With Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders making his NFL debut on Sunday, we assess the potential fantasy football value of the high-profile QB
13:02 ET, 17 Nov 2025Updated 13:02 ET, 17 Nov 2025
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders throws the ball
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Shedeur Sanders can make his first NFL start if Dillon Gabriel is ruled out for Week 12(Image: Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders finally made his NFL regular season debut on Sunday, and it did not go as he might have hoped.
Sanders started the second half of the Browns’ 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in place of Dillon Gabriel, who was ruled out with a concussion. The rookie was cheered by his home crowd as he ran onto the field for the first time having served as Cleveland’s backup option up to that point.
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Sanders went on to complete just four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception while rushing three times for 16 yards. He was sacked twice by the Baltimore defense as the Browns’ offense went scoreless in the second half and gave up the six-point lead it held when Sanders entered the game.
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While Sanders’ subpar stat line is not entirely on his shoulders, it was a less-than-impressive debut that the star rookie criticized himself over in his post game press conference.
“I don’t think I played good,” Sanders said after the loss. “I think it’s a lot of things we need to look at during the week.”
Gabriel, who has started at quarterback for the Browns since Week 5, will go into the NFL’s concussion protocol, leaving the third-round draft pick’s status for Week 12 up in the air.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders being tackled by a Baltimore Ravens defender
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Shedeur Sanders was under constant pressure from the Ravens defense during his NFL debut(Image: Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed that if Gabriel is cleared, he will remain the team’s starting quarterback.
If not, Sanders, who Cleveland selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, will be in line for his first full start next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Shedeur Sanders fantasy football outlook for NFL Week 12
The possibility of Sanders starting the Browns’ next game from the opening snap begs the question: is he a legitimate option in fantasy football?
The short answer is no. Sanders showed next to nothing that indicates he should be picked up in fantasy, much less a starter. He logged a total of 2.48 fantasy points in his debut, which of course only lasted half of the game.
If Gabriel is not cleared to play in Week 12, he will likely come back the following week or soon after, given the standard return to play timeline for a player in concussion protocol, such as New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud.
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There were, however, numerous injuries to starting quarterbacks in Week 11, including potentially season-ending diagnosis for Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers.
If you are desperate for a new quarterback on your fantasy team and are open to a risk, then Sanders is a fun option if he plays.
His fantasy ceiling is unknown, but his floor is likely much lower than that of your average - or below-average - NFL starting quarterback.