Crowell carried the ball 13 times for 49 yards in Sunday's win over Baltimore. He added 38 yards and a touchdown on two receptions.

The second-year thumper has yet to rush for more than 72 yards thus far this season, but has been increasingly dynamic, averaging 4.6 yards per carry since a tough Week 1 test against the Jets. His 100 receiving yards in the past two weeks eclipse his total for 2014. Though still the featured back in Cleveland, the one down side for Crowell is the emergence of rookie Duke Johnson who has seen a bump up in carries in each of the last two weeks.

Crowell had 12 carries for 63 yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 62 yards in Sunday's 30-27 loss at San Diego.

Crowell made a couple of big plays, including a 32-yard run and career-best 53-yard reception. Meanwhile, rookie Duke Johnson also had a strong game, posting 116 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches (eight rushes, nine receptions), with a score. It appears as though both players will continue to be involved, but the good news is that Cleveland's offense looks more than functional with Josh McCown at QB. Crowell and the Browns will face the Ravens in Week 5.

Crowell rushed for just 36 yards on 10 carries and was not targeted in the passing game Sunday against the Raiders.

Crowell was never able to get in rhythm, as the Browns trailed throughout and were forced to abandon the run. The team would like to control the clock and run the ball, but it appears Crowell won't hold much value in games where they fall behind early. Duke Johnson is a better receiving back, so he sees more action than Crowell in passing situations.

Although he was impressed by Crowell's Week 2 performance, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he's still leaning toward a committee approach in the backfield, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Crowell outplayed Duke Johnson in Sunday's win over the Titans, but the rookie only received three fewer carries than his veteran counterpart. Crowell should get most of the goal-line work and is the best bet to lead the team in carries each week, but Johnson figures to handle most of the passing-down work, which was nearly non-existent in Week 2. That won't always be the case, as Cleveland's vision of a run-heavy offense is reliant on the overly optimistic expectation that the team will frequently have leads to protect. Crowell still figures to have quite a few clunkers, particularly when the Browns play from behind. Of course, a Week 3 matchup with the Raiders could play right into Crowell's hands.

Crowell rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in Sunday's win over the Titans.

Crowell saw 15 carries to Duke Johnson's 12, and was clearly the more effective of the two backs with a healthy 4.8 yards per carry average. Neither one of the two was targeted in the passing game, but it was encouraging to see Crowell receive a red-zone carry from the 11 and parlay it into a touchdown. Cleveland's game plan in this one was clearly to control the clock with their running game, meaning Crowell should continue to see a healthy workload moving forward.

Crowell rushed 12 times for 20 yards and caught two passes on two targets for 13 receiving yards Sunday against the Jets.

Rookie Duke Johnson finished with a better yards per carry average than Crowell (3.1 to 1.7), but the former had only seven carries and didn't factor into the passing game at all. The Jets boast one of the better run-stopping defenses in the league, so the expectations weren't high for Crowell to begin with, but Johnson is likely eat into Crowell's touches as the season moves on, leaving fantasy owners to likely avoid the timeshare in Cleveland.

Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo indicates that he believes that Crowell can handle an expanded workload this season. "Crow is a big guy," DeFilippo noted of the second-year back. "He is in great shape. Nothing has shown to me that Crow can't be that work horse for us."

That said, per Scott Petrak of the Medina County Gazette DeFilippo also has big plans for RB Duke Johnson, though we suspect that out of the gate the rookie may be eased into the team's backfield mix, in particular in passing situations. Thus, in Week 1, expect Crowell to see a solid amount of work, though he'll have his work cut out for him while running against a tough Jets' front seven.

Crowell remains the favorite to take over the starting running back job Week 1 of the regular season, ESPN Cleveland reports.

Crowell had Terrance West pressing him for reps during camp, but the team decided to ship the second-year player to Tennessee on Sunday. That leaves only Crowell and rookie Duke Johnson to compete for touches, with the later dealing with an barrage of injuries (concussion, hamstring) throughout the preseason. This clearly leaves Crowell in the driver's seat, and the fact he's running behind one of the league's top offensive lines only helps his fantasy value. Johnson will eventually press Crowell for snaps when healthy, but the only other back currently on the roster is Glenn Winston, who doesn't pose a significant threat to Crowell's top-dog status.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine said Crowell has the edge over Terrance West to start in Week 1 against the Jets, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Crowell and West both figure to have roles, but it's no surprise that the former is expected to start. The Browns have seemingly preferred Crowell to West since midway through last season, though it still seems Crowell will be on a short leash. With Duke Johnson (concussion) also likely to soak up some touches once he's healthy, the Browns' backfield may be just as messy as it was last year.

Crowell gained 27 yards on eight carries and 12 yards on two receptions (two targets) in Saturday's preseason game against the Buccaneers.

Duke Johnson got the start but suffered a concussion, and Terrance West finished with 26 yards on seven carries, adding five yards on one reception (one target). All three running backs got touches on the opening drive, further contributing to the notion that this is one of the NFL's messiest backfield situations. There's perhaps some upside to be had because of the Browns' strong offensive line, but the team's passing game won't merit much respect, and it's still unclear how the snaps and touches will be divided. If Johnson isn't ready for Week 1, Crowell will likely get most of the passing-down snaps, but West could still eat into the early-down workload. Although none of the bunch was impressive this preseason, it's only fair to mention that Johnson, the most talented of the three, barely made it onto the field because of injuries.

Crowell carried five times for 14 rushing yards in Thursday's preseason game against the Bills.

Crowell busted a 13-yard run that included an mighty stiff arm, but besides that, found little daylight against the vaunted Bills front-seven. Additionally, his five carries trailed the 11 of teammate Terrence West, who began the game at running back. While the Browns will more than likely utilize the hot hand once the regular season rolls around, West had the better showing Thursday.

Crowell remains listed as the starting running back on the Browns' second "unofficial" preseason depth chart, ESPN Cleveland reports.

Crowell saw limited action in Thursday's preseason owner, as the rushing attack struggled as a unit, accumulating just 45 total yards. With nobody else making a major impression in the backfield, however, the second-year player will remain atop the depth chart until further notice. Coach Mike Pettine will continue to wait for one of his backs to jump out and earn the job, but until then, it will be Crowell's by default.

Crowell gained six yards on four carries in Thursday's preseason opener against the Redskins.

Crowell started and got the first two carries, but Terrance West also got a tote on Josh McCown's only drive. West ultimately finished with just 10 yards on four carries, and Duke Johnson (hamstring) wasn't able to play. The Browns' running back competition remains wide open, but Crowell is the favorite to get most of the early-down work and Johnson profiles as the best pass-catching back. West is seemingly the one who needs to make up ground.

Crowell got the first rep with the first-team offense at training camp Friday, but there was plenty of rotating among the running backs, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports.

Crowell also got the first rep at OTAs, but he'll still have to hold off Duke Johnson and Terrance West. Crowell seems to be ahead of West for an early-down role, while Johnson, a third-round rookie, is likely to make more of an impact on passing downs. Although the situation is still worth keeping a close eye on, it's not hard to imagine a Crowell-Johnson combo, with Crowell getting most of the carries and Johnson most of the catches. West seems most likely to be the odd man out, but he still has all of training camp and the preseason to prove that he deserves a role.

Crowell took the first snap at Browns OTAs on Tuesday, ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi reports.

And so the battle begins. Crowell, Terrance West and third-round rookie Duke Johnson are all candidates to lead the Cleveland backfield, and it won't be at all surprising if there's a committee to start the season. This is one of the top position battles to track throughout the summer, but there's no need to put much stock in Crowell getting the first snap at OTAs. Johnson doesn't have the benefit of experience, but he's both the most talented of the trio and the best receiver.

Crowell anticipates rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2015, the Browns' official site reports.

Crowell fell 393 yards short of that mark in 2014, but the undrafted free agent still produced eight touchdowns for fantasy owners. He admittedly slowed down as the season wrapped up, collecting just 78 yards on the ground over his last three games. Now, Crowell and fellow back Terrance West have set lofty goals, as the two made a pact to each rush for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. West's presence may be the biggest threat to Crowell's fantasy value, as coach Mike Pettine tended to go with the hot hand on the ground, often leaving the backup to produce a dud fantasy week. Regardless, these circumstances could change drastically if the Browns elect to use one of their two first-round picks Thursday on a highly coveted back. Even if that doesn't come to pass, look for Cleveland to perhaps bring in some competition at the position with one of their later picks.

Crowell carried the ball just four times for six yards in Sunday's loss to the Ravens, adding one catch for 16 receiving yards.

Crowell went from an undrafted free agent to the top of the Cleveland depth chart this season, though he was displaced by fellow rookie Terrance West in the starting lineup for the Week 17 matchup. He finished the season just behind West in total rushing yards, racking up 607 on 148 attempts. Crowell dominated his counterpart in the touchdown department, however, as his eight scores doubled the output of West. The two backs will both likely be back in Cleveland next season, but the inconsistent timeshare situation currently in place does little to help the fantasy value of either player.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Crowell will serve behind Terrance West on Sunday against the Raves, as West will draw the starting nod.

Crowell saw the bulk of the carries in Week 16 against the Panthers, as West failed to work his way into the offensive game plan after a poor week of practice. As is typical in the Cleveland backfield, the carry distribution appears to once again be poised to chance on a whim. This doesn't mean Crowell won't play a role, however, as there's a good chance Mike Pettine will simply roll with the hot hand as the game gets going. Both backs will face a tough Baltimore front seven that has allowed just seven touchdowns on the ground this season, and ranks in the top-5 of the league in terms of least rushing yards allowed per game.

Crowell carried the ball 16 times for 55 yards in Sunday's loss to the Panthers.

Crowell may not have lit up the box score, but clearly served as the primary running back, as presumed backup Terrance West failed to record a single carry. Crowell has now been held out of the endzone in back-to-back weeks, and is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry over the past four contests. The Browns have simply been unable to find consistency on their offensive line since the season-ending injury to Alex Mack, and this has adversely affected the entire rushing attack.

Crowell (hip) carried the ball seven times for 17 yards and added two catches on three targets for 10 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bengals.

Crowell carried the ball two more times than presumed backup Terrance West, but it was West who posted the higher rushing total with 23 yards. Many fantasy owners had hoped that having rookie Johnny Manziel at the helm would open up better rushing lanes for the likes of Crowell, but this wasn't the case, as the Browns sputtered on offense for the entire afternoon. He and West will head to Carolina next week to face a run defense that has allowed 13 touchdowns on the ground this season.