The Trent Richardson trade took almost everyone by surprise. But in the minds of fantasy owners, the next question should have been who his replacement in Cleveland would be. Reports indicated it would be free agent Willis McGahee, and on Thursday the Browns made it official. McGahee expects to suit up for the Browns on Sunday when they face the Vikings in Minnesota.
The 31-year-old McGahee was actually fairly effective in Denver despite his age and the tread on his tires, rushing for 1,199 yards in 15 games in 2011 with a 4.8 yards-per-carry average. He followed that up with 731 yards in 10 games last season, but he broke his leg and was released after the Broncos drafted Montee Ball.
Despite those numbers, don’t bank on that level of success continuing in Cleveland. McGahee is another year older, already living on borrowed time in running back years, and will be going to a vastly inferior offense. His body probably won’t be capable of taking the workload Richardson had, even if his rate stats are equal or better.
However, McGahee is a versatile runner who is capable of contributing in all facets of the game. There are worse gambles for flex spots and bye-week running backs. He should be owned in almost all fantasy leagues -- not just 46 percent of them like he is in Yahoo! leagues.
More Fantasy Football: Podcast | Quick Hits | Join Fantasy Source
The other Browns backs, Bobby Rainey and Chris Ogbonnaya, should not be completely off fantasy radars either. Even if McGahee has something left in the tank, his age and position means he may not last the full season. At some point one of those two other backs should get a shot. Keep an eye out for which guy spells McGahee in the next few weeks and how effective that guy is. He would be worth a roster stash.
FLEENER SET FOR MORE PLAYING TIME
The Richardson trade was the biggest piece of fantasy news of the week, but it wasn’t the only one. Last Sunday Coby Fleener racked up four catches for 69 yards and a score -- the best fantasy week of his career. It was a solid day from the second-year tight end, but it was supposed to a short-lived success because Dwayne Allen(hip) was not supposed to miss much time. However, Allen was placed on season-ending injured reserve this week, meaning that Fleener is going to be the only game in town at the position.
Fleener is not widely owned (26 percent) in Yahoo! leagues, and he's certainly worth a grab if he’s sitting there on your waiver wire. At the very least, you’ll score yourself a bye-week backup who just might blossom into a spot starter.