Cleveland Browns running back Ben Tate suffered a knee injury in Week 1 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers and did not return. With Tate out of the picture, Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell were the only two players to receive more than one carry.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 2: Isaiah Crowell becomes a hot pickup
Ben Tate went down with a knee injury and opened up some snaps for Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. We break down the fantasy implications.
Justin K. Aller
West is probably already owned in your league and he turned in a big line of 16 carries for 100 yards. Meanwhile, Crowell scored on his first NFL carry, finishing with five carries, 32 yards and a second touchdown during a loss to the Steelers. While West’s stats do jump out, let’s not forget he looked horrible in the preseason and Tate ran circles around him for first-team reps. Crowell was actually very good in August and he showed he can be an effective one-cut-and-go runner for the Browns.
The Browns have an interesting schedule and it kicks off in Week 2 vs. the New Orleans Saints. The Atlanta Falcons racked up a franchise-record 568 yards against the Saints in Week 1, which bodes very well for Cleveland. Plus, they don't have many receiving options and will need to get their ground game going to open things up for their passing attack. It's also worth mentioning they have an above-average offensive line.
There is no update on Tate just yet, which means he’s probably looking at missing some time. Fantasy owners should consider Crowell as the top target in 12-team leagues.
