Getty Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb
Fans of the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and fantasy football owners are all losing their minds currently. And each one is for a very different reason. On Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell piece of news, revealing the Browns have traded starting running back Carlos Hyde to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Browns are trading RB Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville, source tells ESPN.
For the Jaguars, this gives them a legitimately strong replacement for Leonard Fournette until he returns from injury. But the Browns? Well, that opens the door for an all-rookie starting backfield of Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb in Week 7 and beyond.
Fantasy owners of both Hyde and Chubb have to be ecstatic about this news, but let’s take a look at what the deal means for the latter’s fantasy value.
What Carlos Hyde Trade Means for Nick Chubb’s Fantasy Value
For those fantasy football players who held onto Chubb and decided against releasing him, that decision just paid off in a big way. The former George running back will get his chance to shine, and it’s well-deserved. Through six games and a very limited workload, Chubb has tallied 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries.
The team’s decision to move Hyde means that Chubb should finally get his opportunity to run the backfield. While Duke Johnson will still have a big role through the air, almost all of Hyde’s snaps will likely go to the rookie second-round pick. Last week, Hyde played 32 offensive snaps to just seven for Chubb, while out-snapping him 28-11 in Week 5, per Football Outsiders.
Johnson actually led the backfield in snaps over both weeks, and he’ll remain the main pass-catching option for the Browns. But the big key for Chubb will be the increased workload. Hyde received at least 14 carries in every game this season while going above 22 in three of six. Based on the early return from the rookie, if the Browns opt to give him 14-plus carries per game, he should be an exceptional fantasy football option.
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