Kendall Valenzuela said Harold Fannin is trending sharply upward after the Browns released Diontae Johnson and used the rookie next to David Njoku in the first quarter of the preseason finale. Fannin posted a 60 % snap share, 60 % route rate, and 33 % targets-per-route in that game. Thor Nystrom reminded listeners that Fannin smashed FBS single-season tight-end records at Bowling Green with 117 catches and 1,550 yards while forcing 32 missed tackles. With Njoku entering the final year of his contract, Valenzuela believes the Browns could fast-track the future and give Fannin real 2025 snaps, making him a smart 1 %-rostered stash in deep formats.

Peter Overzet advised punting tight end drafters to stash Harold Fannin despite Cleveland’s bleak offensive outlook. Fannin has been treated as a starter all preseason and just notched a red-zone touchdown, but the real hook is talent: Dwain McFarland’s TE Super Model ranks him No. 3 in the entire 2025 rookie class thanks to age-adjusted domination at Bowling Green. Overzet noted that while the Browns project as one of the league’s worst teams, Fannin’s first-team usage and proven production profile create a cheap path to volume at a barren fantasy position. He labeled Fannin a priority final-round pick or tight-end roulette chip.

Pat Kerrane said Harold Fannin is his preferred punt-tight-end in Underdog best-ball drafts because the rookie’s blocking plus receiver skill lets him fit Cleveland’s new Tommy Reese scheme that should feature 12-personnel on roughly 40-45 % of snaps. Kerrane projected about 60 % route participation even in a good outcome, noting David Njoku will still be around 75-80 % but there will be series where Fannin is the solo tight end and others where he is flexed out as a pseudo slot/WR4. With only Cedric Tillman behind Jerry Judy for secondary targets, Fannin has a clear path to shallow-and-intermediate looks and yards-after-catch production. Because he is almost never drafted, Fannin serves as pure leverage and offers late-season spike-week potential, exactly the type of functional upside pick Kerrane wants instead of other punt TEs like Theo Johnson or Jatavian Sanders.

Pat Kerrane said Harold Fannin is the only punt-tier tight end he is actively targeting in best-ball drafts because the Browns’ new Tommy Reese/Kevin Stefanski scheme is expected to feature 12 personnel on roughly 40-45 % of snaps. Fannin’s Bowling Green tape shows legitimate receiving chops (yards-after-catch weapon) and, crucially, the ability to stay on the field as an in-line blocker. That combination would let Cleveland keep defenses guessing, marrying run and play-action concepts in true Shanahan fashion. Kerrane projected about 60 % route participation even with David Njoku still logging 75-80 %, noting the only target competition behind Jerry Jeudy/Njoku is Cedric Tillman and an unsettled slot. Because Fannin is rarely drafted on Underdog, rostering him creates unique leverage and gives drafters late-season spike-week equity if rookie quarterbacks Shador Sanders or Dylan Gabriel lean on quick, underneath throws.

Colm Kelly said he is targeting Harold Fannin in the last rounds as a pivot off David Njoku, who is going much earlier. Kelly expects Cleveland to lean on more two-tight-end sets in 2025 as defenses dare them to run, creating additional routes for Fanning. He likes Fannin's college receiving résumé and believes that hidden usage upside, combined with a dirt-cheap ADP, makes him an easy stash who could pay off if the Browns pivot to heavier personnel.

Davis Mattek called Harold Fannin his favorite undrafted swing for the fences at tight end. Mattek has Fannin on 9 % of his 648 best-ball teams, usually as a TE3 behind floor veterans such as Hunter Henry and Zach Ertz when he needs late-season juice. The case: Cleveland has given favorable offseason buzz to Fannin while the primary alternative, Deontay Johnson, reportedly showed up to camp out of shape and has ‘one last chance’ to stick. Mattek noted that the only real obstacle is David Njoku, but he views the Browns’ heavy 12-personnel usage and Kevin Stefanski’s willingness to scheme athletic tight ends into the slot as a pathway for Fannin to matter down the stretch. Because Fannin seldom gets drafted, Mattek likes the cost-adjusted upside in best-ball tournaments and believes he is worth a final-round pick in deep seasonal formats that allow easy churn.

Pat Kerrane urged drafters to stash Harold Fannin in the final rounds because no FBS tight end has ever matched his resume: a 2.30 career yards-per-team-attempt peak, 1,555 receiving yards and 67 yards after catch per game in 2024, dwarfing even Brock Bowers’ college production. The Browns invested early Round-3 capital and can deploy Fannin as a big-slot complement to inline veteran David Njoku. Kerrane wants to hear in camp that Cleveland is leaning into 12 personnel, that Cedric Tillman is the only perimeter wideout flashing, and that Fannin holds his own on move-TE run-blocks—checks that would lock in immediate routes. Quarterback play is the obvious wildcard, but with an ADP of 229, Kerrane sees very little downside: “even a couple hundred yards and a few scores matters at tight end when you pay nothing,” while the ceiling is a Mark-Andrews-style fantasy ascension if the Browns offense surprises.

Ben Gretch said Harold Fannin Jr. is the most mis-priced tight end in FFPC Best Ball drafts. Cleveland spent an early-third on Fannin and GM Andrew Berry immediately labeled him "the queen on the chessboard," stressing his ball-in-hand skills, movement-style blocking and mismatch potential in 12 personnel. OC Tommy Rees has already schemed touches for him in camp and publicly vowed to "push to find ways to get him involved." Gretch noted the Browns view Fannin and David Njoku as complementary—Njoku will stay in-line while the 233-pound rookie moves around the formation—so the two are not fighting for the same targets. Fannin posted dominant college production and is virtually free after Round 18, yet he offers a ceiling well above mid-draft names such as Ben Sinnott, Taysom Hill or Noah Gray who routinely go earlier. In TE-premium scoring, even modest early-season route counts could turn Fannin into a weekly lineup cheat code, making him a priority TE4 flier.

Pat Kerrane labeled Harold Fannin the most mis-priced player in 2025 rookie drafts. Fannin routinely lasts to the 3.08 despite elite production at Northern Iowa and 91st-percentile athletic testing. Kerrane said every concern—small-school competition, late breakout, and depth-chart uncertainty—is already baked into the price. Because managers can scoop him well after the high-floor prospects are gone, Kerrane views Fannin as a free swing at a potential weekly starter. He is targeting him in every draft, noting that the risk-reward profile is identical to last year’s Jalen Pitre-type hits that turned a late third into a top-100 startup asset within months.

Beimfohr spotlighted Harold Fannin as a volatile but intriguing late-round pick after the Browns stunned everyone by selecting him on Day 2. He acknowledged Cleveland ran 12-personnel only 35% of the time last season—which caps most two-TE fantasies—but argued Fannin’s hybrid skill set could earn him slot snaps because the Browns’ receiver room is paper-thin behind Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. If Fannin proves he can separate, he could become Deshaun Watson’s safety valve while David Njoku handles in-line duties. The flip side is a stone-cold zero if Fannin remains a gadget player, so Beimfohr recommends keeping exposure light (think sub-10%) yet purposeful to capture the upside of a 230-pound move tight end in an offense lacking reliable pass catchers.

Jason Moore tagged third-round tight end Harold Fanon Jr. as a clear draft loser. Despite elite college production (32 % dominator at Bowling Green), Fanon tested poorly at the combine— 4.83 forty and 25th-percentile burst— and was just the sixth TE taken. Moore stressed that Fanon lands behind David Njoku, who is coming off career-best marks in routes (502) and targets (123) and remains under contract through this season. With Njoku turning only 29 next spring, Moore thinks the Browns will extend him rather than hand the job to Fanon. Even if Njoku walks, Fanon would enter 2026 at age 24 without meaningful snaps. Moore recommends bypassing him in standard rookie drafts until at least the fourth round and prioritizing higher-ceiling stashes like Georgia’s Oscar Delp instead.

Steve Palazzolo highlighted sixth-round tight end Harold Fannin Jr. as a sneaky stash for managers in TE-premium or deep dynasty formats. Fanon shattered every receiving record for Bowling Green tight ends—1,854 yards and 18 touchdowns—while routinely torching Power-4 defenses such as Texas A&M and Penn State for chunk plays down the seam. Palazzolo said Fanon’s ability to "stretch the seam and work the middle of the field" gives Cleveland a vertical element the current TE room lacks, and the rookie could see early-season packages in 12-personnel given his plus hands and functional in-line blocking. If Fanon translates his 4.61 forty and 38-inch vert to NFL spacing, Palazzolo believes he could become a poor man’s Dallas Goedert and return value far beyond his sixth-round cost.