Largely considered the best 1B in the NFL at the position, Cleveland Browns RB Kareem Hunt is one of the more intriguing dynasty fantasy football players heading into 2022. What should dynasty managers expect from Hunt in 2022, and what is his value heading into the season?
Kareem Hunt’s dynasty profile for 2022
While it might seem like a while ago, Hunt was once viewed as the next superstar at the running back position. He burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2017 with 1,782 total yards and 11 touchdowns. He continued this into his sophomore season as the RB6 in PPR formats through the first 11 weeks. Yet, we all know what came next.
Due to an off-field incident, Hunt was suspended for the remainder of 2018 and half of the next season. The Kansas City Chiefs released him, and the Browns gave him another shot, creating the best backfield in the NFL in the process.
When on the field, Hunt has excelled while playing second fiddle to Nick Chubb, one of the best RBs in the NFL. He was the RB23 from Week 9-17 in 2019 after coming back from suspension. In 2020, Hunt finished as the No. 8 overall RB while averaging 13.7 ppg. Part of what facilitated this was Chubb playing in just 12 games, allowing Hunt to see the full workload.
Hunt’s dynasty value took a dip in 2021
This was not due to his play. In fact, Hunt was stellar on the field. Over the first six games, he was the RB9 in PPR scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game. He was an RB2 or better in all but one game, and from Weeks 2-6, averaged 16.8 opportunities, 92.2 total yards, and scored 4 touchdowns. Hunt showed that, when healthy, he is a solid RB2 and a must-start RB1 anytime Chubb is inactive. That will be no different in 2022.
The issue was injuries. Hunt sustained a calf injury and Cleveland placed him on the injured reserve. He did not make his return until Week 12 against Baltimore, where he was slowly worked back into the lineup, playing 23 snaps. Hunt would then suffer an ankle injury in the next game, the last time we saw him on the field in 2021.
Consider Hunt’s contract situation heading into 2022 for dynasty
Scheme is everything. Does a player fit what the offense wants to do? The answer is an unequivocal yes for Hunt. The Browns want to run the ball and have built a team around it, emphasizing the offensive line. And it has worked — both Chubb and Hunt find continued success.
The concern for those who have Hunt on their roster is he is slated to become a free agent after this season and will be 27 by Week 1. These are two major points. For one, what is the long-term plan for Hunt? We all say and believe he could be a lead back on most NFL rosters. But will that happen? And if he does move on from the Browns, will he go to a situation as advantageous as the one he is in currently?
Also, 27 places him on the wrong side of the age range many consider the prime years for a running back. My counter for Hunt would be he has not seen that much of a workload. His 948 touches are small in comparison to others from the same draft class, such as Leonard Fournette (1,182), Christian McCaffrey (1,138), Dalvin Cook (1,200), Joe Mixon (1,275), and Alvin Kamara (1,285).
Depending on your belief in Hunt’s skills and if he could be the lead back without much drop-off, this might be a prime buying opportunity going into 2022. Personally, he would be a player I’d be willing to sell if I could get a solid player in return or an early pick in the upcoming rookie draft. I try to maintain a balance of proven veterans but get as much youth as possible at RB.
Fantasy projection for Hunt
Hunt should have a resurgence in his dynasty value in 2022. Time and time again, we see a player enter a contract season and make it one of their better performances. Now, I am not saying Hunt will match the 1,327 yards of his rookie campaign. But it is within reason to see him in the 1,200-total-yard range.
He will be the second option behind Chubb in the rushing game. However, the Browns are more than capable of taking the air out of the ball. Last season alone, they were No. 6 in run rate at 46%. This stayed consistent whether that was in larger point spreads or neutral game scripts (57%). Even with Hunt and Chubb missing time and teams stacking the box due to Baker Mayfield’s injuries, Cleveland still finished fourth in rushing yards on the season (2,471).
Passing utilization
Where Hunt finds his value is in the receiving game. Even when Chubb is active, Hunt averaged 3.9 targets, 3.11 receptions, and 25.1 yards per game. That’s 5.6 PPR points on their own and a 67-45-425 17-game pace. I would not be surprised if we saw Hunt hit this or eclipse it in 2022. The Browns are in dire straits at receiver. Jarvis Landry might want out of Cleveland. This would leave Donovan Peoples-Jones, Rashard Higgins, and Anthony Schwartz as the top three receiving options.
We could see the Browns with more formations where both Chubb and Hunt are on the field. Chubb could be in the backfield, with Hunt split out in the slot to boost the receiving game. If this were the case, Hunt could have multiple games of 5+ targets. Odds are that we see Hunt closer to a mid-to-high RB2 than a mid-RB3 in 2022.