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Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) suffered a gruesome knee injury during a Monday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season. Chubb was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game and, subsequently, the remainder of the season.
Chubb remains on the Browns' roster ahead of the 2024 season, but his ongoing recovery has created additional confusion for fantasy football managers.
Will Chubb be healthy before the season begins? Will Chubb play in Week 1?
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Will Chubb Play This Season?
Chubb's recovery timeline may be longer than someone with a standard ACL tear because he also tore his MCL and had damage to his medial capsule and meniscus. The plethora of injuries required a total of two surgeries.
Ever since training camp began, there has been a steady flow of reports suggesting that Chubb will play in 2024, and he's targeting the first half of the season for his return to the field.
An update on Nick Chubb: Currently, Chubb can run nearly full speed in a straight line and the next step in his recovery is cutting laterally, a big progression towards returning to the field. Chubb is ahead of schedule on his recovery after he underwent two surgeries in the fall… pic.twitter.com/DiLHImc6h4
— Noah Weiskopf (@BrownsWithNoah) June 28, 2024
Will Nick Chubb Play In Week 1?
A Week 1 return for Chubb seems unlikely given the severity of his injury and the typical timetable for knee ligament injuries. However, the Browns haven't ruled it out just yet. The team is leaving the door open for Chubb to suit up against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
It should be noted, of course, that the Browns have very little incentive to rush him back into action. Cleveland would certainly benefit from having him on the field, but given that they'd like to keep him productive for this season and beyond, there's no reason to rush him back and sacrifice his long-term effectiveness for just a few extra games in 2024.
The #Browns constantly speak on how hard Nick Chubb attacks his rehab
When Kevin Stefanski was on the Rich Eisen show he was asked is there a chance we see Chubb week 1
He said “…. I would not doubt this young man” #Dawgpound
pic.twitter.com/Dp54PbnygP— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) June 27, 2024
UPDATE 8/26 - Chubb is expected to stay on the PUP list to begin the season, meaning he will be required to miss at least the first four games. This does not come as a surprise, and the news might lead to Jerome Ford moving up draft boards.
Cleveland is expected to leave Nick Chubb on the Physically Unable to Perform List, which means he is ineligible to be active during the first four games of the season, per league sources. pic.twitter.com/hegxTKBgJ7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2024
Nick Chubb 2024 Fantasy Outlook
A healthy Chubb is easily a top-five running back in fantasy football. However, fantasy managers should temper expectations given that we don't know when Chubb will return to the field, what his role will look like once he returns, and whether he can be as productive post-injury.
We can loosely compare Chubb's return to New York Jets running back Breece Hall, who came back from an ACL tear early last year. There was initial skepticism about Hall's availability for Week 1, but he recovered ahead of schedule and played in the season opener, albeit on a play count.
Hall was on a reduced workload for the first four games last year before the Jets let him loose in Week 5, when he ultimately tallied 22 rushes, three receptions, and nearly 200 scrimmage yards. When Chubb does return (whether that's Week 1 or later), fantasy managers should expect him to have a reduced role for a few weeks.
Chubb should be drafted around the RB3 range, allowing managers to survive a few weeks without him and then reap the rewards when he comes back healthy. He currently has an ADP of 117, which is 39th among running backs.
Nick Chubb is currently the RB28 in ESPN's live draft trends.
Are you targeting Chubb in fantasy football drafts? pic.twitter.com/NsYsOfyGR8
— Moody (@EricNMoody) June 20, 2024
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