The Cleveland Browns are starting Josh McCown in Week 3 over Johnny Manziel at quarterback after McCown was cleared of a concussion before the game against the Raiders. The team has Travis Benjamin as a fantasy sleeper after his big game last week, while Jerry Rice Jr. has received a workout as a free agent last week.
The Browns are coming into the game after getting their first win of the season against the Titans and Manziel played fairly well in that game. There was some speculation that Manziel could remain the starter even if McCown was cleared, but that has not played out for the Browns. According to Pro Football Talk, Mike Pettine announced that McCown will start for the Browns on Sunday when the Raiders visit Cleveland, as he was cleared out of the concussion protocol.
Manziel spoke with Cleveland.com and he said that he is a "team player" and doesn't have any issues with being put back on the bench as the backup. Manziel said he "bridged the gap" and did "some good things" in the win against the Titans and that he will be ready again if he needs to play. Manziel is still a work in progress, but he had some nice flashes last week and a number of his teammates have spoke about his improved maturity, including Travis Benjamin.
Manziel has 354 passing yards in two games with three touchdowns and one interception, but he also has fumbled four times. McCown was injured on the first drive of the season against the Jets and now he will be back in the mix against the Raiders on Sunday. McCown has 49 yards with zero interceptions or touchdowns after his short run against the Jets. Last season Manziel played in five games and had 175 passing yards and two interceptions.
Benjamin made a major impact last week and he ended up winning special teams player of the week for the AFC after returning a punt 78-yards for a touchdown. Overall Benjamin had 154 yards on punt returns and he also added three catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans. Benjamin is worth picking up for fantasy owners, as he has some added value returning kicks. Benjamin has six catches for 204 yards this season and three TDs catching the ball.
The Browns reportedly have worked out Jerry Rice Jr., according to sources that spoke with Pro Football Talk. The Browns have been looking to add some depth with Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe and the team could consider bringing in Rice, who previously was with the Redskins and the Ravens, but has not been able to get into an NFL game. Players like Hakeem Nicks and Preston Parker are also available. The Browns also have some solid fantasy options with Benjamin and Isaiah Crowell this week.
