Player Upside
Crowell finished last season with nearly 1,300 total yards and seven scores. His stats were good enough for him to finish as the RB14 in standard scoring leagues. He’s a pretty low-profile back, which means you can often get him later in drafts without having to overpay for near RB1 value.
He also benefits from a run-first coach and a solid offensive line blocking for him. He doesn’t have a lot of competition behind him, which means he should be able to maintain or improve upon his 12.4 carries per game from last season.
Player Downside
He plays for the Browns, which means he plays on a team that could see itself fall behind in games. Trailing teams tend to stop running the ball, which could spell trouble for Crowell. We saw that happen last season when he carried 10 or fewer times in six games.
Crowell is also prone to being hot and cold. During an eight-week stretch last season, he averaged just 26 rushing yards per game.
2017 Bottom Line
You might be scared to take Crowell because of where he plays, but it actually plays to his advantage. He’s a low-end RB1 who can be selected slightly later than players ranked around him. The team's offensive line is much improved with the additions of J.C. Tretter and Kevin Zeitler, making Crowell a solid fantasy RB target.
Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh
Isaiah Crowell didn’t really play well last week, but he finished with two touchdowns which was enough to make fantasy owners happy. Crowell has struggled most of the season, but he’s been relevant in a few games.
This week he’ll face a Steelers defense he struggled against earlier the year. Crowell had just 10 yards on eight carries in the Week 11 matchup along with 13 yards on five receptions.
Crowell isn’t an awful choice as he’ll at least be playing this week, and likely against most of Pittsburgh’s backups. With Week 17 it’s hard to find backs who will get volume, and Crowell will likely be one of those guys. He should be viewed as an RB2.
Isaiah Crowell - Week 16 vs. San Diego
Isaiah Crowell went back to being bad last week as he finished with 28 yards on eight carries in a favorable matchup. He didn't catch a pass in the game, either, which has been his saving grace in a few games this season.
Crowell started the season hot, and had a 100-yard game two weeks ago, but has mostly been a letdown. He'll likely continue his poor production this week in a tough matchup against the Chargers.
He'll be a low-end RB2 simply due to volume and the chance of a redzone score, but he's got a low floor in this game.
Week 15 vs. Buffalo
Isaiah Crowell did the best he could last week with minimal touches. The Browns back only had 10 carries, but turned that into a surprising 113-yard effort. RGIII vultured a touchdown on the one-yard line, but at least we saw something promising from Crowell for the first time in weeks.
This week he faces a Bills defense that was helpless against Le'Veon Bell last week. There's no way Crowell has the same success, but Bell's performance shows this is a defense that struggles to stop the run.
Crowell will be an intriguing RB2 play this week.
Week 14 vs. Cincinnati
Isaiah Crowell continues to struggle on the ground as he's now been held to under three yards per carry in seven of his last eight games. But he's had back-to-back games with 5+ catches, so at least he's making up for the lack of yards in PPR formats.
This week, he'll face a Bengals defense he had 79 total yards against earlier in the season. He also scored a touchdown in that matchup. The Bengals will be a decent matchup, so you can expect similar numbers from Crowell in terms of yardage.
Crowell isn't a star, but he's a decent RB3/flex option if you need him.
Week 12 vs. New York Giants
Isaiah Crowell's struggles continue as he's now been held under 30 rushing yards in six of the last seven games. He's starting to become slightly more involved in the passing game, including five receptions last week, but he's still hard to trust in fantasy.
He started the season with potential of being an RB1, but he's now more of a low-end flex play. He won't get a great matchup this week against the Giants, so he's got a pretty low floor in Week 12.
Week 11 vs. Pittsburgh
Isaiah Crowell has now been held under 30 rushing yards in five of the last six games, but he's at least making some contributions as a receiver out of the backfield. Still, it's disappointing to see him perform so poorly after a red-hot start to the season.
Crowell will try and get out of his funk in a favorable matchup against the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh has allowed 100+ rushing yards to backs in four straight games, including seven touchdowns in that stretch.
We like Crowell as a strong RB2 play in Week 11.
Week 10 at Baltimore
Isaiah Crowell was terrible on the ground last week, rushing for four yards on six carries. He made up for the lousy effort with 63 receiving yards on four catches, although 44 of those yards came on one play. Crowell has now been held to under 30 yards rushing in four of the last five games. We can't rely on his receiving stats most weeks, because that role is typically Duke Johnson's.
The Browns running back had a strong start to the season, but has fallen off quickly. His struggles could continue this week against the Ravens as they've allowed the fewest points to opposing backs this season, but Crowell had 133 yards against them in Week 2.
Crowell is hard to trust given his struggles, but there's always a strong chance of a goal-line touchdown. He should be viewed as a low-end RB2 play this week.
Week 9 vs. Dallas
Isaiah Crowell is 12th in the league in rushing yards, but he hasn't been great as of late. In three of his last four games he's finished with less than 30 rushing yards. He's made up for that somewhat with back-to-back touchdowns, but we'd like to see more production out of him.
He'll get a tough matchup this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed 10th fewest rush yards per game this season. They've also only allowed three scores on the ground, tied for second fewest in the league.
Crowell's opportunities will be there, so he still has value, but he should be viewed as a low-end RB2 play this week.
Week 8 vs. New York Jets
Isaiah Cro...is playing...well this season, as he's in the top 10 in total rushing yards (495), with four touchdowns and an impressive 5.2 yards per carry. He's been one of the few bright spots in this offense, and should continue to produce.
He gets a difficult matchup against the Jets this week, who have kept every running back except David Johnson in check this season. Aside from D.J., New York allowed 80 rushing yards or less to backs, and just one total touchdown.
Crowell should be viewed as a RB2 play this week.
