Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns have already lost starting running back Ben Tate for a couple of weeks because of a knee injury. In his place will be Terrance West, who was supposedly pushing for playing time in the offseason because of his raw talent coupled with his great combination of size and speed. He will have a chance to show that as the starting running back in Week 2 and should be deployed in your fantasy lineup as well.
West, the rookie from Towson, tore up what is expected to be a strong Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 1, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on 16 carries. This week he will be facing off against a New Orleans Saints defense that was fifth worst in the NFL in 2013, giving up 4.61 yards per carry. With Tate already ruled out, West should be able to produce another strong outing.
If Brian Hoyer can get anything going through the air, it will open things up even more for West on the ground. In Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints were gashed for 4.9 yards per carry in large part because of the aerial assault Matt Ryan was leading. Hoyer does not have the weapons Ryan does, but if he can get anything going, the Saints will have to respect him as their defense once again looks suspect.
As the lead back, West should see at least 20 touches against the Saints. He managed to get 16 against the Steelers, 13 of which came after halftime; even with the Browns trailing the Steelers 27-3 at halftime. The Browns showed some confidence in him to help get them back into the game.
The only player West looks like he may lose some touches to is fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell. West out-touched Crowell 16-5 last week, but Crowell got the important touches in the red zone, scoring both rushing touchdowns for the Browns last week.
While not scoring the touchdowns may make West a less attractive option, he is the player to play without hesitation. He will get the lion’s share of the touches, which at the end of the day is what matters most. With another strong performance, West could make a case to receive even more work once Tate returns from his knee injury. Start West with confidence as he has RB2 upside in Week 2 with a nice matchup against the Saints.
Kenneth Teape is a New York Giants writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @teapester725 or join his Google network
