June 8, 2025

Cleveland Brown running back Jerome Ford is likely to start the season as the team's lead runner, however, with the selection of Quinshon Judkins early in the second round of the NFL Draft, his hold on the position was likely to be short-lived. However, Judkins is in some very hot water after domestic violence allegations led to his arrest on July 12, 2025, and the details are unsettling. while the NFL typically waits for the courts to resolve before levying punishments, given the allegations, the Commissioner's Exempt List is not out of the question. Now, Ford once again finds himself in a position to to be a rock-solid RB2 in fantasy if Judkins were to miss any time. Ford was a saving grace for fantasy managers in 2023 when Nick Chubb was lost for the season, as he posted 11 games with double-digit PPR points on his way to an RB16 finish. He followed up his breakout season right where he left off, scoring double-digit PPR points in three out of the first four games, but when Nick Chubb came back, he failed to record a single double-digit performance until the end of the season when Nick Chubb missed more time. The bottom line is that Ford is a very safe fantasy option when he is getting the lead running back touches, but there is nothing about him that stands out to the point where we could say he will hold off Judkins for most of the season, if Judkins is not suspended. He should start the year as the Brown's lead runner, but with a devastating first four matchups that likely have the Browns trailing (Bengals, Ravens, Packers, Lions), fantasy managers can expect a slow start. His ADP all off-season sat around RB61, but he has since moved up to RB54 in the few days following Judkins arrest, which is still a tremendous value given the uncertainty surrounding the explosive rookie. Fantasy managers would be wise to make Ford one of their targets in the later rounds because at worst they will get an early flex option with handcuff appeal, but at best they could land an RB2 for the season if Judkins misses extended time. Currently, everything is up in the air and there are a vast number of possibilities, but Ford costs almost nothing and the payoff could be astounding. There are not many easier picks to make near the end of drafts.--Frank Dyevoich, Esq.