Getty Gallery: 4/7
Start: RB Nick Chubb at Steelers
Sit: RB Carlos Hyde vs. Eagles
The Browns trading away Carlos Hyde cleared the way for Chubb to be a plug and play RB2 with upside the rest of the season. Chubb does not have a great matchup this week against the Steelers, who are only giving up 97.8 rushing yards per game. However, talent always trumps matchup when considering who to put in your fantasy lineup.
Chubb rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Bucs in his first game as a starter. Chubb averaged 4.4 yards per carry and can have even bigger fantasy days if the Browns figure out how to utilize him in the passing game.
The Browns used an early second-round pick on Chubb, so it was only a matter of time before he was given more work. Earlier this month, Hue Jackson noted they needed to get Chubb more carries. GM John Dorsey took the decision out of his hands by trading away Hyde.
"No, just have to give him more carries," Jackson told Cleveland.com in early October. "There is nothing holding him back. We just have to stick him out there...We need to do a better job of making sure that he has a series or two each half and go from there...I watched those two touchdowns on tape today, and they were even better than they were on the field. He ran away from some people on the first one and ran away from some people on the second one. It just looked natural and easy. He was gone."
You should feel comfortable starting Chubb in your lineup going forward.
The Jaguars Running Backs Get a Bad Matchup Against the Eagles Defense
The Hyde trade appeared to open up fantasy opportunities for both Hyde and Chubb. Unfortunately, Hyde was inactive for the Jags against the Texans. This week, Hyde is expected to play, but he faces one of the best rushing defenses in the league. The Eagles are ranked No. 2 in rushing yards allowed as Philly is giving up just 85.7 yards.
The Jaguars want to run the ball, but it is hard to predict how they are going to split carries between Hyde and T.J. Yeldon. The combination of usage questions and the tough matchup makes Hyde a sit for this week. Hyde should be a start in Week 9 against the Colts, but leave him on your bench for Week 8.
Since beating up on the Patriots, the Jaguars have been on a downward tailspin. After another loss, Jagurs head coach Doug Marrone said every position is up for grabs, which makes the offense hard to predict from a fantasy perspective.
“We’ve lost three straight games and we can’t stop shooting ourselves in the foot for lack of a better expression," Marrone said per Big Cat Country. "For us, the focus is going to be on that, but if you’re that side of the football…everything, special teams. We’ve got to do something, but the first thing we’ve got to do is stop turning the damn ball over. Period. That would be the positive of how we can build.”