Browns vs. Jaguars prediction, odds: Target star tight end Harold Fannin in Week 1

Harold Fannin Jr. is looking to build off an excellent rookie season in the Browns’ season opener against the Jaguars. 

The young tight end finished his first season in the NFL with 72 catches for 731 yards on 103 targets. 

His 103 targets ranked fourth among tight ends, and he averaged 45.7 receiving yards per game.

Fannin opens the season as the clear TE1 after sharing the spot with David Njoku for most of the season a year ago before the latter left in free agency over the offseason. 

There also isn’t much established competition for targets in Cleveland’s receiving corps.

The Browns are leaning heavily on youth, with rookie receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion Jr. listed as starters on their Week 1 depth chart, and veteran Jerry Jeudy still the lone established option at the position.

That should leave plenty of room for Fannin, who already proved capable of commanding targets as a rookie, to remain one of Deshaun Watson’s most reliable options in the passing game.

Last season, tight ends combined for 104 catches, 1,004 yards, and eight touchdowns against Jacksonville, which was an average of 59.1 receiving yards per game from the position.

As one of the bigger underdogs of Week 1, the likely game script should include plenty of dropbacks for Watson.

All of that makes Fannin’s receiving-yardage line look awfully low.

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The second-year tight end is sitting at just 34.5 yards, a number he topped in 11 of 16 games last season while averaging 45.7 per contest.

The play: Harold Fannin Jr. Over 34.5 receiving yards (-110, DraftKings Sportsbook)

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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.