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Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Ford has been the biggest name of the waiver wire in the early 2023 season, coming after starting RB Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ford cost fantasy managers a large majority, if not all, of their FAAB budget for the season. Some managers are already finding themselves having a bit of buyer's remorse as the Browns quickly signed RB Kareem Hunt to rejoin their backfield after a short stint in free agency.
Who will be the lead back in Cleveland in Chubb’s absence? Should you start Jerome Ford in Week 3? Let’s take a closer look.
Be sure to also check our other Week 14 fantasy football waiver wire pickups articles:- Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Waiver Wire Rankings for Week 14
What is Jerome Ford's Role in the Cleveland Offense?
HC Kevin Stefanski has reiterated throughout the week that Ford will be Brown's starting RB moving forward. Which makes sense, as Ford exploded for 106 yards on 16 carries in Week 2 when he replaced Chubb.
As for Ford’s Week 3 matchup, he’ll be going against a Tennessee Titans run defense that has not been kind to opposing running backs, allowing an average of only 65 total rushing yards a game.
On top of that, the Tennessee Titans have allowed an average of only 7.9 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, good for the lowest mark in the league. It will be an extremely tough test for the University of Cincinnati product looking to establish himself as a starter in the league.
Should I start Jerome Ford in Week 3?
While he may have the toughest matchup of any running back in fantasy football this week, Ford is guaranteed a favorable amount of volume this week that does put him ahead of a number of other starting RBs in Week 3.
On top of his 16 carries in Week 2, Ford caught three of his four targets in the Brown’s Week 2 loss to the Steelers, which is an encouraging sign that the second-year RB will not only be getting a lot of touches on the ground but will be a factor in the receiving game as well.
For those who acquired Ford this week or already had him rostered as a replacement/handcuff to Chubb, it’s unlikely you have a bench RB who will be receiving the volume and workload that Ford will have on Sunday. If that’s the case, then you should be looking to include Ford in your Week 3 lineup despite his tough matchup.
For those who acquired Ford yet have depth in the RB position aside from him, it’s likely another starting RB on your roster will have an easier fantasy matchup which might make him worth keeping on the bench for this matchup.
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