Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Jonathon Brooks

Sunday, September 15, 5:46 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford carried the ball seven times for 64 yards and caught one pass for no gain in an 18-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. Ford ripped off a 36-yard run on fourth-and-one in the second quarter, setting the Browns up for a 38-yard field goal. Besides that big play, however, Ford was quiet as he lost work to D'Onta Foreman (14 carries) and Pierre Strong Jr. (two touches). Foreman's usage is a concerning development for fantasy managers rostering Ford after he handled all but four of the running-back touches back in Week 1. Ford is looking like more of an RB3/flex option heading into Week 3 against the New York Giants.

Sunday, September 1, 9:52 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) will miss at least the first four games of the regular season after he was placed on the PUP list amidst his torn ACL recovery. This will delay Brooks' NFL debut, and he'll face an uphill battle to emerge as the Panthers' No. 1 running back once he's healthy. While Brooks is undoubtedly the Panthers' franchise running back, it could be difficult for him to win the job over Chuba Hubbard in the middle of the season while recovering from a serious injury and still acclimating to the NFL caliber of play. In other words, a Week 5 return wouldn't necessarily mean he'd warrant a spot in your Week 5 starting lineup. At the very least, fantasy managers should tamper expectations when Brooks gets healthy and be prepared to exercise patience as he gets adjusted to the NFL.