Should I draft Nick Chubb? Browns RB's fantasy outlook in the spotlight after injury update

Nick Chubb's injury update unsettled quite a few fans of the Cleveland Browns. The franchise announced that their star running back would start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Chubb will now miss the Browns' first four games of the season owing to NFL rules.

Green Bay Packers v Cleveland Browns - Source: Getty

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Should you draft Nick Chubb in fantasy football?

Look, Chubb has been among the best running backs in fantasy football during his tenure in Cleveland. That much is not up for debate. But here are the red flags.

Chubb missed nearly the entirety of the 2023 season owing to his ACL injury. He will be 29 years old later this year, which means time isn't exactly on his side. When you factor in the fact that he suffered an ACL injury that many believed would end his career, Chubb's fantasy outlook doesn't scream "Draft me."

If you're asking yourself "Should I draft Nick Chubb this year?" the answer is no.

However, here's where things get interesting. Last year, two of the top four running backs in PPR points per game were near about Chubb's age - Alvin Kamara and Raheem Mostert. Buying low on him could be a decent shot at glory later in the year given Chubb's injury update will see him profile as an RB3.

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Who should you draft instead of Nick Chubb?

The easy answer is Jerome Ford, who will take Chubb's place as RB1 on the Browns depth chart for now. Ford finished as RB17 last year, which was a decent return, and he currently ranks as RB40-42. Ford could be a reliable pick in the later rounds given he will share most of the burden in Cleveland's RB room.

If you're not sold on Ford, New York Giants' free agency addition Devin Singletary could be the way to go. Singletary has finished as a top-35 RB in all five of his years in the NFL so far and at RB 35 on Sportskeeda's fantasy football RB rankings, he represents decent value.

Aside from Singletary, a few names worth considering are Zack Moss, who will replace Joe Mixon with the Bengals this year, and Zamir White, who will likely shoulder a lot of the burden with the Raiders given Josh Jacobs' move to the Green Bay Packers.