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Fantasy Football Week 5 Sleeper: RB Isaiah Crowell

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By @teapester725

Isaiah Crowell Browns

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The Cleveland Browns‘ offseason was dominated by Johnny Manziel talk after they selected him in the first round of May’s draft. But on the field, the Browns have arguably one of the most talented running-back trios in the NFL. Ben Tate, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell all deserve playing time after showcasing their talents. It will make things difficult for fantasy football owners, but there could be a place for each player. Crowell falls under the sleeper category this week.

In Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Mike Pettine was forced to go to Crowell after Tate was injured in the first half. Admittedly, Crowell was not in the game plan, but he made the most of his opportunity, scoring two touchdowns in his NFL debut.

Since Week 1, Crowell has had a role as the change-of-pace back, and he has continued running over defenses to the tune of 5.0 yards per carry on 22 touches. He added another touchdown in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, showcasing a bruising, punishing style and being the preferred goal-line option.

While Crowell’s touches will drop with Tate back in the lineup as the starter, Crowell looks to have carved out a role with the team. There were whispers that Crowell had surpassed West as the backup to Tate, which would give him an even bigger boon for fantasy owners, but there is no concrete evidence of that yet.

Another thing working in favor of Crowell, and all of the Browns’ running backs in general, is the upcoming schedule. Coming off a bye, they will be playing against the Tennessee Titans, who rank 24th in the NFL in rush defense and have surrendered five touchdowns. After that they play the Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who all rank 17th or worst in the league in run defense and have given up at least three touchdowns on the ground.

Right now, all fantasy owners can count on really is Crowell staying in as the goal-line back. He and West are going to be fighting for carries behind Tate, and it looks like Crowell is in line for the bigger scoring opportunities after securing short-yardage duties. Tate’s health record speaks for itself, and owning Crowell is a good idea.

He is a sleeper this week as the Browns will surely carve out a role for him after the performance he put together with Tate sidelined. He is a risky play, but with bye weeks now happening, he can find his way into your starting lineup with favorable matchups.

Kenneth Teape is a New York Giants writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @teapester725 or join his Google network

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