Nick Chubb

Chubb's season-ending knee injury was one of the most upsetting moments of last season, somehow looking even worse than the ACL, MCL and meniscus tears he eventually was diagnosed with. Frankly, it would be a career-ending injury for many lesser backs in their late 20s. Chubb might not be human, however, with incredible athleticism potentially allowing for a faster-than-usual recovery and/or continued productivity even if he loses a step. Chubb tore three ligaments (MCL, PCL, LCL) in the same left knee in 2015 at Georgia, and he came back the next year with 1,130 rushing yards. The injury ended up being little more than a speed bump long term, as evidenced by Chubb's excellent NFL career. With all that said, Chubb is now 28 years old and faces a battle to meet his normal standards in the first year back from injury. Despite his Wolverine-like recovery from the first major knee injury, Chubb dropped to 5.0 YPC for the Bulldogs in 2016 -- a sharp contrast to the 6.8 YPC he averaged across his three other seasons. He accepted a pay cut from Cleveland this offseason, after the team added D'Onta Foreman to a backfield that still has Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong. Reading between the lines, the Browns believe Chubb can complete his recovery and return to a lead role... but they aren't necessarily counting on it. Fantasy managers should probably take the same approach, rather than depending on Chubb to be the lineup fixture he was for the past half-decade.

Chubb is arguably the league's best pure runner, but his fantasy upside had been limited by Kareem Hunt drawing targets at his expense. While effective as a pass catcher, Chubb hasn't been given the chance to accumulate volume, with his 49 targets from 2019 still a career high. It's possible that the Browns might give Chubb a little more work as a pass catcher with Hunt no longer on the team, as new backup Jerome Ford didn't draw a target in his rookie season. If Chubb sets a new career high in targets it could bring with it his best fantasy year yet, especially if Deshaun Watson can get his act together at quarterback. If Watson produces for the Browns anywhere near the level he did for the Texans, Chubb will be a threat to lead the league in touchdowns. While Chubb is the owner of an absurd career average of 5.2 yards per carry, he has yet to play in a truly good offense in the NFL. The biggest concern with Chubb might be durability given that he turns 28 in December, but it doesn't seem like anything else can stop him.

Another season, another strong performance from Chubb that makes you wonder what he would be capable of with a bell-cow workload. The Georgia product has run for 5.0 yards per carry or better in all four of his NFL campaigns, and his 3.0 yards after contact per carry in 2021 was second best in the league behind only Rashaad Penny. Chubb boasts exceptional power, speed and elusiveness, and while he doesn't get as many chances to show what he can do as a receiver as he maybe should, he hasn't been charged with a dropped pass in three straight seasons. Therein lies the problem. Kareem Hunt remains a Brown, and Hunt not only handles the majority of pass-catching duties but also poaches some carries, including in the red zone. D'Ernest Johnson also played well last year, so Chubb never took more than two-thirds of the snaps even when Hunt missed time. The Browns offense figures to look much different once quarterback Deshaun Watson is eligible to play, but for the first 11 games of the coming season the team figures to employ a run-heavy attack, with Jacoby Brissett slated to fill in while Watson is suspended.

A knee injury cost Chubb four games in the first half of 2020, but even if he had been healthy for all 16 contests, a timeshare with Kareem Hunt would have prevented him from matching his 2019 volume or production. It's hard to argue with the results on an efficiency basis, though, as Chubb set a career high with 5.6 YPC, and his 25.3 percent broken tackle rate led all backs with at least 100 totes. The 25-year-old combines elite speed with power and agility, allowing him to run around or through would-be tacklers with equal skill, and while he didn't get used much in that area last year, he's also a capable pass catcher. When both backs were healthy, Chubb was Cleveland's top option last season, averaging 17.2 touches to Hunt's 13.4 in the 12 games they played together. That's still not the kind of volume enjoyed by RBs around the league who have a backfield to themselves, but it wouldn't take much of a shift in that distribution to get Chubb to 300 touches over a full season. With the Browns finally looking like a serious contender, coach Kevin Stefanski won’t deviate too much from a successful formula. Chubb's upside running behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines would be massive should he find himself with a bigger workload, and his floor in the Browns' current arrangement is secure.

Chubb delivered on the promise of his rookie season, falling just short of a rushing crown last year while demonstrating he can be a capable three-down option in a Browns offense that otherwise fell well short of expectations. He showed impressive power and balance through contact, tying Aaron Jones with a league-high 32 broken tackles on rush attempts, though it was Chubb's speed that really opened eyes. On an 88-yard touchdown run in Week 4, Chubb hit a top speed of 21.95 mph, the fourth-fastest time recorded by a ball carrier in 2019 - the gear he lost when he suffered his devastating knee injury in college apparently has returned. All told, Chubb was fourth in the league with an average of 3.0 yards after contact. Despite his outstanding numbers, with Kareem Hunt still in the fold and around for a full season, it's possible Chubb doesn't match the touch volume he got last year. He averaged 19.3 carries and 22.4 touches in the first eight games of the season, but only 15.2 rushes and 16.4 touches in the final five weeks once Hunt was comfortable in the offense. Workload is the only real concern for Chubb, however, and if the Cleveland attack around him improves, he could see more scoring opportunities to make up for any lost volume.

Chubb opened his debut season buried on the depth chart behind Carlos Hyde, but after he exploded for 105 rushing yards and two TDs on three carries Week 4, it was only a matter of time before the rookie shoved the veteran aside. Chubb didn't see double-digit carries until Hyde was traded to the Jaguars in Week 7, but once he did he was a force, averaging 82.3 rushing yards per game and 4.7 YPC. The second-year pro didn't offer a lot as a receiver last year, though with Duke Johnson no longer around to handle passing-down assignments, Chubb and Dontrell Hilliard may need to step up some in that area. In his lead role, Chubb uses his power and surprising balance to stay on his feet through contact. Chubb's 29 broken tackles on rushes ranked fifth in the NFL, and he only saw nine carries inside the 5-yard line, a number that could rise significantly now that Cleveland knows what he's capable of. The offseason signing of Kareem Hunt raises questions, but he won't be eligible to return from suspension until Week 10. In any case, the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. should create a high-powered offense that gives Chubb plenty of carries near the goal line even if he eventually shares snaps.

The gruesome knee injury Chubb suffered on national television at Georgia as a sophomore still casts a shadow over his resume, but the 5-11, 227-pound power back proved the last two seasons that he still has plenty to offer an NFL club even if he doesn't quite have the same explosiveness he once did. Chubb's low center of gravity, pad level and outstanding balance allow him to plow through traffic and pick up yards after contact, so he could be a goal-line weapon in the pros. He doesn't have breakaway speed and hasn't shown much ability as a receiver, however, likely limiting his role to early downs and short yardage. Drafted 35th overall, he joins a crowded backfield that also has receiving specialist Duke Johnson and former 49ers lead back Carlos Hyde - a situation that likely will limit Chubb's touches as a rookie unless he significantly outplays Hyde. Chubb did show a great deal of improvement between his final two years at Georgia, and if he makes another leap heading into 2018 and regains more of the burst and quick-cut ability he flashed prior to his injury, he could push Hyde right out of the picture.