Fantasy Impact: Josh McCown Signed By Browns

Josh McCown signed a 3 year deal with the Cleveland Browns this week. Last year, Josh McCown threw for 2,206 yards and 11 TDs. The Browns signed McCown to have a veteran presence at QB while 2^nd year QB Johnny Manziel develops behind him.

Dec 21, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown (12) drops back against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Josh McCown

McCown is a stop-gap at quarterback for the Browns while they figure out what to do for the future. Are they going to be patient with Manziel or are they going to go back to the well and draft another quarterback? The Browns quarterback situation has been a sad soap opera ever since Vinny Testaverde left. McCown is going to be undraftable in redraft leagues. He holds close to zero value in fantasy. McCown will only be useful this year if you stream quarterbacks and he has a favorable matchup. In dynasty, McCown has value as a backup that hopefully that you won’t need to use.

McCown would be a hard player to trade. There might be a chance that you could trade him to a QB needy team for a late round rookie draft pick. I would try selling him if I owned him, but I know it is very unlikely that I would get anything for value for him. If I got offered a late round pick for him, and I didn’t need a QB, I would take it in a heartbeat. The Browns have a good defense and they are going to pound the ball with their running backs Isiah Crowell and Terrance West.

Josh Gordon is suspended and Jordan Cameron will be gone due to free agency, so McCown won’t have any viable weapons. With that being said, I’m not very enthusiastic over McCown for fantasy this year.

Johnny Manziel

NFL teams typically show their hand when it comes to their opinions of their current personnel through their transactions. With the transaction of signing Josh McCown, the Browns are telling us that they don’t think Manziel is ready to be the starting quarterback. The signing may also advocate as a clue that they are not happy with his development and they might be looking for the quarterback of the future. Manziel right now has zero fantasy value, and will only have value if McCown gets hurt. If Manziel gets a chance to play, he will be a viable stream in redraft leagues due to his rushing ability.

I’m not a fan of Manziel for dynasty. I don’t own him in any leagues, and I highly doubt that I will ever own him in any of my leagues. Somewhere down the line he is going to get an extended opportunity to show what he can do, and that’s going to be the time that I recommend you to sell him. His value will go up a little bit, and he’s going to get a lot of publicity on ESPN, and he’s going to score some points with his rushing ability. If I was in a league with shallow rosters, then I would consider selling him for a late round draft pick to make room for a prospect with a higher upside. Manziel is a QB who likes to tuck the ball and run, and the problem with that is that he is very small for an NFL QB. Manziel is highly likely to get injured often. Also, Manziel is not an accurate quarterback and he is a very erratic decision maker. I don’t see him holding any long term value in dynasty leagues.

Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West

The Browns are going to run the ball a lot. Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West are going to be big factors in the run game this season. They are going to be counted on to move the chains. Hopefully, the woeful passing game doesn’t affect Cleveland’s running game because Cleveland’s running backs are the only assets that need to be owned in fantasy. There are going to be eight men in the box constantly until McCown can show he has the ability to complete passes to his no name receiving corps.

Crowell and West are going to have value in redraft. Crowell right now looks like he will be the front runner to be the lead back next season, and should be the first Cleveland back drafted in redraft leagues. West will still have value as a popular handcuff next year and should be drafted in the later rounds. If West beats out Crowell during training camp, then both of these player values will flop, with West being drafted first and Crowell being the handcuff. I think it’s highly likely that Crowell will begin the season as the starter.

Both players hold value in dynasty leagues. Crowell is valuable because he’s a young talented running back who gets a large portion of touches on a run first offense. West is valuable because he is a young back that could possibly hold a lot of fantasy value if Crowell was to get injured, or if he was able to beat out Crowell in training camp. McCown is a better option than Manziel, but I don’t know if he’s going to be good enough to help the running game. So, next year might be interesting for Crowell’s and West’s fantasy production.

Need help with your dynasty team? Contact me on Twitter @bmatz08 and I will give you the guidance you need to make the best decisions on trades, drafts, and the waiver wire.

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