Josh McCown Fantasy Outlook After Robert Griffin III's Injury

The Cleveland Browns are going to be relying on Josh McCown for the foreseeable future after the team announced Monday it placed Robert Griffin III on injured reserve. 

Griffin suffered a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder, and he'll be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. As a result, McCown will take over as starting quarterback.

Since the franchise's return in 1999, the Browns have been a black hole for quarterbacks, and the trend doesn't look to be changing anytime soon. Signing Griffin was a calculated gamble, and now Cleveland is back to starting McCown under center.

He played surprisingly well last season before various injuries limited his time on the field. A fractured collarbone ended his year in December. Before that, McCown had thrown for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

In standard leagues, the 37-year-old may be worth consideration as a QB2. Any quarterback who's in a position to start carries some level of fantasy value.

Cleveland's passing game is a little stronger than it was a year ago as well. Josh Gordon will return in Week 5, giving the Browns a dynamic aerial target, and Corey Coleman's speed and acceleration make him dangerous any time he touches the ball. Throw in Andrew Hawkins and tight end Gary Barnidge, and the unit has more depth that it has had in years.

The Associated Press' Joe Reedy had to go back decades to find a Browns team with similar aerial weapons:

McCown is far from an ideal option, but he could be a shrewd addition, especially for owners who are desperate to remedy their quarterback situations. It's not as if a lot of proven quarterbacks hit the waiver wire in the middle of the season. If you drafted poorly at the position, getting out of the situation can be difficult.

McCown was on his way to a strong fantasy campaign in 2015. At the least, he's worthy of backup consideration until Griffin returns—if he returns at all. McCown wouldn't carry much risk if he's occupying your bench, and maybe you'll get lucky by capitalizing on a favorable matchup.