Anthony Richardson vs Deshaun Watson: The Full Breakdown
Anthony Richardson and Deshaun Watson are at different tiers heading into 2026. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback averaged 19.5 PPG in 2025, a full 7.3 points per game ahead of Deshaun Watson's 12.2 with the Cleveland Browns. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
Anthony Richardson carries a 7.3-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Anthony Richardson offers meaningful rushing upside with 580 yards on the ground in 2025, which separates his floor from a pocket passer like Deshaun Watson (2105 passing yards, 12 touchdowns). In games where the passing matchup looks ugly, that rushing production can be the entire difference on a start/sit call.
Anthony Richardson has his bye in Week 14, and Deshaun Watson rests in Week 10. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at quarterback for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
