is Deshaun Watson out for the season? Read the latest Deshaun Watson fantasy football outlook and injury update for 2025. Andy Smith breaks down whether Watson should be drafted.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been unable to find success in Cleveland after signing a record-breaking contract with the Browns.
During the 2024 campaign, Watson threw for a career-low five touchdown passes and added three interceptions over just seven games before suffering a ruptured Achilles.
Will Watson return to the field this season? Has he played his last game for the Cleveland Browns? Let's dive in!
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Is Deshaun Watson Out for the 2025 Season?
While Watson's move to the PUP list does not rule him out of the entire season, he is slated to miss at least the first four games of the campaign. However, seeing that Watson was unable to participate at all during training camp and preseason, he will face an uphill battle to return to the field even during the second half of the regular season.
Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status. Still, given his current state in his recovery, Watson should not be expected to appear in an NFL game for the foreseeable future.
The Cleveland Browns have placed QB Deshaun Watson on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list, meaning he'll be out for at least the first four weeks of the season.
The Browns will now begin the season with Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel as their QBs. pic.twitter.com/EYdcrsl7Pk
— Sportskeeda Pro Football (@SKProFootball) August 26, 2025
Deshaun Watson 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
When on the field last season, Watson was highly ineffective, posting a modest 5:3 TD:INT and averaging just 264.0 passing yards per game. During this stretch, Watson scored just 14.0 PPR points per game and rarely relied on his legs, as he averaged a mere 21.0 rushing yards per game.
In 2023, he was slightly more effective, averaging 222.0 passing yards (in the five games in which he saw over 45 offensive snaps). During this brief five-game stretch, Watson led 7:3 TD:INT and totaled 28.4 rushing yards on the ground.
He has yet to return to his elite play that he showed in Houston, where he averaged an eye-catching 4,280 passing yards and 469.3 rushing yards per season from 2018 through 2020. During these three seasons, Watson threw 85 touchdown passes and added 15 on the ground.
With the Browns selecting two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft (Gabriel and Sanders) and recently naming Flacco as the starting QB, Watson will likely slot in as the No. 4 option if he were to progress in his recovery. As a result, he carries no fantasy value this season and should be left on all redraft waiver wires.
Deshaun Watson throws an interception in his return to Houston.
🎥 @HoustonTexans pic.twitter.com/PY3NnBHTks
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) December 4, 2022
Who Should I Draft Tool
Not sure who to draft? Check out the Who Should I Draft tool:
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Who Should I Draft? Some common 2025 fantasy football draft decisions are regarding players like Deshaun Watson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Draft your optimal fantasy football teams for 2025. Our free Who Should I Draft? tool will help make your fantasy football draft decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to draft... all free! Make the right decisions.
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Popular Draft Searches. Curious to see some tough draft decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Draft? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Draft
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2025 drafts for Deshaun Watson:
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