Fantasy football managers struck gold off of the waiver wire when they spent up to get Jerome Ford after Nick Chubb’s devastating season-ending injury. The second-year RB has filled in nicely for the Cleveland Browns and has been a solid option for fantasy lineups since that point.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though fantasy managers were going to be without the explosive RB for a few weeks after an ankle injury in Week 7, but is that still the case? Is there a possibility that he’s available going into Week 8?
Latest Injury Update on Jerome Ford
Ford was on his way to a monstrous performance in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts as he had put up 74 rushing yards and a touchdown before his injury. Unfortunately, Ford was forced to exit the game after a tackle that forced him to be evaluated for an ankle injury and he never returned.
#Browns RB Jerome Ford had to leave the game after getting tackled on this play.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 22, 2023
Tests following the game revealed that Ford had suffered a low-grade, high ankle sprain that was expected to sideline him for 1-2 weeks, but fantasy managers got some positive news on Friday regarding Ford’s status.
There’s a strong possibility that Ford will now be available for the Browns in Week 8 in their matchup against the Seattle Seahawks as the talented RB has returned to practice ahead of Sunday.
Will Ford Play This Week?
At the time of writing, Ford is being listed as questionable for this game, which is an upgrade from when he was listed as doubtful earlier in the week. We still have a little bit of time for the Browns to decide whether or not he’ll be fully ready to go, but this is at least positive news that he’s returning to practice this soon.
MORE: NFL Injuries Week 8 — Tracking Every Injury
Expect a game-time decision for Ford this week, which doesn’t exactly help fantasy managers as they’re set to play at 4:05 p.m. ET on Sunday after all of the 1:00 p.m. ET games are done and lineups lock. Stay tuned to Pro Football Network as we’ll be sure to update you as the latest injury information rolls in.
What Does This Mean for Ford’s Fantasy Ranking?
Even if Ford does make it back for Week 8, he’s highly unlikely to see his usual workload as he won’t be at 100%. This means that it becomes incredibly risky to play him, but it also becomes a dart throw to play Kareem Hunt, too.
If Ford were to completely miss this game, Hunt would easily be in the low-end RB2 conversation, but it becomes difficult to trust either one if both are active. We’ll continue to monitor the latest news and information and update as the situation becomes clear.
If you’re interested in whether or not you should start Ford — or Hunt — on Sunday, we have a free Start/Sit Optimizer that can help make the decision easy for you! Simply choose your league settings, enter the players on your roster, and view our consensus projections!
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!