Browns’ Running Back Fantasy Football Breakdown | Start Jerome Ford or Kareem Hunt Going Forward?
The Cleveland Browns pulled off one of the bigger wins of week 6 when they stunned the San Francisco 49ers.
Backup quarterback P..J. Walker didn’t play all that well while starting for Deshaun Watson, but solid showings from running backs Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt helped the Browns pull off the upset.
The output from both running backs got me thinking about the future and which guy you should be starting. Is one the better long-term player? Can you start both? Let’s dive into it all.
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Week 6 Showings
Ford and Hunt dominated the snaps and touches in the Cleveland backfield. Ford led the way with 38 snaps played and 19 touches, while Hunt had 15 touches across 28 snaps. The team's other running back, Pierre Strong, played just one snap, and didn’t receive a touch.
Ford had the best day as a ball carrier, going for 84 yards on 17 attempts. He caught both of his targets for an additional 7 yards.
Hunt was also solid on the ground, tallying 47 yards on 12 attempts. He was the better pass catcher, hauling in three catches for 24 yards. Hunt had the only touchdown of the running backs, scoring on the ground.
Stats for the Season
Ford had a lot of hype surrounding him after starter Nick Chubb was lost for the season with a gruesome injury. Ford had been mostly unimpressive since he took over, but he’s been consistently utilized.
Ford has 12 or more touches in all five games he’s played in. His 19 touches in week 6 tied a season high, and his 91 total yards were the second most he’s produced. Ford has scored three total touchdowns.
Hunt was brought back after Chubb was injured, and hadn’t been utilized all that much until week 6.
Hunt carried the ball just five times in his first two games with the Browns, adding two catches. His 15 touches in week 6 were three more than in his first two games combined.
In terms of snaps played, Ford had played in 40+ snaps in the team’s past three contests before falling just short of the mark in week 6. Hunt only played 14 snaps in his first game and 15 in his second, so his 28 snaps this past week was a considerable jump up.
The workload might look a little bit different if Watson isn’t playing quarterback, but will the Browns keep the snaps and touches of the two backs close to the numbers that were achieved in week 6? Seeing as to this was the most effective game for each back, my guess is yes.
Who Should You Start Moving Forward?
If Cleveland does keep splitting up the running back workload like it did in week 6, the question then becomes: can both guys produce enough to warrant spots in fantasy starting lineups?
Against an above-average 49ers’ defense against the run, the answer was yes, so starting this week, I think both guys should get worthy consideration for your starting lineups. I’d base things off the opposing defense, only leaning toward sitting both guys when going up against an elite rush defense.
Ford still might be available in a couple leagues out there, so scoop him up if you can. Hunt is owned in less than 50% of leagues according to our charts, and I actually think he could be the better long-term option given his ability as a pass catcher, so I’d definitely add him if I could.
Let’s take a look at the opposing defenses over the next month, as a lot can change between now and then. Cleveland will take on the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens.
None of those defenses are elite, with the Seahawks and Ravens being the best ones, and being average ones. With that in mind, I’m comfortable putting Ford and Hunt into my starting lineup for all four of those games. Their production will be capped by splitting the workload, so if you have backs that will get more touches going up against weak run defenses, then you absolutely should start them over a Cleveland back. This is just saying that both Ford and Hunt should be part of the conversation now.
