I think it’s safe to say that we’re all pulling for Nick Chubb. To see the veteran RB build himself back up from a devastating knee injury has been inspirational. It’s truly the reason the NFL has an award like Comeback Player of the Year. However, we now have a four-game sample of Chubb as a raw fantasy asset and he hasn’t been overly impressive. Is it time to sit him on the bench in a tough matchup and on a short week this Thursday?
Chubb returned to the field in Week 7 against the Bengals. He logged a 35.7% snap share and finished with 22 rushing yards on 11 carries. He was able to find the end zone, however, which gave him 10.2 FPTS — a fantasy output that is still his highest of the season. In total, Chubb is averaging 3.1 yards per carry in 2024 and just 40.8 yards per contest. He’s also caught only two passes, which is symptomatic of the fact that the Browns are using Chubb strictly on early downs where the team has the intention to run.
In fact, Chubb is only averaging 11.5 routes per contest and a microscopic 0.13 yards per route run. He’s been a complete non-factor in Cleveland’s aerial attack and it’s why he’s producing a paltry 0.21 PPR fantasy points per snap — the second-lowest mark of the 38 running backs who have seen at least 25 rushing attempts since the beginning of Week 7. This would be an issue in a vacuum, but it’s even more of a problem when Chubb is employed by a Browns squad that is consistently in negative scripts. Chubb saw a 59.4% snap share in his team’s Week 8 victory over the Ravens. In the three starts Chubb has made in Cleveland losses, he’s not had a single snap rate above 36%.
Admittedly, Week 12 is a difficult time to get too picky with your season-long fantasy lineups. There are six teams on bye and that means we’ll be without Alvin Kamara, Bijan Robinson, Breece Hall, James Cook and Chase Brown at the RB position. Still, the Steelers are surrendering the fourth-fewest opponent rushing yards per game (90.8) and the second-fewest opponent points per game (16.2). This is a nightmarish matchup for a running back that hasn’t even produced in the best of spots. Maybe Chubb still has enough name value to warrant a FLEX opportunity in a standard league, but in PPR and DFS, I wouldn’t touch him with a 30-foot pole.
Start or Sit Nick Chubb? Sit.
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
