Nick Chubb Trade Value, Foreman and Top Waiver-Wire RBs After Jerome Ford's Injury

The Cleveland Browns can't stay healthy.

The latest injury was running back Jerome Ford, who was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a hamstring injury.

It it ends up being a multi-week issue, fantasy football players will need to consider alternatives. One may be coming soon in the form of Nick Chubb, with reports suggesting he'll be back in action for the first time this season in Week 7, making him a player worth targeting in trades.

Other options could come in the form of the waiver wire, and the following players should be considered this week:

• D'Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong, Cleveland Browns
• Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
• Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers
  
• Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  

It's hard to know how Chubb will look after returning from a torn ACL, PCL and MCL suffered in Week 2 of the 2023 season. It's been over a year since he's played professional football, and players don't always have the same burst after initially returning from knee issues.

He's also returning to an offense that, in a word, stinks. That is in large part due to the mediocre quarterback play of Deshaun Watson, though perhaps having a game-breaker like Chubb back in action will ease some pressure on the passing game.

Remember, before 2023 this is a player whose worst season came as a rookie, when he rushed for 996 yards and eight touchdowns. For his career, Chubb has averaged a tasty 5.3 yards per carry, and his 2022 season (1,525 yards, 12 touchdowns) was epic.

If you're trying to land him in a trade, expect to pay RB2 prices. He has the upside of a RB1, but enough question marks after a long layoff to depress his market slightly.

If you can't land Chubb and want to stick in Cleveland, Foreman is going to be a popular addition on waivers, though you would mostly be banking on Chubb being on a pitch count in his return.

On Sunday, with Ford out of action, Foreman was given 10 rushes for 31 yards, while Pierre Strong ran the ball eight times for 43 yards and also had two catches for 35 yards.

Strong, quite simply, looked better, and his showing in the pass game may make him more likely to earn platoon status with Chubb over Foreman. But both players are risky, given the uncertainty on how the backfield will shake out upon Chubb's return. If you have to pick between the two, Strong looks to be the stronger choice.

Tracy looked awesome after Devin Singletary left Week 5's game with a hamstring injury, rushing 18 times for 129 yards in relief duty. It was the sort of performance that probably earned him a bigger role going forward regardless of Singletary's injury status beyond Week 6, though it is important to note that he was only given 12 carries in his first four games.

Obviously, monitor Tracy on Sunday night to see if he can replicate Week 5's impressive showing. But if he does, the Giants will be hard-pressed to keep him as a pure backup to Singletary. At the very least, a platoon is emerging, and Tracy may be on the path to slowly taking over the lead gig.

That makes him a very valuable player to roster.

This analysis will be very simple—any starting running back for the San Francisco 49ers is, at worst, a flex consideration. And if Jordan Mason can't go in Week 7, Isaac Guerendo becomes a very valuable addition to your fantasy team.

In relief duty on Thursday, he rushed 10 times for 99 yards. Obviously, you want to monitor Mason's health going forward, but Guerendo is the sort of waiver addition that could win the week for you, even if he's a short-term option.

Who?

With Rachaad White out on Sunday, Tucker absolutely exploded for 136 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries, adding three receptions for 56 yards and another score.

More importantly, he outplayed Bucky Irving, though the rookie was still very solid against the New Orleans Saints, rushing 14 times for 81 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 24 yards.

White has been decent this season, but he has a reputation for leaving a lot of the meat on the bone. The duo of Tucker and Irving, meanwhile, completely popped off against New Orleans.

Tucker is a risky add, given that White likely will remain a part of the backfield once he returns from injury. But the eye test, and the numbers, suggest that both Tucker and Irving may be the better options for this backfield, and if that duo enters a platoon going forward, Tucker could have legitimate flex upside the rest of the way.

Add him as a stash if you can afford the roster spot.