Deshaun Watson
QB
Cleveland BrownsQ
- Top target Denzel Boston is questionable, which can lower the passing game.
- Top target Harold Fannin Jr. is questionable, which can lower the passing game.
A hurt top target or lead back nudges the projection up a little, since their work tends to shift to teammates. QB and offensive-line flags are shown for context but do not change the number.
This is how QBs have played against the Panthers in the 2026 season.
| Wk | Team | Player | Cmp | Att | PaYd | PaTD | INT | Car | RuYd | RuTD | FPts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CHI | Caleb Williams | 21 | 29 | 269 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 65 | 2 | 37.3 |
| 2 |  ATL | Jack Strand | 8 | 15 | 59 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0 | -0.0 |
| Average | 14.5 | 22.0 | 164.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 6.0 | 40.5 | 1.0 | 18.6 | ||
| Median | 14.5 | 22.0 | 164.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 6.0 | 40.5 | 1.0 | 18.6 | ||
| High | 21 | 29 | 269 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 65 | 2 | 37.3 | ||
| Low | 8 | 15 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | -0.0 | ||
Averages are raw, outliers are never removed.
How Deshaun Watson should do vs the PanthersSeason log, the group you pick, and a projection
Season so far, compared with what the group you pick below has done against the Panthers, plus a projection for this game.
What is this table?
Rows at the top are every game Deshaun Watson has played this season, using the same stat columns as the table above.
Compare against picks which group of Panthers opponents to line them up with: the best QB they faced in each game (1), the second best (2), the third best (3), or all of the top three. Nobody knows which slot Deshaun Watson will land in this week, so this is your call, not a guess.
Panthers avg is the average line of that group. Difference is that minus Deshaun Watson's own average: green means the defense gives that slot more than Deshaun Watson usually produces.
Projected is Deshaun Watson's recent-weighted average scaled by how generous the Panthers were to the slot you picked. Change the slot and the projected points change, because each slot has a different matchup adjustment. Picking Top 3 uses the usual-role projection.
| Wk | Opp | Cmp | Att | PaYd | PaTD | INT | Car | RuYd | RuTD | FPts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAX | 16 | 22 | 205 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 38 | 0 | 14.0 |
| 2 | TB | 24 | 30 | 238 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 19.7 |
| 3 | CAR | 16 | 30 | 144 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 45 | 0 | 20.3 |
| 4 | PIT | 24 | 33 | 268 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 12.9 |
| 5 | NYJ | 15 | 33 | 155 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 0 | 12.2 |
| 6 | BAL | 16 | 26 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 29 | 0 | 9.5 |
| 7 | TEN | 25 | 36 | 308 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 18.2 |
| 8 | PIT | 27 | 39 | 324 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11.2 |
| Watson avg | 20.4 | 31.1 | 225.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 6.4 | 27.1 | 0.1 | 14.7 | |
| Panthers QB1 avg | 14.5 | 22.0 | 164.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 6.0 | 40.5 | 1.0 | 18.6 | |
| Difference | -5.9 | -9.1 | -61.8 | +0.1 | +0.1 | -0.4 | +13.4 | +0.9 | +3.9 | |
Difference is what the defense allows minus what Watson averages (green = defense gives up more). Projected stats scale the player's averages by the matchup adjustment, so they are a rough guide.
Prediction & chance to scoreDeshaun Watson vs the Panthers
Prediction for Deshaun Watson
Nobody knows which slot Deshaun Watson will land in this week, so pick the one you expect. The projection changes because each slot faces a different average from the Panthers.
I predict about 17.9 points for Deshaun Watson if playing as a QB1. Deshaun Watson has averaged 16.9 over 2 games, and the Panthers have given up 18.6 to QB1s (+11% vs the league average of 16.8).
How this projection is built
1. The player. Deshaun Watson scored: Wk 1 14.0, Wk 2 19.7. Average 16.9; weighted toward recent games it is 17.2.
2. The defense. Over 2 games, the Panthers allowed 18.6 points to their opponent's QB1. The league average for that slot is 16.8, so that is +11%.
3. Trusting small samples less. With 2 defensive games, only 40% of the gap is applied, capped at +/-30%. That gives a +4% adjustment (x1.04).
4. Result. 17.2 x 1.04 = 17.9. Switching slots only changes step 2 and 3: the player's own numbers stay the same, but each slot faces a different defensive average.
It is a statistical model, not knowledge of injuries, game script or weather.
Chance to score
Type a point total to see how likely Deshaun Watson is to reach it as a QB1.
Why this percentage?
The projection (17.9) is the middle of the range. Fantasy scores swing a lot from game to game, so the model spreads possible scores around it by about 10.7 points, leaning on Deshaun Watson's own game-to-game swings once there are several games (and on typical QB swings before that).
Scores are modelled as right-skewed, since a big game is possible but a very negative one is not. The percentage is the share of that spread at or above 18.
With only 2 games of history, treat this as a rough gauge. It gets sharper as the season goes on. It is never lower than 1% or higher than 99%.
InsightsPlain-English takeaways from the table
- QB1s have averaged 164.0 passing yards, 1.0 passing TDs and 40.5 rushing yards against the Panthers across 2 games.
- The Panthers allow 18.6 PPR points to QB1s, +11% versus the league average of 16.8 (ranked 12 of 32, where 1 is most generous). That is a favorable matchup.
- 1 of 2 games reached 15+ PPR points. Scores range from -0.0 to 37.3 (median 18.6).
- Every QB1 in the sample cleared 50 passing yards.
- QB1s scored a touchdown in 1 of 2 games (50%).
- Small sample: only 2 games so far. Treat these numbers as directional, not settled.
Insights are generated by rules from the table above and recalculate every week.