Fantasy Football Impact of Nick Chubb Being on PUP List | Is Jerome Ford a Player to Target? Are Deshaun Watson, Amari Cooper and David Njoku Must Starts Early On?

Some more NFL injury news regarding Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb was revealed on Monday, and it’s worth discussing from a fantasy football perspective.

After taking a look at the injury news and some numbers, we’ll discuss what it means for Chubb and some other Browns from a fantasy perspective.

Let’s dive in!

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Injury News

Chubb has been working his way back from a terrible knee injury he suffered in 2023. The team is expected to leave him on the PUP list, so he’ll miss at least the first month of action.

It’s not super surprising news, but it is noteworthy given Chubb’s fantasy value.

In the two games he played in last season, Chubb had 170 rushing yards on 28 attempts. He added 21 receiving yards on four catches and targets.

Chubb had over 1,000 total yards in the first five seasons of his career, with 52 total scores in that span. He topped 1,700 yards twice in his career, including in 2022, so the injury to him last season was depressing.

With Chubb out, Jerome Ford should function as the team’s No. 1 back. Pierre Strong Jr. and D'Onta Foreman are depth options at this point.

Ford started 12 games last season because of the Chubb injury early on. Across 17 total games, Ford rushed for 813 yards and four touchdowns on 204 carries. None of those numbers really stand out, but he did add 319 receiving yards and five scores on 44 catches and 63 targets.

Strong started once among his 17 games played in 2023. He rushed for 291 yards and a touchdown on 63 attempts. Strong added 47 receiving yards on five catches and eight targets.

Foreman was with the Bears in 2023, and will be on his fourth team in as many seasons if he suits up for Cleveland. In nine games and eight starts last season, he had 425 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 109 attempts. He had 77 receiving yards and a score on 11 receptions and 16 targets.

Chubb’s Fantasy Outlook

I’ve written about Chubb already, as have a few other FantasySP experts. We all seemed to like the idea of drafting Chubb, but only if you have an IR spot.

Even with Chubb likely out four games now, my opinion on him really doesn’t change. I’d still target him around his ADP and take him if you are set at RB with your earlier picks. 

You should expect Chubb’s ADP to drop as the season closes in, which should help lessen any concerns you might have of drafting him. We don’t know if Chubb can return to his pre-injury self - it seems unlikely, but even if he regresses, he could be an above-average player and fantasy back.

Chubb also suffered a big-time injury during college and still became the player he is, so there’s hope that he can still be a good asset.

Chubb still doesn’t have a timeline to return, but the team only sidelining him for four games is a bit encouraging. Unless we’re told he is out for the season, I still believe Chubb will be back.

He might not take on a full workload immediately, but there’s no reason he couldn’t be a starting fantasy option every week. For his ADP, that’s not bad, and is why I like the idea of still drafting him.

Other Cleveland Fantasy Outlooks

I see Ford as the No. 1 back until Chubb returns, and I expect his ADP to rise now that Chubb is officially out at least a few weeks.

You have a starting RB option for the first four weeks, and with the uncertainty surrounding Chubb’s return, you might get to play Ford a lot longer than a month. He proved last year he could be a decent fantasy option, and for his current ADP, he offers great draft value.

Ford might not get every touch in the first four weeks, but I expect him to clearly be RB1. He might retain that role all season, even if Chubb is back and functioning as the starter. Ford’s pass-catching ability adds some value to his fantasy outlook as well, so he’s a bit better asset in PPR leagues.

Even with Chubb out a few weeks, I wouldn’t waste my time drafting Strong or Foreman. They likely aren’t going to play much in the first four games, and they certainly won’t if Chubb returns after that. Treat both guys are waiver wire options who can be added if Ford gets injured early in the season.

I do think the Chubb injury will put a little more emphasis on the passing game for the first four weeks, at least.

Deshaun Watson, who can also add some rushing stats, will benefit from that. He hasn’t played great since coming to Cleveland, but he’s a pretty solid streaming option to begin the season. He’s not being drafted in a lot of standard leagues, but might be a better fantasy option than several of the guys who are drafted - keep that in mind early in the season.

A bigger emphasis on the passing game means good things for Amari Cooper and David Njoku as well. Expect Watson to lean on those two with a key member of the offense out.

It also might mean Jerry Jeudy is a starting option as well, although I’d like to see a week of production before considering him. Elijah Moore is another option, but probably only in deeper leagues.

FantasySP will monitor the situation as the season kicks off, so be sure to check back for those stories!