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Monday update: Chubb has sprained his MCL and is expected to miss 6 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport. Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson will split work in his absence.
The Cleveland Browns won a wild one over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, but it came with a cost. Running back Nick Chubb injured his knee and was unable to return to the game. Following the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski told the media they are not sure how serious the injury is and Chubb will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Browns replacement options
Kareem Hunt had been Chubb’s running mate through the first three weeks. After Chubb went down, Hunt ended up splitting work with third string back D’Ernest Johnson the rest of the way. Johnson led the team with 13 carries for 95 yards while Hunt had 11 carries for 71 yards and two touchdowns.
Entering the game, most fantasy managers would have projected Hunt as Chubb’s replacement. Now, it’s not quite as clear. That being said, both impressed and offer fantasy value if Chubb misses time. Hunt is rostered in most leagues, while Johnson is rostered in virtually none. Johnson is worth a waiver claim if Chubb is going to miss any time.
Week 5 fantasy waiver wire considerations
The running back position isn’t exactly stacked on the waiver wire. Johnson is worth a grab, but you’ll want to get some other claims down. The Los Angeles Chargers offer some value with Austin Ekeler expected to miss some time with knee and hamstring injuries. Joshua Kelley has been Ekeler’s backup, but Justin Jackson is also in the mix. Kelley’s fumble issues could cost him, but for now he is worth the priority over Jackson.
The New England Patriots offer some options in Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel, both of whom are currently rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues. It’s tough to tell which Patriots back gets the workload in any given week, so Monday’s potential Patriots-Chiefs game will tell us more.
Some high scorers in Week 4 readily available on waiver wires include Chase Edmonds, Reggie Bonnafon, Tony Pollard, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Of that group, Vaughn has some upside if Leonard Fournette doesn’t recover soon. Edmonds remains behind Kenyan Drake, but the latter has struggled enough that Edmonds could be an intriguing flier. Meanwhile, Pollard is firmly behind Ezekiel Elliott and Bonnafon is behind an impressive looking Mike Davis until Christian McCaffrey returns from his injury.