It has been an interesting offseason for Kareem Hunt in a number of ways. His fantasy football value has fluctuated through acquisitions, a trade request, and then subsequently remaining with the Cleveland Browns for the 2022 season. Let’s examine Hunt’s fantasy value in Week 1 and whether he is an option to start.
Update: D’Ernest Johnson is inactive for the Browns’ Week 1 game against the Panthers.
Should fantasy managers start Kareem Hunt in Week 1?
Despite everything this offseason, Hunt will enter the season occupying a similar role on the Browns’ depth chart to last season. Hunt sits second behind Chubb but ahead of both D’Ernest Johnson and Jerome Ford. Hunt fills that backup role, seeing a slight boost in usage if Chubb is absent.
Focusing on the last two years, with Kevin Stefanski as head coach, we can see his role clearly. When Chubb is active, Hunt averages 10 rushing attempts per game, just under 50 rushing yards, and just over 0.5 rushing touchdowns per game. In terms of the receiving game, Hunt averages just over three targets, a touch under 2.5 receptions, and a little over 20 yards per game.
In those games with Chubb, Hunt still averages more than 11 fantasy points per game in all three of the main scoring formats (non-PPR, half-PPR, and full-PPR). Therefore, he generally holds standalone fantasy value as at least a flex option on a weekly basis.
Additionally, with Jacoby Brissett under center, we could even see the Browns run the ball more than usual. Last year, they averaged 28.5 rushes per game, with Baker Mayfield under center for the majority of the time. Brissett is largely viewed as a slight downgrade as a QB, so that could put more emphasis on the run game. Therefore, we could see Hunt add a couple of additional rushing attempts per game. However, that could then come at the cost of a target or two, so it should even itself out.
Hunt appears to be a flex option in Week 1
Assuming that Hunt’s role has not been impacted by his trade request, we should see a similar role for him. Last year, he averaged 11 fantasy points per game in non-PPR, which made him a low-end RB2 on average. It was the same in both half and full-PPR, a low RB2 finish on average.
Intriguingly, in the Underdog Pick ’em game, their projected stats for Hunt are slightly down on his average output of the previous two seasons with Chubb healthy. Their projected stats are for 32.5 rushing yards, 16.5 receiving yards, and 53.5 yards from scrimmage. If those are his numbers, he would need to find the end zone to return RB2 or RB3 value in fantasy leagues.
However, those numbers appear to be on the low side compared to what we have seen historically. They likely reflect some concern that we see Johnson or Ford mixing in more to the offense. Johnson is the player listed third on the depth chart, and his role is usually minimal when Chubb is healthy. He averages around six rush attempts per game with Chubb active. However, that number is inflated by Johnson having 25 attempts in Week 18 last year when Chubb was also active.
Therefore, until we see differently, Hunt is a player that fantasy managers should continue to trust. He is the primary receiving back in the offense and the clear backup to Chubb. Hunt should have standalone fantasy value this week and would also have a fantastic ceiling if Chubb were to have to leave for any reason during the game.