The Cleveland Browns offense isn’t one that I am looking to invest heavily in if I can avoid it, but RB Jerome Ford has been a consistent fantasy football producer for over a month now — is he a safe play in a tough matchup this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Should You Start Jerome Ford in Week 14?
He just does it every week. Ford has now returned no worse than RB2 value in five straight games (per the Week 14 Cheat Sheet) and in seven of eight since Cleveland’s bye.
The declining volume is obviously a concern as we talk about sustainability (three straight weeks under 15 touches), but with at least five targets or a touchdown in eight of 11 games (starting with the game in which Nick Chubb was lost for the season), Ford has proven to be a consistent fantasy force.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
This week, he gets a better-than-you-think Jaguars run defense. But with Joe Flacco under center and this team motivated to bleed the clock, I see no reason Ford can’t continue his run of success.
Do I worry about projecting him as such for the remainder of the season? I do — games against the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, and New York Jets are not a clean run out. That said, we’re talking about the here and now. We’re talking about Week 14 — a week that could hold your playoff fate in its hands. In that scenario, I’m willing to trust Ford this week and ask questions later.
Trending Start/Sit Searches for Ford
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use and it allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start Ford or Alexander Mattison?
Ford gets the nod in this spot. Say what you will about the limitations of the Cleveland offense, but we know that Ford holds a significant role in it and is critical to their success.
MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings
The Minnesota Vikings are welcoming back All-World receiver Justin Jefferson and Joshua Dobbs is coming off of his worst game of the season. There are too many moving pieces in Minnesota to trust Alexander Mattison, who I think is in a similar skill range as Ford — just with less touch clarity.
Should You Start Ford or James Cook?
While Ford’s role has been strong and I prefer it to James Cook’s, there is no denying the edge in overall offensive upside for Buffalo’s lead back, and that has me leaning in that direction in this head-to-head decision.
Sportsbooks have the Buffalo Bills projected to score roughly a touchdown more than the Browns this week, a sign that they are far more likely to pile up yards. With 15 catches over his past four games, the versatility of Cook should allow him to outproduce Ford this week, even if his touchdown struggles continue.
PFN Consensus’ Week 14 RB Rankings
1) Christian McCaffrey | SF (vs. SEA)
2) Alvin Kamara | NO (vs. CAR)
3) Austin Ekeler | LAC (vs. DEN)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Zack Moss | IND (at CIN)
6) Josh Jacobs | LV (vs. MIN)
7) Tony Pollard | DAL (vs. PHI)
8) Rachaad White | TB (at ATL)
9) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (at CLE)
10) Bijan Robinson | ATL (vs. TB)
11) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. BAL)
12) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at CHI)
13) Saquon Barkley | NYG (vs. GB)
14) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
15) De’Von Achane | MIA (vs. TEN)
16) Raheem Mostert | MIA (vs. TEN)
17) Derrick Henry | TEN (at MIA)
18) David Montgomery | DET (at CHI)
19) D’Andre Swift | PHI (at DAL)
20) Breece Hall | NYJ (vs. HOU)
21) Javonte Williams | DEN (at LAC)
22) Joe Mixon | CIN (vs. IND)
23) Jerome Ford | CLE (vs. JAX)
24) Ezekiel Elliott | NE (at PIT)
25) AJ Dillon | GB (at NYG)
26) Gus Edwards | BAL (vs. LAR)
27) Najee Harris | PIT (vs. NE)
28) Alexander Mattison | MIN (at LV)
29) Jaylen Warren | PIT (vs. NE)
30) Chuba Hubbard | CAR (at NO)
31) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (vs. LAR)
32) Devin Singletary | HOU (at NYJ)
33) Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at SF)
34) Tyjae Spears | TEN (at MIA)
35) Kenneth Walker III | SEA (at SF)
36) Dameon Pierce | HOU (at NYJ)
37) Khalil Herbert | CHI (vs. DET)
38) Kareem Hunt | CLE (vs. JAX)
39) Roschon Johnson | CHI (vs. DET)
40) Ty Chandler | MIN (at LV)
41) Miles Sanders | CAR (at NO)
42) Aaron Jones | GB (at NYG)
43) Samaje Perine | DEN (at LAC)
44) Tyler Allgeier | ATL (vs. TB)
45) D’Ernest Johnson | JAX (at CLE)
46) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (at DAL)
47) Joshua Kelley | LAC (vs. DEN)
48) Rico Dowdle | DAL (vs. PHI)
49) Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL (vs. TB)
50) Jamaal Williams | NO (vs. CAR)
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!