Steve Palazzolo said the Browns DST is an undervalued fantasy play because the defensive line is built to bully again. After slipping last season, Cleveland brings back Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson while adding young disruptors Isaiah McGuire, first-rounder Mason Graham, and 2024 second-round pick Michael Hall to flank Myles Garrett. Palazzolo noted that same quartet ranked among the league's best four-man rushes in 2023 before injuries struck. If the secondary of Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson lands on the high side of its volatile range, he sees a top-five unit in sacks and takeaways. He advised grabbing the Browns DST late in season-long drafts and targeting them as an inexpensive Week-1 DFS pivot in tournaments that reward defensive scoring upside.

Polzin flagged another edge by taking the UNDER on Myles Garrett’s 14.5 sacks at DraftKings. FanDuel is hanging 12.5 on the same prop, implying DraftKings is two full sacks too optimistic. Given the historical difficulty of surpassing 15 sacks and the ever-present injury risk, Polzin views the DraftKings number as a clear fade opportunity.

Sam Monson praised Cleveland’s offseason as a sneaky win for both betting markets and IDP players. He noted the franchise turned a potential disaster—Myles Garrett demanding a trade—into a multi-year extension that keeps his elite 20-plus-percent pressure rate in Jim Schwartz’s system. Cleveland then traded down, grabbed DT Mason Graham (a top-five tape grade for Monson), and still collected quarterbacks Shadr Sanders and Dylan Gabriel as cheap escape hatches from the Deshaun Watson contract. The added draft capital plus a happy Garrett leaves Monson projecting the Browns defense to finish top-five in sacks and turnovers, making the Browns D/ST a priority after Round 12 in season-long drafts and a live long-shot in AFC North futures while books remain skeptical.