There is a critical Week 10 AFC North matchup on Sunday, as the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens in a game with big AFC playoff implications.
The Browns have been very effective on the ground, as they rank third in the NFL with 144.1 rushing yards per game. The Ravens, on the other hand, rank eighth with 91.9 rushing yards per game allowed.
With that in mind, which Browns running back should you have in your fantasy football lineup on Sunday?
Is Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, or Pierre Strong Jr. a Better Start This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Hunt is the player to start. His projected 9.2 points include 29 rushing yards, three receptions, and 18 receiving yards. That projected stat line outperforms the consensus projections for Ford (8.8 points) and Strong (5.6 points).
I’m in agreement with the Optimizer, as I concur Hunt is the Cleveland back to have in your lineup. There should be a split of carries, but I believe Hunt’s ability to make plays in the passing game is the difference.
Fantasy Outlook for Hunt This Week
When the Browns faced the Ravens back in Week 4, Hunt was held to only 12 rushing yards on five carries. Much of that was due to the Browns incurring a big early deficit and the offense being led by rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Those factors allowed the Ravens to load the box with extra defenders and made it tough for Cleveland’s backs to find any running lanes.
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The biggest factor in Hunt’s favor at the moment is his ability to get in the end zone. He has five touchdowns in the last four weeks, scoring at least one in every game. Naturally, if your fantasy running back can score TDs regularly, you are going to be in good shape.
Fantasy Outlook for Ford This Week
Ford leads the Browns with 107 carries and 425 rushing yards. He served as the workhorse back in the Week 9 rout of the Arizona Cardinals, finishing with a season-high 20 carries. However, he wasn’t extremely productive, netting only 44 yards.
His five catches and 33 yards in that game show that he was a key component of the Browns’ game plan against the Cardinals, but the 2.2 yards per carry is a worrisome sign, given the much more daunting matchup against the Ravens defense.
In the Browns’ Week 4 matchup against Baltimore, Ford had a modest 26 yards on nine carries. Furthermore, while he also recorded five receptions, they went for just 19 yards.
The Browns had to abandon the run game against the Ravens in that matchup, as they were down 21-3 at the half en route to the 28-3 loss.
Fantasy Outlook for Strong Jr. This Week
Strong, at times, has looked like he may be a much bigger part of the offense, but those moments have mostly been fleeting.
For example, in the Week 8 loss to the Seahawks, he finished with 10 carries and 41 yards, only to log just three rush attempts for nine yards against the Cardinals despite a positive game script.
Strong has carried the ball only 34 times. Another factor affecting the second-year back’s outlook is that he is battling a hamstring injury and consequently carries a questionable tag going into Week 10.
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!