Week 15 vs Seattle
Before Week 14, Isaiah Crowell was having a horrific season. Then he caught fire against a sorry San Francisco defense, rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Crowell averaged a whopping 7.3 yards per carry. That is very notable as Isaiah was averaging a horrible 3.2 yards per carry prior to playing the 49ers. San Francisco defense coordinator Eric Mangini, a former Browns head coach and one of the most overrated coaching figures in the NFL, did more to facilitate success for Cleveland on Sunday than he ever did in the two years he coached the Browns.
Of course, despite his massive day, no one should be counting on Crowell this week. One fluke game does not change his overall track record of ineptitude and the Seahawks have one of the best run defenses in the NFL. If you choose to bet on Crowell during the fantasy playoffs, you will be giving your opponent a much better chance of capturing a championship.
Week 14 vs. San Francisco
Considering how terrible he had been playing prior to last Sunday, the fact that Isaiah Crowell rushed for 62 yards on 11 carries was one of the few highlights during Cleveland’s 37-3 loss to Cincinnati.
However, Crowell ‘s overall numbers remain poor, as he averages 33.1 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Even though San Francisco has given up 14 touchdowns and has one of the NFL’s weakest run defenses, no one needs to be giving Crowell a starting assignment during this critical time of the fantasy season.
Week 13 vs Cincinnati
Playing like he is on a crusade to be the worst starting running back in the NFL, Isaiah Crowell rushed for seven yards on seven carries in a Monday night loss to Baltimore. In 11 games, Crowell is averaging 30.5 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry.
Even the boneheaded Browns have realized how ineffective Crowell is, as Duke Johnson received more snaps on Monday night. Anyone who wants to start Crowell this week should try something more productive, like growing palm trees in Alaska.
Week 12 vs Baltimore
When we last saw Isaiah Crowell in Week 10, the second-year back rushed for -5 yards on six carries as the Browns were blown out by the Steelers. He caught one pass for four yards, giving him -1 points in standard formats. To put Isaiah’s awful performance in perspective, owners could have played someone on bye, taken an automatic zero, and scored more!
Crowell managed to have some success in Week 5 against the Ravens, as he caught a touchdown pass on a day where Josh McCown burned the Baltimore defense for 457 yards. But owners need to overlook that performance, as Crowell is averaging 32.8 yards per game and the Ravens still have a respectable run defense. Cleveland will likely try to win this one through the air, making the frequently feeble Crowell a fantasy afterthought.
Week 10 at Pittsburgh
Operating as Cleveland’s main back in Week 9, Isaiah Crowell had a few nice moments, but rushed for only 38 yards on 10 carries. He was able to bolster his numbers a bit as a receiver, hauling in three passes for 26 yards.
Crowell’s stock got a boost earlier this week when the Browns waived Robert Turbin, who had been cutting significantly into his workload. However, not long after that, Browns head coach Mike Pettine was talking up Glenn Winston, who was just activated off the reserve/PUP list. Crowell does not have the look of a great back, but his head coach is one of his biggest hindrances to success. The combination of Pettine and a Pittsburgh defense that has given up just three rushing touchdowns all season makes Crowell a lackluster flex play.
Week 9 at Cincinnati
In Isaiah Crowell’s last two games, he has 18 carries for 23 yards. Averaging 36.9 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry, Crowell has the look of a bad player on a bad team.
While Cincinnati’s run defense is hardly dominant, the Bengals have given up just three rushing touchdowns, and Crowell has not been sighted in the end zone since Week 2. Only those in dynasty leagues who are trying to pull off a tanking plan reminiscent of the Philadelphia 76ers need to be starting Isaiah on Thursday.
Week 8 vs. Arizona
The good news is Isaiah Crowell had the most carries in the Cleveland backfield in Week 7. The bad news is the second-year player did absolutely nothing with them, rushing for nine yards on eight carries. At least we can send along congratulations to Isaiah on his perfect Joique Bell impersonation! Crowell’s fantasy prospects have been dwindling since Robert Turbin got healthy and they will be non-existent on Sunday against a good Arizona run defense.
Expected to be a quiet performer in Week 6 because of Denver’s dominating defense, Isaiah Crowell was exactly that, rushing for 32 yards on 11 carries. Crowell had already been splitting time with Duke Johnson, but former Seattle Seahawk Robert Turbin, now healthy, was also added to the mix during the battle with the Broncos. Turbin received 10 carries, making the Cleveland backfield even more convoluted.
While the Rams surrender over 100 yards a game on the ground, they have held opponents to three rushing touchdowns. With the Cleveland backfield now a three-headed monster, fantasy owners should only consider using Crowell in highly favorable matchups. The showdown with St. Louis does not fall under that classification. Make sure the Crow does not fly off your bench.
Week 6 vs Denver
Isaiah Crowell did not have a great day running the ball in Week 5, gaining 49 yards on 13 attempts, but he gave fantasy owners positive results by catching a 22-yard touchdown pass. He continues to split time with Duke Johnson, with both benefiting from Cleveland’s unexpectedly good offense.
It will be strength vs. strength Sunday afternoon, with Denver’s awesome defense trying to corral Cleveland’s potent attack. Crowell will be trying to find success against a group giving up just 85.2 rushing yards per contest. The Broncos have held two of their opponents to zero rushing touchdowns. Stuck in a time share (and not the most reliable player in the world to begin with), you would be taking a big gamble if you gave Crowell a starting assignment. It might pay off to some degree, but he lacks upside with a daunting unit on the other side of the ball.
Week 5 at Baltimore
The good news is Isaiah Crowell finished with 125 total yards in Cleveland’s narrow Week 4 loss to San Diego. The bad news is backfield mate Duke Johnson shined, with nine receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. Johnson finished with more touches than Crowell and also got some goal line work in the fourth quarter, work that normally would go to Crowell. However, before you count Crowell out entirely, the Browns actually seem to be sticking to a committee approach rather than throwing guys into the lineup at will like they did in 2014. This will ensure Isaiah will see decent playing time, even if Johnson sees more.
Traditionally, Baltimore has had a strong run defense. However, in 2015, the Ravens are a mid-range outfit, allowing 104.8 yards per game on the ground. Still, the only running back who has had a big game against Baltimore so far this year is Le’Veon Bell, and the Ravens are far from the only team Bell has gotten the better of since last year. Crowell is one of those players owners should always exercise some degree of caution with, especially in neutral or bad matchups. He is a passable flex/RB3 this weekend.
