Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Tyler Allgeier

Thursday, January 2, 2:02 PM

Cleveland Browns running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong Jr. (concussion) have both been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Ford sprained his ankle in the Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins and will be unavailable to play in the final game of the season. With Nick Chubb (foot) getting a late start in 2024 while recovering from a gruesome knee injury he suffered in 2023, Ford opened 2024 as Cleveland's RB1 and will finish the year as their leading rusher with 104 rushing attempts for 565 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and a team-high-tying three rushing touchdowns. With both Ford and Strong out this weekend, D'Onta Foreman will be in play as a low-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers as the team's lead back. John Kelly should serve as his backup.

Saturday, January 4, 2:42 PM

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier should be viewed as a risky RB3 heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Last weekend Allgeier saw just three attempts during their overtime loss to the Washington Commanders. However, during Weeks 13 through 16, Allgeier ran the ball an average of ten times per game. While Allgeier may see a similar workload as he did during that stretch this Sunday, he only averaged 6.0 PPR points per game over this previous span which suggests he has a limited ceiling playing behind Bijan Robinson. Despite facing a weak Carolina Panthers defense that has allowed the most PPR points to opposing running backs, the BYU product projects to be a risky RB3 given his minimal role in the Atlanta offense as the clear No.2 option in the backfield.