Denzel Boston

The air yards are the story: 45% of Cleveland's through five weeks of 2026, fifth among 64 receivers with 20 or more carries and targets of their own. That is a real role, not a flash, and it has turned into 29 targets and three touchdowns in five games. The week-to-week line is choppy, 6.1 in week 3 of 2026 against 20.5 in week 2, but 13.4 a game through five weeks puts him ahead of the pace our preseason number set, so he is worth holding and starting now.

What costs him is the window. He is pulling down 2.0 yards of separation on average, 55th among the 57 receivers tracked in weeks 2, 4 and 5 of 2026, and Cleveland's targets were crowded last year, with Jeudy and Fannin Jr. taking 42% between them. When windows tighten against better defenses, the quiet afternoons like the 6.1 points he put up in week 3 of 2026 are what he gives you. On the other side, he leads all tracked receivers in yards after the catch over expectation, so when he catches it clean he makes something out of it.

He is listed third among CLE receivers behind Jeudy and KC Concepcion, but the downfield share says the new staff is not treating him that way. We had him for 119 points and a WR65 finish before the season, and through five weeks he is running ahead of that pace. Hold him, start him as your third receiver, and see if the separation improves before you trust him in a lineup spot that matters.