NFL Preseason Week 2: 3 Things to Watch in Thursday's Browns-Eagles Matchup

The NFL is gearing up for the 2023 season, with most teams now preparing for their second preseason game of the summer. The league's first week of preseason games are now in the books, and starters could see more reps this week with the season just around the corner.

The Cleveland Browns are already suiting up for their third preseason match after squaring off against the New York Jets in the annual Hall of Fame Game earlier this month. They faced the Washington Commanders last week and will now take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia for Week 2 of the preseason.

This matchup kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 17th.

Browns at Eagles Preseason Week 2 Betting Odds: Spread, Total and Moneyline

• Spread: Eagles: -3.5 (-105)
• Total: 37.5
• Moneyline:
  • Browns: +145
  • Eagles: -170

Browns at Eagles -- 3 Things to Watch

Has Deshaun Watson Shaken Off the Rust?

The Browns made a massive move heading into the 2022 season, acquiring former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade. At that point, Watson had already sat out for an entire season due to his differences with the Texans' organization, and with accusations of sexual harassment from over 20 women, he was preparing to miss most of the 2023 season. He served an 11-game suspension as a result, suiting up for only the Browns' final six games of the 2023 campaign.

Frankly, Watson did not look like the player the Browns thought they were trading for. When he did suit up, he played worse than Jacoby Brissett, taking sacks at an enormous 10.5% clip, completing just 58.2% of his passes, and amassing a career-worst 2.9% interception rate. The Browns' season was already pretty much over at that point, but they couldn't have been encouraged by what they saw out of Watson.

From the team's perspective, they'll want to see proof that Watson was just rusty after more than a year on the sidelines. He suited up for the Browns' first drive against the Commanders last week but was pulled after that (a wise move on a slippery, rained-out field). They'll likely try to get a better look at Watson this week against the Eagles' elite defense.

Can Watson regain the elite form he showed off in Houston in the earlier part of his career? Either way, we will likely see Watson for some extended time in this one, and fantasy managers would be wise to tune in to find out what kind of upside he offers this year in season-long fantasy leagues.

Question Marks in the Eagles' Backfield

The Eagles made waves (in fantasy circles) this offseason by letting running back Miles Sanders walk in free agency, then signing free-agent running back Rashaad Penny, and finally trading for former Detroit Lions back D'Andre Swift.

The Eagles are on track to be one of the league's best offenses for the second straight year, so fantasy managers were already hotly debating which of those two new members of the team would lock down the top spot in the backfield -- a role that led to Sanders putting up 11 touchdowns last season. And then the first game of the preseason happened, and it was Kenneth Gainwell getting the starter treatment.

While Swift and Penny took snaps (a lot of them, in Penny's case) against the Baltimore Ravens last week, Gainwell was held out of the game along with the Eagles' other top players, such as Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Thursday's matchup against the Browns could be a telling one for predicting the Eagles' regular-season backfield usage. Will we see Gainwell take the field this week? If so, in what capacity? The former fourth-round pick was an effective player on passing downs and in the two-minute drill last year, but he has handled just 177 touches across his two seasons in the league.

Could Swift usurp Gainwell as the lead back? On paper, his skills as a pass-catcher overlap with Gainwell's, so there could be some friction in their usage this season.

And while Penny has the size to handle a stereotypical lead-back workload, he has never been able to stay healthy for a full year since entering the league. He was on pace for an excellent campaign last year before getting hurt -- averaging a ridiculous 6.1 yards per carry -- and could break out if given the chance in Philly. However, he saw a red-flag-raising amount of work in the team's first preseason game, which casts doubts on his usage for the upcoming year.

If a back emerges as the RB1 for the Eagles, you'll want that guy on your fantasy rosters. Who that back could be is anyone's guess at the moment, and Thursday's game could be a huge factor in determining each player's role for the upcoming season.

The Browns' Skill-Position Shuffle

There's a trickle-down effect to be mindful of with the Browns this season. If Watson does return to form in 2023, you'll want more Browns receivers than just Amari Cooper on your fantasy squad. And if they do take that next step as an offense, Nick Chubb might not be the only back worth starting on a week-to-week basis in fantasy.

Cooper currently seems unlikely to play on Thursday while he deals with a "minor" injury, though that could change ahead of kickoff. He's practicing with the team but hasn't played yet in the preseason. Behind Amari, it looks like Elijah Moore could be queued up for a big role -- if he can stay healthy.

Moore suffered a rib injury in last week's preseason game and could sit out Thursday's game as a precaution. He was on the field for pretty much every snap Watson took and was even given a carry out of the backfield on the team's opening drive. The 2022 season was a wash for Moore as the Jets' offense cratered around Zach Wilson, but he could find himself with a surprisingly large workload this season.

If neither Cooper nor Moore suit up this week, viewers could get to see developmental players like David Bell and Cedric Tillman across from presumed starter Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Browns have invested significant draft capital in both Bell and Tillman over the last two years, and Thursday could be that duo's first real chance to catch passes from Watson while playing against live defenses.

In the backfield, Chubb's presumed backup, Jerome Ford, suffered a significant hamstring injury in a recent practice and might not be ready by Week 1. These next two preseason games could be revealing for Cleveland's depth behind Chubb. If no capable back emerges, Chubb could be in line for huge volume.

Right now, it looks like John Kelly and Demetric Felton are the two frontrunners for the RB2 job with Ford sidelined. The Browns missed out on their chances to sign Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook and have seemed to have little interest in other free agents (such as Kareem Hunt or Leonard Fournette), so a strong preseason performance Thursday could turn either Kelly or Felton into players to watch in fantasy football this fall.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel, as well. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.