Week 12 sees a tough game for Nick Chubb and the Cleveland Browns, as they host AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers, with both teams having starkly different seasons. Fans of the 2-8 Browns have had a rough time of it with their on-field product for much of the season, and watching the Steelers go 8-2 has not been easy on them either.
The weather for tonight’s game is expected to be cold, wet and occasionally windy, with a real chance of snow, which could work nicely for running backs. In much the same way that the Steelers’ RBs have good fantasy value tonight, the Browns duo of Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford should be in for a high workload.
Given Chubb is the RB1 and one of the best RBs the league has to offer, albeit coming off a serious knee injury, he is a must-start tonight. Even though the Steelers rank fourth against the run in 2024, allowing 90.8 yards per game and a season total of 8 TDs, Chubb’s volume projects to be good tonight.
Meanwhile, although Ford has not had a great season (279 rushing yards, 1 TD in 8 games) and is now RB2 in Cleveland, he still could have RB2/flex value in a run-heavy game. The concern is that given the Browns’ problems offensively this season, they might find themselves with a poor game script, which would damage Ford’s outlook considerably. If you are in a pinch at RB, start Ford as your RB2 and hope he gets his second TD of the season tonight.
Nick Chubb’s points range: 6-20; Prediction: 13
Jerome Ford’s points range: 2-14; Prediction: 8
How have Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford fared against the Steelers?
The last time Nick Chubb faced the Steelers, he suffered a serious knee injury that finished his 2023 season in Week 2. Over the course of 10 games against Pittsburgh, Chubb has recorded 717 rushing yards and 3 TDs (2 rush TD, 1 rec TD), averaging 71.7 yards and 0.2 TDs per game. Chubb feels likely to beat his average yards against the Steelers tonight, and if you were to pick a Brown to get in the endzone, it would probably be him.
Meanwhile, Jerome Ford has featured against the Steelers only once and recorded 31 yards and a TD on 12 carries. Ford is a risky start tonight, given the Steelers’ defense and the concerns that the Browns may end up chasing the game, but with the projected conditions, he could offer RB-desperate teams a real chance at some solid yards and a TD.