The Cleveland Browns are dealing with an injury to running back Ben Tate and that makes Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell the top fantasy football pickup options as handcuffs for Tate, as they will be getting the carries and starts moving forward until Tate can return and reports have him being out for multiple weeks, meaning FF owners need to snag these players quickly.
The Browns won their first home opener in years and just their second since being resurrected as a franchise and now both Crowell and West should continue to get carries as the season goes on. According to Pro Football Talk, Ben Tate is dealing with an injury and he could be out of the lineup for at least a month, giving the two rookies an extended chance to shine. West had 100 yards in his first pro game and Crowell scored two touchdowns and now both players have shown that they can handle stepping in for Tate.
The Browns signed Tate to be their starter after trading away Trent Richardson last season and he had a short-lived debut, going for 41 yards on six carries before leaving the opening game. Tate could return after the bye in Week 4 for the Browns, but that means a couple more weeks of Crowell and West for fantasy football owners. West and Crowell have played well enough for FF owners to start them and they clearly have the confidence for the time being of the coaching staff.
The Browns are 1-1 on the season and that is more than many other teams can say right now and while they won at the last minute against the Saints, a win is a win in the NFL. West and Crowell will now have the focus over the next couple weeks and for fantasy owners, West should be the number one option and Crowell the pick in deeper leagues. West has skills out of the backfield and he was wildly productive in college, going for 2500 yards and 41 touchdowns at Towson.
West had 68 yards on 19 carries in the win over the Saints and he also had 22 yards on two catches and now he is at nearly 170 yards for the season through two games. West is averaging nearly five yards per carry and Crowell comes in averaging 5.4 yards per carry in two games. Crowell could be the better option in leagues where TDs are valuable, as he has two already and could get more in goal line situations.
West had 21 touches in the game compared to 12 by Crowell and West is a better option in leagues with 10 teams, while Crowell is a good stash pick in 12 team leagues. Tate has dealt with injuries throughout his career, so even if he comes back healthy, West and Crowell should retain some value. The Browns have a tough early schedule, but they have a convenient by week coming up and now they see that they could have a three headed monster at RB. Tate knows what it's like to step in for a starter after doing it for Arian Foster and now he is the one on the sidelines for the time being.
