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 is likely to be short-lived. 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. 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), I'd be trying to get Judkins in as many drafts as I can and leave the inevitable frustration that Ford managers will face to one of your league mates. The problem is that it is not a secret since Judkins' ADP is currently RB28 and Ford is going undrafted at RB61. I'd expect that number to climb as it becomes apparent throughout the offseason that he will be the Browns' RB1 to start the year, but it is a struggle to find any upside to drafting him.--Frank Dyevoich, Esq.