Last season the Cleveland Browns were able to put up a winning record, but were without their starting quarterback and running back for much of the season. Heading into this season, their starting running back will likely be eased back in after his knee injury. Coming off a MCL/ACL tear, should you draft Nick Chubb in fantasy football?
Should You Draft Nick Chubb?
- Yahoo ADP: Overall 104, RB28
- Our Rank: Overall 104, RB36 – Half Point PPR
If Chubb were healthy, he would easily be a Top 5 running back for fantasy purposes, but unfortunately, he isn’t. Nobody has an answer as to when and if Chubb will return to 100%. Chubb was injured in Week 2 last season, so he should be close to returning. He’s been seen cutting and running off to the side in practice while also squatting huge amounts in the gym. That is good anecdotal evidence, but we know there is much more to a recovery of this magnitude.
Of course, Chubb’s injury is baked into his ADP, but it might not be baked quite enough. He needed to repair his left knee’s ACL, MCL, and meniscus—the same knee he tore the PCL, MCL, and LCL—and he also dislocated the knee and suffered cartilage damage back in college.
There is no official timetable for his return, and he has not been activated from the PUP list for training camp yet. The odds seem to be leaning toward him missing the first four games at this point, as he is likely to land on the regular-season PUP list.
The Bottom Line
- It could be worth the risk, but I’ll likely play it safe and avoid.
- If he lasts to RB 36, I will consider drafting, but his current ADP is RB28.
Right now I am probably a little higher on Chubb’s rankings than I would usually be, but I’m also not as optimistic as his ADP shows. The reports sound encouraging, but we know that even if he does get activated for the regular season, returning to a big workload early on seems far-fetched.
But, if I’m in a league where everyone is staying away from him, I could see going for an upside possibility for a player who has been an outlier in efficiency at the position his whole career.
If he lasts to RB 36, I will take a hard look at him, as the backs going around him all have pretty big question marks as well. In the end, I’ll likely let someone else take on the risk this season.
