Antonio Callaway Fantasy: Should You Pick up the Browns Wide Receiver?

The Cleveland Browns revealed a surprising decision Saturday to part ways with wide receiver Josh Gordon. While it hasn’t been finalized whether they’ll release or trade him, one thing that’s certain is that he’s not a part of the team’s future.

Beyond that, ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi revealed that the Chiefs have already made it known who’ll get the first crack as a starter, and it’s rookie Antonio Callaway.

Callaway had a plethora of run-ins with the law, as Spenser Davis of SEC Country points out, including a credit card scam and issues with marijuana among other things. The off-field concerns were well-documented during the HBO series Hard Knocks, which aired ahead of this season, and the issues led to him falling to the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The big question becomes, with Callaway now being a starter, is he worth picking up in fantasy football leagues?

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Week 1 Wasn’t a Positive Sign

We can’t exactly base our entire decision on Callaway’s fantasy football value off just Week 1, but he was out-snapped by teammate Rashard Higgins in a big way. According to Football Outsiders, Higgins played 60 percent of the snaps while Callaway was on the field for just 17 percent.

This isn’t to say that Callaway won’t see extended work and a much higher number of snaps with Gordon now gone, though. The 27-year-old who’s on his way out of Cleveland played 78 percent of the team’s offensive snaps last week, so there’s a lot of work to go around.

The Browns are obviously high on their rookie wideout, who flashed plenty of upside over his 16 games with Florida. During his freshman season, Callaway averaged 19.4 yards per reception and finished the two-year span with 89 receptions for 1,399 yards and seven touchdowns.

Due to the upside, if you play in a 12 or 14-team league and have space on your bench, adding Callaway is a smart play. We’ll have to see how the Browns opt to utilize him, but I’d grab him while you can.

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