Will Nick Chubb Play in Week 1? Fantasy Football Injury Update

Will Nick Chubb play for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025? Will Nick Chubb be healthy enough to play in Week 1? John breaks down the latest Nick Chubb injury news for fantasy football.

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb returned to play for the Cleveland Browns last season after a devastating knee injury prematurely ended his 2023 season just two weeks in. Chubb had his knee bent 90 degrees the wrong way as his foot was planted in the ground, and he was tackled by two players at once. 

The gruesome injury's impacts could be felt by him for the rest of his life, and likely greatly reduced his effectiveness as a football player. In fantasy football, it's unlikely we ever see him have the upside he once had as one of the league's best tailbacks.

Those days are over. That doesn't mean that Chubb immediately becomes an irrelevant player, though. With the injury to the team's previous lead running back, Joe Mixon (foot/ankle), it's worth exploring whether Chubb will play this season, whether he'll be ready for Week 1, and his fantasy football outlook, so let's get to it!

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Will Nick Chubb Play This Season?

Yes. He actually doesn't have an injury designation right now. Though he broke his foot late in the 2024 season, he appears to have fully recovered from that. Of course, players have injuries that linger for the rest of their careers, and it's possible he's still dealing with issues relating to his old knee injury or more recent foot ailment.

Still, when a player doesn't have an injury designation, you have to assume they're fully healthy. It would defeat the purpose of paying attention to injuries if you didn't. Chubb is now 29 years old, so the age-related fall off in production aside from injuries might not be about to hit him just yet.

Breaking: Nick Chubb is out for the season with a knee injury, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski announced. pic.twitter.com/rKHJagQY39

— ESPN (@espn) September 19, 2023

His original knee injury, as reported above, is now nearly two years behind him.

Will Nick Chubb Play In Week 1?

With no injury designation hanging over his head, we can also assume that Chubb will play during Week 1 of the 2025 season. It would be strange to assume he wasn't. Chubb hasn't reportedly picked up any more injuries in offseason practice, training camp, or during his private workouts.

It's notable that he had devastating injuries to the same knee twice in his career -- once in college and once in the NFL. It was remarkable that he was able to recover so well from his college injury and become a massive force in the big leagues. He'll always be a legend for that, especially in Cleveland Browns history.

Nick Chubb 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook

It really depends. I'm not convinced that rookie back Woody Marks is anything special. He's not particularly fast, or elusive, or good as a pass-catcher, or good with the ball in his hands after the catch. I believe Chubb is the lead back on this team as long as Mixon is out.

Mixon is likely to start the season on the NFI (Non-Football Injury) list, so Chubb should be the team's lead back. He's the best RB in the room. Backup Dameon Pierce has become almost completely irrelevant, and I think Chubb is the better player.

Nick Chubb & Dameon Pierce leading the Texans RB group pic.twitter.com/Gb9KPv2415

— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) August 19, 2025

Chubb is the clear favorite to win the starting job in Mixon's absence. If Mixon were healthy, it would have likely become a committee between the two, and that's what it should become if the former returns. So Chubb's season-long outlook isn't great.

It all depends on Mixon's health, of course. Chubb is worth a late-round flier in redraft leagues, especially non-PPR leagues, but it's hard to see the upside case for the whole season in the most likely scenario. A bench stash without much pass-catching upside isn't super exciting.

The Texans also have a horrendous offensive line right now, so it could be tough sledding for all the team's backs. For what it's worth, Chubb looked like a shadow of his former self in his return to action in 2024. There's not much chance he helps anyone make the fantasy football playoffs this year, unless Mixon is dust.

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