The Browns might be only 1-3, but 2006 is shaping up (so far) as the first time in a LONG time that the Browns have multiple fantasy-worthy players. Charlie Frye, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow are all among the leaders at their positions, and Ruben Droughns was well regarded in the preseason and still has time to really get it going. Can we expect it to keep going? Yeah, mostly.
Kellen Winslow is the clear #1 guy of all Browns players, and should be a weekly play in any league. Regardless of the opponent, Winslow should get at least a few big catches per game and is capable of some dominant performances down the stretch. He's gone from being a possible top 10 TE to being a very likely top 3 TE. And at the moment he's the #1 TE in just about an scoring format. And if Winslow keeps it going it's not far-fetched to consider him a favorite for the Pro-Bowl in the AFC -- but lets see a few more games before going too far down that path.
Braylon Edwards is also a pretty solid fantasy starter at this point. He's on pace to match the Browns single-season yardage record, and is a dangerous big-play threat. But I'm a bit cautious here. His great athletic ability is tempered somewhat by the fact that he's had some really concerning lapses of concentration/effort. But even assuming those are growing pains, I think the good health of Jurevicius will mean a few less opportunities for Edwards each game, particularly in the red zone. Nevertheless, Edwards is going to put up worthy numbers, he just might see the ball a bit less than the first three weeks.
Frye has benefited from his mobility and the fact that the Browns are calling a lot of pass plays in the red zone. His yardage totals are quite low. It figures his numbers will settle down a bit with maybe more yards, fewer TD passes, and less frequent rushing scores. But with Winslow, Edwards, and Jurevicius the Browns have a lot of great red zone scoring options and you can continue to expect a lot of passes into the end zone. I like Frye as a fantasy backup, and is a nice calculated gamble when the matchup is good and you're scrambling for QB production.
Finally Droughns had his first 100 yard game, and will get the ball a lot as long as he is healthy. But the o-line is going to be an issue all year, and the Browns are in danger of being a "pass first then establish the run" team, and Droughns carries are likely to be lots of 2-5 yard gainers to keep defenses honest. It's a bit of a bummer to predict this, but it's true. I think Droughns is a #2/#3 runner, and not quite an automatic weekly start. His value may fluctuate too, depending on that shoulder and how the Carthon Offense goes.
So while 2006 isn't likely to be a big revelation for the Browns overall (although there is time...), the emergence of Edwards and Winslow as true fantasy threats is a great sign for this offense over the next 3-4 years. And if Frye continues to plays fairly well, you can bet the national expectations for the 2007 Browns will be rather high as well.