Is Kareem Hunt A Good Fantasy Football Pickup for Week 7? Waiver Wire Outlook

Another week came and went in this unforgiving sport, as more and more fantasy studs found themselves on the injury report. Last week it was Justin Jefferson and De'Von Achane, this week it's Justin Fields, Christian McCaffrey, Kyren Williams, David Montgomery, Deebo Samuel, and Trevor Lawrence. I genuinely cannot remember another time when this many star players were hurt.

Along with byes hitting in full force - Titans, Cowboys, Panthers, Texans, Jets, and Bengals for Week 7 - managers will need to turn to the waiver wire more than ever to help account for these roster holes.

A player who can potentially help with this is Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt, who has all of a sudden become fantasy-relevant. Does that mean he's worth picking up for Week 7 waivers? Let's take a look.

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What did Kareem Hunt Do In Week 6?

If you weren't aware, Kareem Hunt is back in the NFL with the team he spent the past four seasons with. He's had an interesting career that started with a bang, rushing for an NFL-leading 1,327 yards his rookie season, narrowly losing the Offensive Rookie of the Year vote to Alvin Kamara.

Since then he has had a few run-ins with the law, one of which caused the Chiefs to release the former Toledo standout just after his second season when it was announced he would be suspended. Hunt was then scooped up by the Browns and played the next four seasons in Cleveland. GM Andrew Berry chose not to re-sign Hunt after last year but changed that decision once Nick Chubb went down to a brutal knee injury.

The Browns have been operating with Jerome Ford as the lead back since Chubb suffered the injury, but he's had an up-and-down start as the RB1. That may have led to the spike in production last game for Hunt, who saw 15 total opportunities, after receiving five and eight in his first two games back as a Brown. He turned 12 carries and three receptions into 71 yards and a touchdown against arguably the best run defense in the game. This put him at an RB12 finish on the week, on only 37% of snaps.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson also missed his second game in a row, which also could have contributed to the Browns leaning on Hunt more. Watson is apparently in danger of missing even more time, which may mean that the usage we saw for Hunt this past Sunday could continue.

Were There Any Worrying Signs With Hunt?

Don't get it twisted. Jerome Ford is still the lead back in this offense. Ford received 17 carries against the 49ers, which resulted in 84 yards (4.9 YPC, a whole yard more than Hunt). He has also averaged a little under 17 opportunities a game, which locks him into RB2 status. So while the usage of Ford has aligned with his head coach's comments, it's clear that they also want Hunt involved. With how good this offense line is, though, there is a world in which both backs can be playable fantasy assets moving forward.

Think about this similar to the Chubb /Hunt backfield of the past couple of years, except tone it down a few notches. Ford is no Chubb, and Hunt has definitely slowed down a bit, but the Browns will be relying on both of these guys to help them move the ball which will be a lot tougher without Deshaun Watson under center.

The Browns' defense has also been (quietly) historically good thus far – No. 1 in the league through six weeks – their formula for winning games is clear. Shut down opposing offenses as much as possible, and run the damn ball. While this might not be a top-flight offense, Hunt should continue to see similar volume if the Browns want to win football games.

Should I Pickup Kareem Hunt Off the Waiver Wire in Fantasy Football?

Based on the efficiency and volume, Hunt is a great pick-up off waivers this week. Jerome Ford is still the main man in the backfield and will be ranked ahead of Hunt on a weekly basis until there is a strong reason to flip, but the latter should be rostered in all leagues. The schedule is also very favorable for the Browns over the next three - vs. Colts, Seahawks, Cardinals - so Hunt might immediately bounce into flex territory. Continue to monitor his usage closely.

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