With the season-ending injury to Nick Chubb, the Cleveland Browns have been struggling to find their rushing identity for the rest of the year. Should you start Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, or Pierre Strong Jr. in Week 4 for fantasy football?
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Jerome Ford Fantasy Outlook This Week
Going into the season, Ford was clearly the RB2 behind Chubb, so when the latter went down, Ford naturally slid into the starting position.
In the last game with Chubb, Ford still demonstrated his worth, finishing as the RB6 with 131 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. He followed up that performance with a great game against a strong Tennessee rush defense in Week 3.
Even with Hunt signing with the Browns, the organization has made it clear that Ford is still the RB1.
Going into the Week 4 matchup against Baltimore, Ford is the RB19 in our PFN Consensus Rankings. The Ravens are strong against the run, but so are the Titans, and Ford had no trouble with them, making him a good start this week.
Kareem Hunt Fantasy Outlook This Week
Hunt returned to Cleveland and signed with the Browns following Chubb’s injury. In Week 3, Cleveland eased him in, only having him play 20% of the snaps.
This week, Hunt should see more action. With his knowledge of the system, Hunt should be able to contribute quickly, but his last three years in Cleveland did not give fantasy goodness.
I expect Hunt to be a complementary back to Ford this week, with the latter continuing to receive the lion’s share of touches.
Pierre Strong Jr. Fantasy Outlook This Week
There were big hopes for Strong in Cleveland and his ability to develop into a solid RB2/3 for them. However, Strong has yet to deliver, with no game this year finishing better than RB37 — and that week was simply because he fell into the end zone.
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Strong is averaging a 9% snap share so far this season, and with Hunt completely back in Cleveland, he’ll be lucky to receive two or three rushing attempts this week.
Which of the RBs Should You Start?
If you’re choosing between these three, Strong is quickly out of the mix. He simply won’t see the field enough to be fantasy relevant.
Meanwhile, Ford is the choice over Hunt. Cleveland made clear their feelings about Hunt when they let him go last year and put all of their eggs in the Ford basket.
QB Deshaun Watson is questionable with a shoulder injury. If he can’t go, the Browns might lean even more on the run, making Ford an even better option.