Sean Koerner targeted Dillon Gabriel at QB42, pointing out that the Browns invested a third-round pick in him and therefore have every incentive to find out what they have. Koerner expects Joe Flacco may not even make the roster and Kenny Pickett is already injured, leaving only fifth-rounder Shador Sanders between Gabriel and snaps. At just 5-11 Gabriel reminds Koerner of Tua Tagovailoa—accurate, quick release, plus enough mobility to add fantasy points on the ground. Koerner estimated Gabriel needs only two or three starts to pay off his ADP and thinks three or more starts are well within reach given the shaky depth chart.

Shawn Siegele advised grabbing Dillon Gabriel in the final rounds of superflex best ball drafts. Browns coaches reportedly believe Gabriel is already processing and throwing more accurately than expected and that he has widened his lead over fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders during offseason work. Siegele anticipates Cleveland chasing a top-five pick, meaning the front office will eventually pull the plug on Deshaun Watson and hand the offense to Gabriel. Even if the rookie is merely "okay," those presumed late-season starts deliver scarce quarterback points in Weeks 14-17 when best ball tournaments are decided, and they come at virtually zero acquisition cost.

Tyler Sullivan said Dillon Gabriel is a sneaky stash in deep super-flex and dynasty formats because the Browns clearly value him more than the flashier Shedeur Sanders, having spent a Day-2 pick on Gabriel and waiting until Round 5 for Sanders. Sullivan pointed out that Cleveland’s front office wants a long-term answer behind 40-year-old Joe Flacco and an oft-injured Deshaun Watson, and the 24-year-old Gabriel offers that path. Gabriel logged 56 collegiate starts and flashed a Bo Nix–style late-career jump in efficiency (71.4 % completion rate, 10.2 YPA at Oregon last year). Sullivan expects Flacco to open Week 1, but emphasized the organization has little incentive to ride a stop-gap if early losses pile up. The moment Gabriel shows competence in camp or preseason, Sullivan believes the coaching staff will pivot, making the rookie a live waiver or late best-ball dart who could deliver cheap QB2 weeks by mid-season.

Shawn Siegele advised against burning a 20th-round pick on Dylan Gabriel in standard single-QB best-ball formats, saying the Browns rookie is “a much, much better pick in Superflex.” Siegele acknowledged Cleveland loves Gabriel’s accuracy and processing and could give him a second-half audition over Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett, but he emphasized that timeline is too late to matter in traditional leagues with only one quarterback slot. Instead, he recommends using late roster spots on higher-probability flyers at running back or wide receiver. In Superflex, however, Gabriel’s plausible late-season start carries genuine tournament-winning upside, making him worth the stab there even though he remains a fade in normal FFPC builds.

Steve Palazzolo said his GM plan would be to hand Kenny Pickett the nominal starting job but funnel 'a ton of reps' to Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders throughout camp and preseason. By maximizing snaps, Palazzolo expects one of the rookies to separate quickly— a setup that makes both intriguing dynasty stashes and low-salary preseason DFS quarterbacks. He added that Cleveland’s front office is focused on a 2026 reset, so veteran Joe Flacco is merely depth insurance, not a developmental priority. Draft-niks looking for cheap upside and bettors targeting preseason player-prop overs should circle Gabriel and Sanders because Palazzolo anticipates they will play more drives than a typical QB2/QB3 this August.

Sam Monson said Dillon Gabriel is not just a camp arm – he believes the fifth-rounder can flat-out win the Browns’ starting job if reps break his way. Monson noted that Cleveland clearly "likes Gabriel" after spending unexpected draft capital on him and pointed out that the rookie’s quick release and deep-ball touch graded out in the 90th percentile of PFF’s college charting. Because the Browns have to make early cuts to funnel practice snaps, a hot first week of camp could vault Gabriel ahead of Kenny Pickett and even Joe Flacco. Monson advised dynasty managers to stash Gabriel now and suggested sprinkling long-shot “Week 1 starter” props before preseason action begins.

Lance Zierlein labeled Dillon Gabriel a "safe backup" profile that teams can drop straight into a timing-based spread system—think Miami’s or Green Bay’s—without re-tooling the playbook. Despite knocking him during the season for red-zone mistakes, Zierlein ultimately liked Gabriel’s combination of quick release, controlled footwork, and willingness to win from the pocket. He noted that Gabriel’s clean 2.57-second average time to throw, 65% career completion rate, and 9.3 adjusted yards per attempt in 2023 all project well to No. 2 duties. The catch is size (sub-6’0”) and limited arm strength cap his long-term ceiling, but that matters less for a clipboard role. Zierlein advised superflex managers in 40-man dynasty leagues to spend a final-round pick on Gabriel—especially if he lands behind an injury-prone starter—because his high-end processing and movement skills give him four- to six-week bridge upside in a pinch.

Sam Monson pushed back on the idea that Cleveland will need multiple seasons to figure out whether Dillon Gabriel (and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders) can be real answers at quarterback. He pointed to historical outliers—Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, and even undrafted Tony Romo—who made it obvious in training camp or within a handful of starts that their draft slot was a mistake. Because late-round QBs receive a much shorter leash, Monson expects the Browns’ staff to know by mid-season 2025 whether Gabriel belongs in long-term plans. Dynasty managers can therefore treat Gabriel as a cheap lottery ticket with an unusually fast time-to-resolution: roster him now, monitor his first six-to-eight games, and be ready to pivot if he does not flash immediately. The low opportunity cost of a third-round NFL pick means Cleveland will move on quickly if he is not that guy, giving fantasy GMs an early exit ramp without clogging roster spots all year.

Mike Renner said the Browns turning pick 87 into Dillon Gabriel is exactly the kind of value swing dynasty managers should chase. Cleveland was sitting outside the top-75 yet still came away with Renner’s QB2 (Gabriel) and QB3 (Shadur Sanders), echoing Washington’s RG3/Kirk Cousins double-dip in 2012. Renner loved Gabriel’s tape—quick processor, accurate intermediate passer, plenty of mobility—and argued that Kevin Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year who coaxed 11 wins out of a QB carousel in 2023, can accelerate Gabriel’s development. Because Cleveland already owns Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder, the franchise can patiently audition both rookies this preseason and flip whichever one loses the battle for future capital. Renner urged superflex and deep-bench season-long gamers to stash Gabriel now while rookie-draft ADP still sits in the fourth round, predicting meaningful snaps no later than 2026 and possible trade buzz if he flashes in August.

Ryan Wilson said dynasty managers who celebrated Dylan Gabriel’s third-round landing spot in Cleveland need to hit the brakes after the Browns surprisingly drafted Stewart Sanders on Day 3. Wilson emphasized that Cleveland entered the weekend without an entrenched starter, making Gabriel a plausible 2026 starter, but the Sanders selection creates an immediate camp competition that undercuts Gabriel’s odds of seeing the field. Wilson’s advice: Gabriel is now only a deep taxi-squad stash in superflex leagues, and managers should be ready to flip him if early camp reports favor Sanders.