300 Words — Kareem Hunt

The least valuable elite RB in fantasy

Kareem Hunt has been an incredibly productive RB in his first 2 seasons in the NFL. He finished 2017 and 2018 as a top fantasy option and is undoubtedly talented enough to repeat this feat on a weekly basis once he returns from suspension in week 10.

He’s currently being drafted in the 8th round, and it’s a terrible idea. Not because it’s too late to draft him, but because it’s far too early. He should be drafted in the 10th round or later. Probably the 11th.

Hunt has incredible upside. In 2018 he averaged more points per game through the first 11 weeks of the season than any other back, but he’s no longer in the RB-friendly environment of Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s no longer in the spotlight of his backfield. In his new home, Cleveland, Nick Chubb is being touted as a franchise running back, and the Browns have reason to feature him throughout the season.

Even though the Browns just offloaded Duke Johnson Jr. to the Texans, there’s no reason to have confidence that Hunt will have any role to speak of once he returns.

Hunt proponents will point out that Le’Veon Bell’s 2016 second round draft price was worth the 3 games that they had to wait for his suspension to . While this was true of Bell’s situation, he was coming back to a surefire role as a productive lead back. Hunt is not.

Hunt’s 8 game suspension, plus the Browns’ bye week, means that you’ll be one bench spot down for 10 weeks of the season, all for the chance for him to split carries with Chubb.

Hunt is being drafted, on average, 3 rounds earlier than backs like Devin Singletary and Jaylen Samuels, both of which have RB1 upside and are eligible to play week 1.