Week 2 vs. Baltimore
Well, Robert Griffin III's era as the Browns quarterback didn't last very long. RGIII has been placed on injured reserve, which means veteran Josh McCown will take over as the team's starting quarterback.
Some are arguing McCown is actually a better option than RGIII. He looked decent last season, throwing for 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions in eight starts. He now has better receiving options this season, so will he be fantasy relevant?
For now, it's better to stay cautious. There have to be better options on the waiver wire than a 37-year-old career backup. He has a decent matchup this week, but we'll be looking elsewhere for our QB play.
Week 12 vs Baltimore
Earlier in the week, Josh McCown was slated to be a reserve against the Ravens. But then Johnny Manziel hit the Texas and Ohio party circuit and was demoted, putting McCown back in the lineup.
And the return of McCown may be a very good thing for fantasy owners. Earlier in the season, he victimized Baltimore for 457 yards and two touchdowns in a 33-30 upset victory. That was when Baltimore had something to play for, as the Ravens are now out of the race and without quarterback Joe Flacco. This is a rare occasion where Cleveland has a legitimate chance to beat the Ravens, who possess one of the NFL’s weaker pass defenses. At a minimum, McCown is a legitimate starter in 2-QB leagues and worth streaming consideration in others.
Week 8 vs. Arizona
After an out-of-body experience earlier in the season where he played sensational football, Josh McCown has gone back to looking like Josh McCown. Playing against a ferocious St. Louis defense in Week 7, McCown threw for zero touchdowns and lost two fumbles as the Browns were destroyed 24-6.
The number 12 is very good to the Arizona defense, as they have 12 sacks and 12 interceptions through a 5-2 start that has the Cardinals atop the NFC West. They are also giving up less than 225 passing yards per contest. McCown has regressed to the point where he represents a risk even in 2-QB leagues, especially in this tough matchup. No one should be considering him in other formats.
After a torrid stretch, the bubble burst for Josh McCown in Week 6. Although McCown threw for two touchdowns in an overtime loss to Denver, he was limited to 213 yards and tossed two interceptions. He also lost a fumble. In other words, he started to look more like what everyone expected him to be, an inconsistent, turnover-prone signal caller.
And Josh is unlikely to recapture the formula for greatness on Sunday. The Rams have 19 sacks and have given up just five touchdown passes in five games. And they intercepted Aaron Rodgers twice at Lambeau Field back in Week 5, an amazing accomplishment. McCown can still be started in 2QB leagues this week, but there are better QB1 streamers out there.
Week 6 vs Denver
At 36 years of age and with a team that seemingly had little in terms of skill position talent, not much was expected of Josh McCown. Instead, McCown and his overachieving colleagues have been lighting it up. In Week 5’s 33-30 overtime victory over Baltimore, Josh threw for 457 yards and two touchdowns. Instead of languishing on the waiver wire, McCown has become a prominent presence in many fantasy lineups.
The stiffest test of McCown’s renaissance will take place on Sunday as Denver’s defense has been dominant. Heading into this week, the Broncos have allowed the fewest touchdown passes in the league with just three, an especially impressive feat since Denver has yet to have their bye week. The Broncos are also holding opponents to 192.8 passing yards per game. While McCown has been dazzling, owners in most leagues should proceed with caution and send him to the sidelines.
Week 5 at Baltimore
Almost nobody envisioned the Josh McCown we saw in Chicago in 2013 would resurface, but over the past two weeks, it has happened. After throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3, McCown carved up the Chargers last Sunday to the tune of 356 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He has kept the Browns competitive and Johnny Manziel on the bench.
Baltimore’s pass defense has been a mixed bag. Although they shut down Peyton Manning and Michael Vick, both Derek Carr and Andy Dalton posted big numbers on the Ravens (who are giving up 242.3 yards per game). By no means should you make McCown your QB1, as his hot streak is bound to end at some point, but he ought to be a passable starter in 2QB leagues.
With Cleveland trailing Oakland last Sunday, the Browns had to abandon their running game, which led to Josh McCown throwing for an unlikely 341 yards and two touchdowns. True to form, McCown threw an interception on Cleveland’s last drive, ending Cleveland’s hopes of heading to overtime in a 27-20 loss. He was also sacked five times.
Statistically, San Diego’s pass defense is strong, as the Chargers are giving up 189.3 yards per game. However, San Diego has surrendered five touchdown passes and they have only registered one sack. Nevertheless, McCown’s track record is poor and it is hard to see him going on the road and carving up a better Chargers team that desperately needs a win. Unless you are extremely desperate in a 2QB league, make sure McCown is nowhere near your lineup.
Like Kate Gosselin and anyone associated with the Kardashians, Josh McCown probably should have faded away quite some time ago, but he is still hanging around thanks to a glorious, short stint with the Chicago Bears in 2013. Impressed by his performance in the Windy City, Tampa Bay signed McCown to be their starter last year. The results were way more in line with McCown’s career numbers, as he threw for 11 touchdowns in 11 games and tossed 14 interceptions. He also lost four fumbles. With Jameis Winston coming to Tampa, the Buccaneers saw no reason to keep McCown around, and he landed with the Browns. Could Tampa Bay’s trash somehow turn into Cleveland’s treasure?
2015 Upside
The Browns saw enough in McCown to let Brian Hoyer, the only quarterback in the history of the “new” Browns with a winning record as a starter, leave without any kind of fight. Josh will provide Cleveland with many of the same intangibles Hoyer did. Cleveland’s offensive line should be fortified by the return of center Alex Mack from a broken fibula and the arrival of rookie Cameron Erving, who the Browns selected in the first round of April’s draft. McCown previously worked with new Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo in Oakland. While Johnny “Football” Manziel, McCown’s primary competition for the starting job, spent the offseason perfecting a goody-goody act and worked hard to put an end to his boozin’ and usin’, Manziel still looks lost on the field and has a long way to go before challenging for the starting job McCown currently holds. Cleveland brought in some reinforcements at receiver.
2015 Downside
When the reinforcements are named Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Vince Mayle, and Rob Housler, it is hard to get excited about McCown’s supporting cast. Slot receiver Andrew Hawkins is decent and young Taylor Gabriel shows promise, but this group will not help carry McCown to fantasy greatness. During his hot streak in Chicago, his output was heavily bolstered by throwing to top wide receivers such as Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, not to mention ace pass catching back Matt Forte and solid tight end Martellus Bennett. Cleveland is going to have one of the NFL’s most conservative offenses. The Browns have a rough schedule, as all three of their AFC North rivals made the playoffs last year. They also have to play squads such as the Jets, Denver, St. Louis, Arizona, Kansas City, and Seattle. When Cleveland inevitably falls out of contention, the Browns may want to get another look at Manziel.
Bottom Line
Even in mandatory two-quarterback leagues, McCown has nothing to offer. However, if you play daily fantasy football, you can almost always pick up whatever defense is starting against the Browns and have a good chance at racking up points. The same principle applies for anyone who uses defense by committee in other formats.
Josh McCown - Week 17 vs. New Orleans
Josh McCown had a decent stretch of games for a while, but lately he's been disastrous. In his last four games he's averaging 185 yards and has thrown five interceptions compared to three touchdowns.
He gets a favorable matchup this week against the Saints, but it may not matter. McCown is unlikely to be your fantasy savior in Week 17. He's a QB2 option at best.
Josh McCown - Week 16 vs. Green Bay
Josh McCown had a nice three game stretch from Week 10 to Week 12, but now he's in a bad three game stretch. Over his last three games McCown is averaging less than 200 yards per game and has thrown four interceptions compared to three touchdowns. McCown did add a rushing score last week, reclaiming his title as the Bucs' leader in that category with three.
McCown has a chance to throw for a lot of yards this week against Green Bay. If the Bucs get down early then they'll end up with a lot of pass attempts. In the two games where McCown has at least 40 pass attempts he's thrown for over 300 yards.
Having said that, McCown is not a strong option at quarterback this week. His recent performances make him hard to trust. He's a QB2.
