The Cleveland Browns lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but fantasy owners who utilized some of their offensive playmakers were pleased with the overall result.
Wide receiver Corey Coleman scored two touchdowns and went over the century mark in yardage, running back Isaiah Crowell notched 133 rushing yards and a score and quarterback Josh McCown threw for two touchdowns.
Here is a look at their final totals from Cleveland’s 25-20 defeat.
Josh McCown
Opportunity is often key in fantasy football, and McCown appeared set to be Cleveland’s primary signal-caller after Adam Schefter of ESPN noted Robert Griffin III‘s season could be over because of a shoulder injury. However, Michael Silver of NFL Network reported the “Browns are bracing themselves for possible bad news on [McCown’s] shoulder. Won’t know for sure until the morning.”
Even if healthy, McCown is not someone you are going to ride to a fantasy title as a 37-year-old veteran who has never thrown for more than 2,511 yards in a single season. Turnovers are also a concern after he threw two interceptions on Sunday and fumbled (although Cleveland recovered it).
If the injury isn’t serious, he could be a viable bye-week replacement for your normal starter after he posted 12 touchdown passes in eight games for Cleveland last year and threw for 260 yards on Sunday. Parallel to his actual football value, McCown is probably best served as an injury replacement in case of need.
Corey Coleman
Coleman was heavily involved in the Cleveland passing game on Sunday with Josh Gordon suspended. Only Terrelle Pryor (10) had more targets than Coleman’s eight, and Coleman finished with 104 receiving yards and two scores to Pryor’s 32 and zero. That is how a rookie wide receiver builds trust from his quarterback and coaching staff.
Coleman should get better at the NFL level as he becomes more accustomed to the speed of the game, which will only help his fantasy numbers moving forward. Cleveland isn’t going to have a sure thing in fantasy circles after missing the playoffs every year since the 2002 season, but Coleman looks like a high-ceiling No. 2 or No. 3 option at the wide receiver spot after Sunday.
Isaiah Crowell
Essentially all of Crowell’s fantasy production on Sunday came from his 85-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and it is a risky affair to rely on that type of broken play on a week-to-week basis.
Still, the workload was encouraging with 18 carries to Duke Johnson’s three, and Crowell was solid last year with 706 rushing yards. His primary issue a season ago was the lack of touchdowns (four on the ground), but he scored in each of Cleveland’s first two games this year.
If that touchdown pattern continues and Crowell posts modest yardage totals—even without monster plays like he did in 2015—his position as a starting running back gives him value as a possible flex option. That is especially the case if McCown is out and Cleveland focuses more on the run as a way of controlling the clock and limiting what the quarterback position has to do moving forward.
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