Johnny Manziel, Isaiah Crowell, Brian Hartline Post-Week 14 Fantasy Advice

The Cleveland Browns offense looked as balanced and complete as it had all season during Sunday's 24-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Week 14 saw Cleveland deploy Johnny Manziel under center, and the 2014 first-round pick benefited from an unusually productive rushing attack spearheaded by Isaiah Crowell. This opened up the passing game for Manziel, who allowed Brian Hartline to turn in his first 100-yard performance as a Brown.

Read on for individual fantasy advice about each player, along with his final stat line from Sunday's contest.

Johnny Manziel

Pass/Att./Yds	Rush/Yds	TD/INT	Fantasy Points
21/31/270	7/15	1/1	13

Other than an ill-advised throw across his body toward the end of the first half, Manziel displayed all the characteristics the Browns, their fans and prospective fantasy owners could have hoped for.

He showed good ball placement, accuracy on downfield throws and even made some plays with his trademark improvisation ability. The 49ers were a favorable matchup, but Manziel did well to bounce back from being benched and appeared as though he didn't miss a beat from his last start at Pittsburgh.

If Cleveland can continue running the ball—it was last in rushing offense entering Week 14, so a big "if"—Manziel's fantasy upside will increase. For now, expectations should be tempered, and he can only be endorsed as a QB2—especially with road games in Seattle and Kansas City next up.

Isaiah Crowell

Rush	Yards	TD	Rec./Targets	Yards	TD	Fantasy Points
20	145	2	1/1	9	0	26

Crowell has been stuffed so often throughout the 2015 campaign at the line of scrimmage, but this week was a different story. The Browns fed him the ball, stuck with the run and were rewarded with Crowell breaking off two runs of over 50 yards.

Part of the reason Cleveland's offensive weapons are hard to recommend for fantasy is because they struggle to find pay dirt. Although Crowell did twice versus San Francisco, the Browns entered dead-last in TD percentage in the red zone, per TeamRankings.com.

Week 15's showdown with the Seahawks' stout defense is going to make life difficult for Crowell. There's a strong chance Cleveland will play from behind, so Duke Johnson is probably the better short-term backfield bet given the Browns' tough schedule down the stretch.

Brian Hartline

Rec/Targets	Yds	TD	Fantasy Points
8/10	107	0	10

The proficiency with which Hartline produced Sunday is encouraging, as he built off an eight-catch, 87-yard outing in Week 13. Chemistry with Manziel didn't appear to be a problem at all.

Among the three Browns in question, Hartline's fantasy forecast would have appeared to be the most favorable moving forward. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken collarbone and won't be able to play the rest of the season, per the Associated Press' Tom Withers.

Defenses are starting to account for Travis Benjamin as a deep threat, so he'll require safety help in almost all situations. With tight end Gary Barnidge drawing attention on underneath and seam routes as well, the opportunities for other Browns receivers will be there.

Based on the sheer volume of passes Cleveland figures to throw in the final three games and the progress Manziel has made reading the field, look for Marlon Moore to step up as the next option. 

Moore is definitely a deep sleeper flex play but could pay huge dividends with Hartline out of action. Also worth monitoring is what the Browns decide to do with Terrelle Pryor, a converted QB whose size and athleticism alone could allow him to see some game action toward the end of the year.