Week 8 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Will this be Kareem Hunt's swan song with the Browns? His name has been floated around as a potential trade candidate in the final year of his contract. With the trade deadline on Tuesday, this could be Hunt's final game in Cleveland and maybe he'll want a fresh start. He has seen just ten touches over the last two games for a grand total of 20 yards. He created somewhat of a fantasy day last week by scoring a touchdown. He has taken seemingly even more of a backseat to Chubb and needs touchdowns to salvage a fantasy day. He's barely a flex option this week against a good run defense in Cincinnati.
Week 7 at Baltimore Ravens
With the Browns in catch-up mode almost all day against the Patriots, Kareem Hunt saw his worst output of the season, seeing just four touches for 12 yards. The Ravens are an easier matchup for the Browns, so they should be able to get back to running the football and Hunt should get back to his normal load of about 10-13 carries, putting him in his weekly flex territory.
Week 6 vs. New England Patriots
Kareem Hunt scored his third touchdown of the season (second rushing) last week against the Chargers, but his role and his numbers have become well-defined. He gets about 10-13 carries and will reach about 50 yards rushing with a few catches sprinkled in. That's pretty much what you can expect at this point and if you're good with that, throw him into your flex position. Keep in mind the Patriots have been strong against opposing running backs this season.
Week 5 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Kareem Hunt has been pretty consistent this season with 10-15 rushes and a few catches. At this point, we know the role he'll get for the Browns and his fantasy day depends on him finding the end zone, which he hasn't done since Week 1. He continues to be a flex play, at best, but he has some upside in a very favorable matchup against the Chargers, No. 30 in our RB matchup rankings (No. 32 being the easiest).
Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons
Kareem Hunt continues to see between 11-13 carries each week and hovers around 50 yards rushing per game. He also has recorded multiple catches in all three games so far. While he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1, his usage is still flex-worthy, since you know he'll at least be used a decent amount each week.
Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns are showing there is plenty of room for two very solid fantasy options. Kareem Hunt played about half the offensive snaps against the Jets and once again saw double-digit rushing attempts. He is averaging over four years per carry and continues to be used in the passing game. He gets enough work to be used as a flex and this week, he faces a Steelers defense that ranks 22nd in run defense through two weeks and will still be without T.J. Watt. He is even close to RB2 territory at this rate.
Week 2 vs. New York Jets
While Nick Chubb is going to continue seeing the bulk of the carries in Cleveland, Kareem Hunt is still very much involved in the passing game. He caught all four of his targets for 24 yards and had both a rushing and receiving touchdown against the Panthers. The touchdowns are always tough to predict, but it's a safe bet Hunt will continue to see targets in the passing game, and in half-PPR, that's enough to make him a flex option. He'll also see around 10 carries, so he has a chance to do some work on the ground, as well. Cleveland can handle two fantasy-relevant running backs.
Week 1 at Carolina Panthers
Injuries put a damper on Hunt's 2021 season, but early on, Kareem Hunt was doing just fine, with five touchdowns in his first six games. Even though he wanted to be traded earlier this offseason due to a lack of a new contract, Hunt should still see enough work to be a viable flex option this week against the Panthers, especially with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Hunt can easily see 10-15 carries and get a few targets in the passing game. He ranks just outside our top 30 for this week.
2022 Fantasy Upside
The Cleveland Browns are very fortunate to have a running back like Kareem Hunt as their RB2. Before injuries struck in Week 7, Hunt was seeing at least ten carries and at least 50 yards with four touchdowns. He also was eating up receptions out of the backfield, with 20 in the first six games. That’s a pace of 56 catches over a full season. Not bad for a backup.
2022 Fantasy Downside
Of course, the reason he is Cleveland’s RB2 is because that Nick Chubb guy is pretty darn good. And Cleveland also really likes D’Ernest Johnson, who saw 100 carries last season. So this is a true three-headed monster of which Hunt is not the main attraction. So it’s going to be tough to figure out which back, particularly between Hunt and Johnson, will shine each week behind Chubb.
2022 Bottom Line
Despite being in a three-headed monster, Hunt still has solid fantasy value as Cleveland loves running the football (9th-most rushing attempts in 2021). Hunt also is typically the pass-catching running back for the Browns. Obviously, the quarterback situation will dictate a lot. Regardless, Hunt is a very fine flex option with RB2 upside.
Week 16 at Steelers
Kareem Hunt missed practice on Thursday, which casts doubt on his chances at returning this week. If he does come back, you'd have to think that he gets a limited workload and takes a backseat to Chubb. While the matchup is great, it's not a good idea to trust Hunt coming off an injury in the fantasy finals.
