Browns Open to Trading Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel at 3-1

Cleveland's quarterback room just got interesting for all the wrong reasons — if you're one of the guys behind Deshaun Watson. The Browns are 3-1 for the first time since 2001, Watson has thrown six touchdowns and zero picks across four games, and that early-season stability has reportedly put both Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel on the trade table.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Cleveland would probably welcome a deal at the right price for one of its backups. Fowler framed it as flexibility rather than a firesale, calling the Browns the most value-driven team in the league. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10, following Week 9, which leaves plenty of runway to shop interest and read the standings first.

The math is the real story here. Most teams carry two quarterbacks on the active 53; the Browns are sitting on four — Watson, Sanders, Gabriel and Taylen Green, who was a healthy inactive for the fourth straight week. Fowler suggested Green stays as a developmental project, which means any move almost certainly involves Sanders or Gabriel.

What Each QB Brings to the Table

Sanders is the harder sell. Fowler noted his pre-draft process was hit or miss — that's why he fell to the fifth round — and said any trade would likely require an injury elsewhere plus a team that had done serious homework on him. As a rookie last season he completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions over eight games. This year, he's played exactly one snap, in the Week 3 win over Carolina.

Gabriel has the cleaner arrow. The 2025 third-rounder was placed on IR with a back issue three days after throwing for 186 yards and three scores in the preseason finale, and he's now eligible to return. As a rookie he appeared in 10 games with six starts, throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 2025 fantasy line of 74 PPR points actually tops Watson's 69 through four games this year.

There's a wrinkle in all of this: Fowler said the Browns would only shop Sanders if they're comfortable with Gabriel as the clear No. 2. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, meanwhile, reported the team plans to hang onto its young developmental arms through the deadline. So the reporting isn't fully aligned — flexibility exists, but the intent is murkier.

The Fantasy Fallout

For redraft purposes, none of these three move the needle right now. Watson sits at QB39 in our rankings (#226 overall), and that's with a healthy 6-0 TD-to-INT ratio — the volume and ceiling just aren't there for a streaming option in standard leagues.

The player to actually track is Gabriel. Our model has him surprisingly high at QB7 (#21 overall), a ranking that bakes in starter upside should he land somewhere with a path to snaps. On the Browns, buried behind a rolling Watson, that value is theoretical. Traded to a QB-needy team, it becomes real in a hurry — which is exactly why he's a name to stash in deep dynasty formats.

Sanders remains a pure dynasty dart throw. At QB37 (#186 overall) with one snap on the season, he's got no standalone value and his trade market may not even exist. If you're rostering him, you're betting on a change of scenery and a change of luck — and the 10 interceptions in eight rookie games are a reminder that neither is guaranteed.

Bottom line for managers: hold Gabriel if you have the bench room and watch the wire for where he lands between now and Nov. 10. Drop Sanders in anything shallower than a 16-team dynasty league. And don't chase Watson for a bye-week start — a 3-1 record doesn't mean fantasy relevance.