When at the bottom, where else is there to go but up? Well, I guess for the quitters, you can just wallow for a bit, which basically in one sentence just summed up the Cleveland Browns football team. One look at the team and it’s obvious why they want Johnny Manziel at the helm. Because he looks sorta good, but not McCown bad. So it’s like dollar store loving in the 216. Since we already established that the quarterback situation is an awful boxed lunch of fantasy uselessness, lets move onto a position that may be helpful for you. One look at the Browns running back game and it’s pretty awful, but awful is where I come in point a finger and say: Hey, wait a minute! It may look ugly now, but take a deeper look at the plight of the Browns foot patrol. It’s supposedly led by Isiah Crowell. Totally exciting right? Well feast your eyes this week on someone different, Duke Johnson. The rookie RB will be a fantasy sneak-a-saurus this week, and I am here to be your crossing guard in the game of life, where life is all about fantasy.
[graphiq id=”aGCCfJrbPbT” title=”Duke Johnson Overview” width=”640″ height=”545″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/aGCCfJrbPbT” link=”http://football-players.pointafter.com/l/27315/Duke-Johnson” link_text=”Duke Johnson Overview | PointAfter”]
So the Dawg-pound is a fantasy cesspool of waste, this we all know… But I noticed something that sorta worked in last week’s loss to the Raiders. When they are trailing in games (which is going to happen again this week), they are actually a fantasy asset to the aiding of running back garbage stats. Johnson is the passing-down back and seems to be easing his way into the early down work because of his abilities on passing downs. Reminds me of a stunted Matt Jones. Last week, he managed 6 catches for 43 yards that, for a game, is decent. Throw away the ground work, because that is a work in progress. He is the future of the Browns running back situation, whether you are Isaiah’s mom, aunt, or cousin and wanna convince yourself otherwise. He is! It is just a matter of submission by the coaching staff to actually give him a chance. Insert some John Fogerty. The Browns are going to be trailing in this game and are going to be most of the year, so when will now be then? Soon…
So with the visit to San Diego, the Browns run game has a few things in their favor that make Duke a nice flex gamble or injury/bye week fill this week. The Chargers are giving up the most fantasy points to opposing running backs. [Jay’s Note: YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH.] They are doing so to the tune of 128 yards per game on the ground and another 45 through the air. It gets better, since I and all chicks dig players that score; they have given up 5 total TD’s to opposition running backs. Don’t get me wrong, he is no better than a RB3 in a PPR, but for those of you looking to strike gold or zig when others are zagging, he may be your cup of peyote tea. So with the Chargers looking to be up by at least two scores late in this game [Jay’s Note: I will allow this.] and the Browns playing catch up, I think this becomes the Duke coming out party. Smokey Predicts: 10 rushes, 41 yards, 6 receptions, 38 yards, and 1 touch down.
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