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Fantasy Football: Start Josh McCown Against The Broncos

By Zac Wassink

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Fantasy football owners should start Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown when the Browns host the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Why?

Why not?

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: Where does McCown rank among starting QBs right now?

The numbers, along with conventional wisdom, all say to sit McCown in Week 6. Denver is an undefeated 5-0 juggernaut that is, on paper, one of the best teams in all of the AFC. The Browns, meanwhile, are lucky to be at 2-3 considering that Cleveland almost squandered a lead late at the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. Denver’s defense is the top-rated unit as it pertains to fantasy football, and that defense leads the NFL in sacks. McCown, often stationary in the pocket, has been downed by sacks on 13 occasions.

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Why, then, would one be so foolish to start McCown in fantasy football this week? There are several factors that would play into such a decision. It also has to be noted — and it will be reinforced later on in this piece — that McCown is more so of a spot-start this week than he is a QB1 for a fantasy football squad that is going to do anything of note long-term.

As has been mentioned by several outlets throughout the midweek, the defense of the Broncos will likely be without at least one big name versus the Browns. OLB DeMarcus Ware, according to DenverBroncos.com writer Andrew Mason, missed practice again on Friday because of lingering effects from back spasm. Cornerback Aqib Talib, per Mason, returned to the practice field on Friday. He is trying to recover from an ankle injury that he suffered last Sunday.

No offense celebrates the fact that the Denver defense is coming to town. Cleveland was always going to have to face his challenge, but that it is happening now and not a month ago should be a positive for the hosts. McCown probably isn’t going to post 30+ fantasy football points against the Broncos. Don’t expect him to be repeat AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Still, there are worse match-ups out there for QBs.

The biggest knock on McCown during his tenure with the Browns, minus the fact that he earned himself a concussion on the first drive of the season, has been that he has been a streaky QB. What is promising about McCown is that his good halves in games have, as it pertains to fantasy football, erased his poor halves. McCown is averaging two touchdown passes per game since returning from the concussion. He has easily surpassed over 300 total passing yards in each of his past three outings.

Both McCown and Denver starter Peyton Manning have routinely been hung out to dry by their rushing attacks. Cleveland running backs Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson are averaging a shade under 3.5 yards per carry combined. The Broncos, meanwhile, are failing to post 72 rushing yards a game this season (h/t ESPN). Cleveland’s defense has been a sieve against the run for a second straight fall season, but the Browns should be respectable against Denver’s run game if head coach Mike Pettine is serious about keeping his job past January 2016.

It is, thus, likely that the pressure will be on McCown and Manning to carry their offenses. Of the two, it is Manning and not McCown who should concern fantasy football owners. Manning, not McCown, has tossed more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (6) since the start of the campaign. Manning has been kept out of the end zone in two of five regular season games. Manning has looked like a shell of his Hall-of-Fame self for much of the campaign.

Even if Manning was to struggle against the Browns, that does not mean that Cleveland will simply be able to rely on its running backs. Minus a few promising moments, neither Crowell nor Johnson have been able to get it done for the Browns out of the backfield. One of Cleveland’s two rushing touchdowns this season was scored by McCown, and that occurred last week. It was not the intention when this roster was built, but the Cleveland offense clearly lives and dies with the play of its quarterback.

McCown has spread the wealth over the last 12 quarters. Tight end Gary Barnidge has become a revelation for fantasy football owners with McCown under center for the Browns. Both Johnson and Crowell have been on the receiving end of touchdown passes from McCown. Speedster Travis Benjamin has not had a receiving TD over the past eight quarters, but Benjamin notched six catches in each of Cleveland’s past two contests.

One way for a QB such as McCown to survive a menacing pass rush is to dump the ball down to waiting running backs. McCown has been happy to do just that, and Crowell and Johnson have responded. Crowell took a screen pass 22 yards for a touchdown against the Ravens. Your opponents may claim that those are cheap fantasy football points, but they are nevertheless points that count.

Are you, to steal the name of a segment that airs on NFL Network program NFL Fantasy Live, living in the “Danger Zone” if you start McCown over certain options? Sure. Those of you who are in need of a fill-in for a QB who is injured or who is on a Bye should consider taking a flier on McCown. Depending on the amount of teams in your fantasy football league, somebody else may have already grabbed him.

McCown is still a bargain in daily/weekly fantasy football competitions. Starting him would give you better options at other positions.

It has to be mentioned that McCown has been banged up all season. His latest knock, an ankle problem, is not expected to keep McCown sidelined on Sunday. Keep an eye on updated injury reports to be absolute sure before you insert the veteran into your fantasy football lineup. Have some fun and start McCown if he is in the Cleveland lineup on Sunday. Enjoy what very well may be the last spectacular run of his career.

Next: Browns Should Beat Broncos

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