Cleveland Browns RB Kareem Hunt hasn’t exactly been the most efficient player since signing with the team earlier this season, but he has managed to score a touchdown in five straight games. But will his fantasy football outlook drastically change with QB Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10?
Kareem Hunt’s Rest-of-Season Outlook
For a player who has failed to top 80 total yards in any game this season, Hunt has somehow managed to generate five straight games with 9+ fantasy points. He has six scores in seven games played while never seeing more than 40% of the offensive snaps in any game this season.
Hunt’s current yards per carry sits at 3.26, which is a career low. He has led the Browns in carries in just one game all season, but he’s seeing a reliable amount of work on a weekly basis while continuing to find the end zone on a regular basis.
The big question now is, how much does Hunt’s fantasy outlook change with Watson out of the lineup for the final eight games of the year? My short answer is not very much.
Hunt was already finding himself in the RB3 conversation with Watson in the lineup, and he’ll still be a Flex option for the remainder of the year due to his role in Cleveland’s run-heavy offense.
MORE: Fantasy Fallout From Deshaun Watson’s Injury
The Browns lead the league in rushing attempts per game with 34.9. Sure, the efficiency on a per-touch basis has been rough for Hunt, but he has seen 10+ carries in five straight games.
His lack of involvement in Cleveland’s limited passing game and lack of efficiency makes him more of a touchdown-dependent play on a weekly basis.
Should You Trade Hunt?
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Should You Trade Kareem Hunt for Zach Charbonnet?
As I just mentioned, Hunt has seen 10+ carries in five straight games. Do you know how many times Zach Charbonnet has seen double-digit carries in a game this season? Zero.
Charbonnet’s snap count and overall involvement in the Seahawks’ offense have definitely been trending in the right direction over the past three games, but his high level of efficiency on a per-touch basis isn’t enough at the current moment to make him a better fantasy option than Hunt. I wouldn’t trade Hunt for Charbonnet.
Should You Trade Hunt for Keaton Mitchell?
Similar to Charbonnet, the efficiency argument definitely favors Keaton Mitchell over Hunt. The reason why I’d rather have Mitchell over Hunt is the expectation for the former’s role to expand in a run-heavy Ravens offense.
Mitchell’s 172 yards and two scores on just 12 carries over the last two games scream he should be seeing more work in Baltimore’s backfield. I believe Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken will continue to find a way to get the ball into the hands of this explosive rookie over the final eight weeks of the 2023 NFL season. I would trade Hunt for Mitchell.
Should You Trade Hunt for Dameon Pierce?
After a monster performance from Houston Texans RB Devin Singletary in Week 10, can we say for certain that Dameon Pierce is still the lead back in Houston? An argument can be made on both sides, but being a complementary early-down back in Cleveland’s offense has been far more valuable than a similar role in Houston’s.
As much as Hunt has struggled with his rushing efficiency this season, Pierce actually has a lower yards per carry at 3.0 than him this season. I would not trade Hunt for Pierce at this moment.
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