Joe Flacco will open Cleveland Browns seasons as the starter, a veteran lift amid a crowded quarterback competition and a not-insignificant calendar that begins with Cincinnati. The dress rehearsal against the Rams on Saturday is framed as a regular-season preview, with Flacco taking the lion’s share of first-team reps after injuries and practice splits sidelined four contenders—Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson on PUP. The Browns’ Week 1 trip to Baltimore looms, but the veteran signal-caller’s proven efficiency in 2023 (4-1, 300+ yard games) keeps fantasy intrigue alive for WRs and RBs who thrive on high-volume approach games. Flacco’s legacy—Super Bowl XLVII MVP and Comeback Player of the Year—adds a steadying floor, even as Cleveland’s offense weighs injuries, depth moves like Tyler Huntley’s addition, and a developmental path for the young guns. The broader context remains clear: Cleveland is navigating a quarterback landscape that could shape early-season fantasy outputs, with rostering implications hinging on who takes the field under center each week.