Who won Browns WR battle between Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones

After serving as the Cleveland Browns No. 3 wideout last season and getting extra playing time filling in for an injured Odell Beckham Jr, Rashard Higgins found himself in a three-way battle for his old job when the preseason got going.

Donovan Peoples-Jones had one of the better preseason and training camp showings of anyone on the team. In the final preseason game, DPJ saw 12 snaps with the starters, while Higgins was out with a tweaked hamstring.

As a rookie, People-Jones made a strong showing in limited opportunities. He caught 14 passes on 20 targets for 304 yards and a touchdown. The team was singing his praises at the end of last week, pointing out his ability to play all three receiver spots, something that will help him get on the field even more if there are injuries this season.

Verdict

While we haven’t heard anything official from the team, one beat writer has already declared Peoples-Jones a starter, at least in three-receiver sets.

Fantasy football implications

Peoples-Jones looks like the better stash in fantasy, but nothing more than a late-round pick. It’s hard to say exactly how many opportunities he’ll get in an offense that leaned heavily on the run last year. Higgins’ value would mostly be tied to injuries to either Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham.