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Since 2019, fantasy football players have grown accustomed to the Cleveland Browns' two-headed backfield of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb proved himself as one of the best pure runners in football, while Hunt spelled him on early downs and provided a strong receiving option out of the backfield.
That was then, and this is now. Cleveland, who believed that Hunt's speed was slipping, let him walk in free agency. The veteran took 158 touches, 678 yards, and four touchdowns with him when he departed. Enter Jerome Ford.
The second-year back was largely relegated to kick return duty in 2022, only tallying eight carries for 12 yards out of the backfield. Despite a suboptimal stat line, the Browns showed confidence in Ford by refusing to add another notable running back in the offseason and holding him out of the Hall of Fame game. Will an injury derail Ford's chances of securing the coveted backup role to Chubb?
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Jerome Ford Injury Update For Fantasy Football
Ford departed Monday's practice with a hamstring injury. It's unclear how much time he will miss, or the severity of the ailment.
Slated to be Chubb's primary backup, if his injury lingers into the start of the regular season, Demetric Felton Jr. and John Kelly Jr. would be next in line for touches.
Jerome Ford 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Ford's biggest attribute in his time at the University of Cincinnati was his downhill running. The 23-year-old galloped for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final season for the Bearcats, but also showed natural hands and strong route running (21 catches for 220 yards). Recently, coach Kevin Stefanski noted that the sophomore could be the Browns' third-down back, but nothing was set in stone.
For Ford's fantasy football outlook (assuming he's recovered to play Week 1), a healthy Chubb and exclusive passing downs work would be the worst-case scenario, but even then he's still worth drafting as an insurance policy. If Chubb were to miss any time, the ex-Bearcat should have the chance to prove himself as the replacement lead back. Since the start of August, Ford's ADP is sitting at 163, around other unproven runners like Tyjae Spears and Chase Brown.
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