Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Jaleel McLaughlin

Sunday, September 1, 6:32 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (knee) is currently working his way back from an injury that cost him most of last season. The team has already placed the star back on the physically unable to perform list, which means he'll miss the first four games of the season. The hope is that Chubb would return to the field shortly after that, but that might not be the case. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the goal should be getting Chubb back by mid-season. It's worth noting that the organization did not say this, but Cabot believes it'll take Chubb longer than expected considering he tore both his ACL and MCL last season. The Browns do have Jerome Ford who proved himself to be a viable option without Chubb last season. That being said, the Browns might play it safe and ride with Chubb until he feels fully healthy to return. At the end of the day, Chubb is going to return when he's ready, so fantasy managers expecting him to suit up in Week 5 might be disappointed.

Saturday, September 7, 3:22 PM

Denver Broncos second-year running back Jaleel McLaughlin did some great things for the Broncos in his first year in the NFL in 2023 despite going undrafted out of Youngstown State. McLaughlin battled for touches with lead back Javonte Williams and third-down specialist Samaje Perine and finished with 410 rushing yards and a touchdown on 76 carries for an impressive 5.4 yards per carry. He also added 31 catches on 36 targets for 160 yards and two more scores in 17 games. McLaughlin enters his second year as the clear backup to Williams, and he's also going to have to fend off rookie Audric Estime. The Broncos have a matchup in Week 1 against a Seattle Seahawks run defense that allowed the third-most half-PPR points to RBs a year ago, but as long as Williams stays healthy, it will be hard to recommend McLaughlin as anything more than an RB4/flex. He belongs on the bench in standard 12-team leagues.