Denzel Boston Fantasy Football Impact With Cleveland Browns
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Denzel Boston Fantasy Football Impact With Cleveland Browns

Kody Malstrom broke down the fantasy football impact of Denzel Boston getting selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 NFL Draft.

After years of waiting in the shadows of future NFL talent during his time with Washington, Denzel Boston was finally able to thrive, finishing his 2025 campaign with 62 receptions for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns, which helped him secure third team All-Big Ten honors. Now with the Cleveland Browns, Boston will need to continue to use his massive frame to mask his lack of speed, giving their offense an intriguing downfield threat who can stretch out the defense.

Denzel Boston Fantasy Football Stock With The Cleveland Browns

At first glance, Boston may be the epitome of boom or bust, especially if his lack of open-field speed holds him back from being a reliable target in their offense. While Boston was able to mask it by hauling in nearly everything within his range, the next-level speed he has to endure may indicate negative regression is looming large, leading to a higher contested drop rate.

If Boston is unable to overcome it, then he may find himself in a limited role, lowering his ceiling. While the touchdown upside is there as a big body in the end zone, his lack of usage in the middle of the field will make it tough for him to keep a spot on any fantasy roster. Even in keeper leagues, you are better off turning your attention elsewhere, avoiding wasting a pick with more well-rounded options out there.

In regard to dynasty leagues, Boston is in the same range as Omar Cooper and Eli Stowers, two pass catchers with a higher ceiling. Fernando Mendoza is also hovering near the bottom of the first round, making him worth a reach if you need to add depth at QB or potentially replace an aging player. 

Should You Plan to Draft Denzel Boston This Year?

A tier 4 WR, Boston finds himself in the back half of a group that features Romeo Doubs and Jauan Jennings and with an ADP of 148.8. While Ian Hartitz is more bullish on Boston by projecting him to be WR39, Matthew Freedman is more bearish, dropping him down to WR51.

I would advise passing on Boston, using your pick to select a more established WR or Omar Cooper, who grades out better in our Rookie Super Model while possessing a higher ADP. Lingering question marks at quarterback also wipe the shine away from Boston with Shedeur Sanders ranking near the bottom of the board in EPA per play and in Bad Throw Percentage.

2026 Scouting Report For Denzel Boston

As Ian expertly points out, “Boston is more tortoise than he is hare,” handicapping what he may be able to do at the next level. While his contested-catch rate immediately stands out on paper, NFL CBs are far more physical, lowering Boston’s chances of going through the full process of a catch while fighting off contact. With Boston incapable of creating separation with his speed in the open field, expect him to be used heavily in red-zone sets until he carves out a more prominent role in the offense.

When comparing Boston to the rest of this year’s class in our Rookie Super Model, his lack of production holds him back from joining the upper tier, slotting him at WR6. It is worth noting his production was harshly affected by playing behind NFL talent in his first two years, making it worth putting more stock into his 2025 campaign rather than his collegiate career as a whole. If Boston can build on his momentum, then he will be a serviceable WR for the years to come.

Players Mentioned in this Article

  1. DenzelBoston
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