The quarterback situation in Cleveland may not be resolved anytime soon, but the good news is that RB Nick Chubb is still there. In four seasons with the Browns, Chubb has established himself as a franchise back who has an elite combination of strength and speed. He’s been a Pro Bowler for three consecutive seasons and was named to the PFWA All-Pro first team in 2021 after tallying 1,259 yards and eight touchdowns on 228 carries in 14 games.
Chubb finished the 2021-22 season with the second most rushing yards (1,259) behind Jonathan Taylor with 104 less attempts; Taylor had 332 while Chubb had 228. Chubb also averaged 5.5 yards per attempt, which ranked sixth among running backs. If he managed to see the same amount of carries as Taylor while maintaining that average, Chubb would have finished the season with 1,831 rushing yards, which would have given him the rushing title for the year.
The thing about Chubb is that he really doesn’t get the opportunities that other backs. His 228 attempts ranked 9th in the league, and he was targeted just 25 times, catching 20 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown (he’s no Austin Ekeler or Christian McCaffrey).
He ranked 27th in red-zone snap, which is bad for a running back of his caliber, especially when you consider he was tied for 15th among RBs in total run-play snaps. Whether he doesn’t see those snaps because he doesn’t fit the scheme or the team is trying to keep him healthy, it impacts his fantasy production significantly.
Like I said earlier, the quarterback situation in Cleveland is murky. If Watson is suspended, Jacoby Brissett will have to step up. That will likely force the Browns into a more rush-heavy attack. If Watson manages to play this season, the pass game will be much more dominant.
Health Analysis – Chubb suffered a gruesome knee dislocation back in college and rebounded nicely from the injury. In his first two NFL seasons he appeared in all 16 games, but in the last two seasons he has missed seven games as he’s battled an MCL sprain, a calf strain, and a rib injury. Consider Chubb a somewhat risky second round pick.
| ATT | YDS | TD | YDS/A | YDS/G | ATT/G |
| 228 | 1259 | 8 | 5.5 | 88.9 | 16.3 |
