Cleveland Browns: Fantasy Football Outlook

May 26, 2015; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (80) during organized team activities at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

We’re now in July, so the fantasy football season is just about underway. People are beginning to collect their league members, plan their draft parties, and create a draft strategy.

I’ll be honest with you, from a fantasy perspective there isn’t much too be excited about concerning the Cleveland Browns. Mainly, because their quarterback position is a question mark. But, people are still interested on how they should fill their roster, and if anyone on their favorite team is worth taking a chance on.

Although, I don’t feel like there are many fantasy superstars on this Browns roster, there are still some names that could make a difference. Without further ado, here are a couple of Browns that can make an impact on your fantasy team in 2015:

The Quarterbacks: Although, Josh McCown is the starter, I don’t think it will be for very long. Johnny Manziel in my opinion provides more fantasy value because of his ability to run the football. I don’t want to be the guy to motivate you to draft either player, so if I were you I’d stay away from both until they prove weekly consistency. Either, could step-in for a spot start if your starting quarterback is on a bye in larger leagues as a waiver wire pick-up.

Dwayne Bowe: Bowe was once one of the more feared wide receivers in the game with the Kansas City Chiefs, but his production has dropped off of late. What happened? Maybe work ethic or laziness began to set-in, but the size and ability is still there for him to reinvent himself. For a five-year period, he was good for at least 70 catches and 1,000 yards, but the past three seasons have proved otherwise. In fantasy terms he seems to be a viable bench asset, and no matter how large your league is, he should be on someone’s roster. Considering he looks like the clear-cut number one target for Josh McCown, I would expect anywhere from 60-70 catches and around 800-900 receiving yards. He’s someone to take a flyer on in the later rounds because of his ability and role on the team.

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Brian Hartline: After at least 70 catches and 1,000 yards in both 2012 and 2013, Hartline’s numbers with the Miami Dolphins dropped off big-time in 2014. Failing to catch 40 passes, and falling below the 500 receiving yard mark, which resulted in his worst season since 2011. So what she we expect from him in Cleveland? To be honest, not much. At some point in the season he could be a waiver wire pick-up depending on a certain matchup, but not much else. He’s not someone worth drafting, but a possible option in larger leagues makes him some-what valuable if your starting wide-out is on a bye week.

Running backs: I’m not going to pick one running back to primarily target on the Browns roster, because of their three-headed monster at the position. Even though Isaiah Crowell seems like the front-runner to take the load of the carries, it still seems very much like a running back by committee type of situation. This always upsets fantasy owners, because it provides confusion week after week of who is worthy of a start. Crowell is worth drafting later-on over Terrance West or Duke Johnson at some point in a draft, but having West or Johnson on your roster isn’t a bad idea either.

Defense/Special Teams: The only thing that could hold back this Browns defense is their offense. If McCown and company fail to sustain drives, I don’t care who’s on the defensive side of the football, they’re going to get worn-out. Putting that to the side, this unit is immensely talented, especially in the secondary. Last season, they ranked second in the league in interceptions, and fourth in the league in takeaways. That bodes extremely well in fantasy circles, and they could be a weekly starter in just about any league if they continue that turnover trend. Travis Benjamin also provides an excellent punch on special teams in the return game that is trying to improve on their 21.6 kick return average from 2014.

Many of these players are more low risk-high reward type of players than anything else. None of the aforementioned names will be high draft picks in any fantasy league, but could be worth taking a gander at later on in a draft to stash on your bench. As the season begins to start, I wish you luck, and feel free to contact me via Twitter for any fantasy questions.

Next: Browns Position Review: Defensive Backs

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