D'Onta

Foreman

Foreman saw an uptick in utilization towards the end of the season following season-ending injuries to Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford, but he struggled with the opportunity in an offense that went 24 consecutive drives without a touchdown before a fourth quarter touchdown in Week 18. The soon-to-be unrestricted free agent ends the 2024 season with 71 carries for 232 yards and no touchdowns, adding just six receptions.

Foreman may have exited this game as the Browns’ only healthy running back. Both Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (head) suffered injuries and Ford logged just one offensive snap after returning. Foreman is a touchdown-dependent RB4 against the Ravens in Week 17.

Foreman’s first and only touches of the day came on the Browns’ first drive of the game. A 66-yard run by Jerome Ford kickstarted the drive before the Browns worked their way down to the Bengals’ two-yard line. Foreman would pick up one yard on his first carry since Week 8, but was stonewalled at the goal-line on his second carry and lost a fumble. It would be the last we would hear of Foreman, who will have no fantasy value in next week’s game against the Dolphins.

Ford’s first 100-yard performance of the entire season came as Nick Chubb departed with a third quarter foot injury. Chubb’s issue has since been revealed as a fracture, making Ford the RB1 for the season’s final three weeks. 62 of his yards this afternoon came on a third quarter house call where he cut back outside and found the edge sealed by strong blocking. With Chubb down, D’Onta Foreman will return from the healthy scratch list, but Ford will be firmly in the RB2 mix against the Bengals. That’s if Cleveland sticks with Jameis Winston under center. Dorian Thompson-Robinson would threaten to make the Browns’ offense non-functional.

Even with snowy, swirling conditions descending on Cleveland for Thursday Night Football, the Browns decided they didn’t need Foreman active as an extra pair of legs out of the backfield. The 28-year-old is going to have a frosty free agent market next March.

Foreman is once again a healthy scratch. That leaves Nick Chubb as the Browns’ lead back, with Jerome Ford chipping in on passing down duties. Chubb has struggled in his first couple games back from his 2023 knee injury but has a nice matchup Sunday against a struggling Saints front seven.

Foreman is a healthy scratch after seeing seven touches in the last two games for Cleveland. Jerome Ford — finally past his hamstring injury — and Pierre Strong will backup Nick Chubb today. Denzel Ward (concussion) is active for the Browns after initially being declared questionable, which should help hold down the Chargers’ passing attack today. Hicks was declared out Friday with an elbow/triceps listing, Zappe is the third quarterback, the other three are healthy scratches.

Strong was the backup to the returning Nick Chubb, getting four touches in the Browns’ Week 7 loss. He saw much of the backfield looks in the second half, working ahead of D’Onta Foreman, who had two carries for five yards. With Jerome Ford (hamstring) out, the Browns’ backfield is going to run through Chubb with some of Strong and Foreman. Neither of the two are fantasy relevant unless both Ford and Chubb are out.

This feels like a thinly veiled way of saying Chubb won’t step into his normal workload when he returns on Sunday against the Bengals. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the brutal nature of his injury and the time he’s spent just to get back on the field. With Jerome Ford (hamstring) listed as a DNP on Wednesday, it’s possible Pierre Strong, who led the backfield in Week 6, could work behind Chubb as the change-of-pace and/or third-down back. Fantasy managers eager to insert Chubb into their lineup should temper expectations in what could be a limited return to the field in his first game back.

Ford’s time as the lead back was winding down with Nick Chubb likely to be activated from injured reserve in the near future anyway, so fantasy managers in questionable roster situations can probably safely discard him if they need space. Week-to-week has been the new injury buzz word this week from coaches and it’s likely that Ford is set to miss at least a week, perhaps two, with the hamstring injury he suffered in the first quarter. D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong would get a crack in a committee if Chubb isn’t ready for Week 7 against the Bengals.