Browns' Nick Chubb Named Potential "Steal" For Fantasy Football Owners

If Nick Chubb returns at some point in 2024, he could end up winning people some leagues in Fantasy Football.

Sep 18, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb leaves pre-game drills before playing a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports / Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is entering 2024 with an uncertain future.

The four-time Pro Bowler suffered a devastating injury last season, tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 2. The injury has unquestionably cast a dark cloud over his status for 2024, and it has even put his NFL career in jeopardy.

There is no current timetable for Chubb, although the star halfback did leave the door open for a potential Week 1 return. That seems unrealistic, though.

Regardless, Chubb is expected by most to come back at some point in 2024, whether that's in the season opener or in the back half of the campaign. For that reason, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport has labeled Chubb a potential "league-winning steal" in Fantasy Football.

Chubb's average draft position at the current point in time is RB43, which puts him toward the end of Round 12. That's a rather precipitous drop for a guy who was generally being selected in the first round of Fantasy Football drafts in 2023.

However, as Davenport notes, Chubb's availabilty in the later rounds of the draft could make him one of the biggest bargains of the season.

After all, when healthy, the 28-year-old is one of the best running backs in football, as evidenced by him racking up 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in his most recent healthy season in 2022. Not only that, but Chubb boasts a ridiculous career average of 5.3 yards per carry. As a matter of fact, he has never logged less than five yards per attempt in any individual season.

Between 2019 and 2022, Chubb posted over 1,000 yards each year. He also logged 12 rushing scores twice during that span.

Right now, Jerome Ford is slated to be the Browns' No. 1 back heading into Week 1, and D'Onta Foreman will be sharing the backfield with him. But if Chubb retakes the field in 2024 and resembles his pre-injury form, whoever selected him in their fantasy draft will be very happy.