Over the past four seasons, Chubb has finished on a per-game basis between seventh and 12th in PPR and fifth and eighth in non-PPR. He'll enter the 2023 season still just 27 years old (28 in December) and, as of this writing, without having to share touches with Kareem Hunt. Not that sharing was a big problem -- Chubb has reliably averaged at least 15.8 carries per game since 2019, a trend that should continue. Even with Deshaun Watson for six games last year, Chubb averaged fine metrics (17.0 carries, 4.8 yards per carry). He just didn't score any rushing touchdowns, though he did catch a TD. The veteran runner deserves the benefit of the doubt as Cleveland's offense should be more efficient in the red zone this year with Watson, plus Chubb hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. He's a safe pick around 22nd overall in PPR leagues and 14th overall in non-PPR.
Chubb and fellow running back Jerome Ford aren't expected to receive many, if any snaps in Thursday's preseason opener against the Jets, Anthony Poisal of the Browns' official site reports.
The Browns have little reason to expose Chubb or any of their other top skill players to contact in the exhibition opener, so expect the lead back to be a spectator Thursday. In that scenario, look for Demetric Felton, John Kelly, Nate McCrary and Hassan Hall to handle most of the backfield touches versus the Jets and make their case for depth slotting. Assuming he can stay healthy, Chubb has a clear path to a heavy workload for Cleveland out of the gate once the regular season starts.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Tops 100 total yards to end season
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Chubb rushed the ball 12 times for 77 yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Steelers. He added five receptions on six targets for 45 yards and a touchdown.
Chubb paced the Browns backfield in carries and yards, though he ended up with fewer than 15 carries for the fifth time in his last nine games. Despite facing a tough Pittsburgh run defense, he managed to work efficiently and ripped off big gains of 19 and 15 yards. Chubb also tallied his 13th total touchdown and first receiving score of the season on a two-yard catch early in the fourth quarter. He ends the campaign with 1,520 rushing yards -- the highest mark of his career -- and will be back to lead the Cleveland backfield in 2023.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Efficient in 100-yard performance
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Chubb rushed the ball 14 times for 104 yards in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Commanders. He added one reception for 12 yards.
Chubb dominated carries out of the Browns' backfield, though he lost some opportunity to Deshaun Watson -- who finished second on the team with eight rushes. Nevertheless, Chubb was very efficient with his opportunity by averaging 7.4 yards per attempt and turning in long runs of 35 and 14 yards. With the effort, he topped 100 rushing yards for the first time since Week 12, though he has not found the end zone in each of his last five contests.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Possible Bust (Lineup Decisions)
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Sit Chubb?! It's a dangerous proposition considering just how good of a back he is and the usage he gets. But Cleveland's offense has seemingly gotten worse since Watson took over and their playcalling near the goal line is especially troubling. Have no fear in non-PPR with Chubb -- there just aren't enough backs with his ceiling out there to sit him for. But in full PPR, Chubb fits in as a low-end No. 2 running back given his lack of targets, tough matchup and overall inefficiency since December started.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Heavy workload in loss
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Chubb rushed 24 times for 92 yards and brought in his only target for 10 yards in the Browns' 17-10 loss to the Saints on Saturday.
Chubb enjoyed a hefty workload in the frigid Cleveland conditions, logging his second-highest carry total of the season. He worked hard against a Saints defense that had been vulnerable to the run on the road, as outside of his long run of 19 yards, he gained 73 yards on 23 rush attempts. The talented back now has consecutive 20-plus-carry, 90-plus-yard tallies, sending him into a Week 17 road battle versus the Commanders with some momentum.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Cleared to play Saturday
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Chubb (foot) isn't slated to carry an injury designation for Saturday's game against the Saints, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer report.
Per coach Kevin Stefanski, Chubb -- who was listed as a 'DNP' Tuesday and Wednesday -- looked good in his return to practice Thursday, which paves the way for the running back to suit up Saturday and continue to lead the Browns' backfield in Week 16. In last weekend's 13-3 win over the Ravens, Chubb carried 21 times for 99 yards, and this time around he'll be facing a New Orleans defense that is allowing an average of 132.6 rushing yards per game to date.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Back at practice
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Chubb (foot) was present for practice Thursday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
Chubb was listed as a non-participant Tuesday and Wednesday, so his return to Thursday's practice is a positive development ahead of Saturday's game against the Saints. The Browns' upcoming injury report will clarify whether the running back heads into the weekend with a Week 16 injury designation or cleared to face New Orleans.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Team optimistic despite no practice
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Chubb (foot) missed another practice Wednesday, but the Browns still have optimism he'll play in Saturday's game against the Saints, Tom Withers of The Associated Press reports.
The same reportedly is true of star defensive end Myles Garrett, though he's merely dealing with an illness while Chubb is nursing a foot injury. Chubb took on a season-high 70 percent snap share in this past Saturday's 13-3 win over Baltimore, suggesting his injury isn't too serious. In any case, Kareem Hunt presumably would get his first start of the season if Chubb were to miss Saturday's matchup with New Orleans, a game that's likely to be impacted by strong winds and possibly snow.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Dealing with foot issue
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Chubb won't practice Tuesday due to a foot injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Chubb hit the 20-carry threshold for the fifth time in 14 appearances this season Sunday against the Ravens, finishing with 99 yards on 21 rushes. His DNP on Tuesday may be maintenance-related as a result, but his status is still somewhat up in the air for Saturday's game against the Saints.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Racks up 99 yards
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Chubb rushed the ball 21 times for 99 yards in Saturday's 13-3 win over the Ravens.
Despite a tough matchup, Chubb found himself in a positive game environment and put together a solid performance. He had only two rushes of more than 10 yards but still managed a solid 4.7 yards per carry to top 80 rushing yards for just the second time in his last six games. While the performance was positive, of Chubb's six 100-yard rushing performances, only one has come since Week 10. Even with the recent downturn in performance, he now has 1,252 rushing yards -- seven fewer than he posted across 14 games in 2021.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Possible Bust (Lineup Decisions)
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It's fine to start Chubb if you don't have a respectable replacement, but understand that the matchup is incredibly tough. I'm especially spooked by the lack of inside-the-10 carries since Deshaun Watson has started -- there have been none, and he had just three total in the three games prior to Watson's return. Dial down expectations for Chubb, placing him in the weaker No. 2 running back range in PPR for this week just behind Zonovan Knight, Isiah Pacheco and David Montgomery, but ahead of Najee Harris.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Struggles in Cincy
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Chubb rushed 14 times for 34 yards and caught all three of his targets for 20 yards in Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Bengals.
Chubb's attempts were limited by Cleveland playing from behind throughout, and he didn't do much with the opportunities he received. While Chubb tied his season high with three catches, he simply isn't involved enough in the passing game to make up the difference when he's bottled up on the ground. The star running back's first multi-game touchdown drought has coincided with Deshaun Watson's first two starts for the Browns, and Chubb will look to end this slump in Week 15 against the Ravens, who allowed one of his 12 rushing touchdowns back in Week 7.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Posts 80 yards against Texans
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Chubb rushed the ball 17 times for 80 yards in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Texans.
Deshaun Watson made his team debut in Sunday's win, though Chubb maintained his typical role. He continued to run with strong efficiency, ripping off two rushes of more than 15 yards. However, he remained uninvolved as a pass catcher and also failed to find the end zone for only the fourth time this season. While it was a bit of a letdown performance, the Browns seem content to remain a run-heavy offense, as Watson took to the air only 22 times in the relatively comfortable win.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Productive with heavy workload
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Chubb rushed 26 times for 116 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for 16 yards in the Browns' 23-17 overtime win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The star running back ended up taking on his heaviest workload of the season on the ground, and his final carry was the most critical since it culminated in a game-winning three-yard touchdown. Chubb had to work for his yards most of the afternoon against a talented Buccaneers defense, but he finished with his sixth 100-yard effort of the campaign one week after producing a season-low 19-yard tally against the Bills in Week 11. His productive afternoon also vaulted Chubb over the 1,000-yard mark for the season for the fourth straight year, sending him into a Week 13 road matchup against the vulnerable Texans run defense with plenty of momentum.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Completely stymied in loss
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Chubb rushed 14 times for 19 yards and brought in all three targets for 48 yards in the Browns' 31-23 loss to the Bills on Sunday.
Chubb got off to an encouraging start with a 17-yard reception on the first play of the game, but his day on the ground was utterly forgettable. The star back's yardage total was his lowest of the season by far, while his production through the air was ironically his best of the campaign. Chubb's streak of three straight games with at least one touchdown was also snapped, and he'll next face the Buccaneers defense in a Week 12 home matchup.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Long TD in loss
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Chubb rushed 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown and secured three of four targets for 18 yards in the Browns' 39-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Chubb's rushing touches were clearly limited by a game script that saw the Browns already down 10 at the half and 20 going into the fourth quarter. However, the seemingly matchup-proof running back was able to deliver for fantasy managers with an efficient performance boosted by a 33-yard touchdown run down the left side of the field early in the fourth quarter. Chubb's reception total also matched a season high, and he's now recorded four touchdown runs in the last three games going into a tough Week 11 road encounter against the Bills.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Tops century mark with two TDs
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Chubb rushed 23 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns in Monday's 32-13 win over the Bengals. He also caught his only target for three yards and ran in a two-point conversion.
Chubb found the end zone from three yards out on a direct snap to get the scoring started in the second quarter, then promptly tacked on a two-point conversion to give the Browns an 8-0 lead. Consecutive Chubb runs of 21 and six yards worked the ball down to the three-yard line on Cleveland's first drive of the second half, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett ran it in on the ensuing play to stretch Cleveland's lead to 18 points. Chubb put an exclamation point on his night with an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, bringing his season touchdown total to 10. The star running back has been held to fewer than 87 rushing yards only once all season heading into Cleveland's Week 9 bye.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Efficient effort in Week 7 loss
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Chubb rushed 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown while also bringing in two of three targets for 16 yards in the Browns' 23-20 loss to the Ravens on Sunday.
Chubb comfortably paced the Browns backfield in carries and rushing yards while also recording a rare double-digit yardage catch. The fifth-year veteran fell just short of what would have been his fourth 100-yard effort in the last five games, but game script continues to be about the only opponent that Chubb hasn't proven capable of conquering to date this season. He'll aim to keep up his excellent first half of the campaign when he faces the Bengals at home for a Monday night Halloween matchup in Week 8.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Can't find space against Patriots
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Chubb carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards in Sunday's 38-15 loss to the Patriots. He added one reception on two targets for 14 yards.
Chubb had his worst day of the season, both in terms of volume and efficiency. He saw eight carries in the first half but was largely scripted out of the final two quarters with the Browns trailing by multiple scores. Even when he was called upon, Chubb found running room hard to come by. He still managed a long rush of 18 yards but ultimately fell short of 100 yards on the ground for only the second time on the campaign.
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Browns' Nick Chubb: Another stellar performance in loss
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Chubb rushed 17 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns and failed to secure his only target in the Browns' 30-28 loss to the Chargers on Sunday.
Chubb had an elite matchup on paper against a porous Chargers run defense, one that very much bore out on the field. The star back ripped off a 41-yard touchdown run to kickstart his afternoon and cap off the opening possession of the game, and he went on to add a two-yard score late in the third quarter. Along the way, Chubb averaged 7.9 yards per carry while authoring his fourth 100-yard tally in the last five games. He'll next take aim at the Patriots in Week 6 home clash.
