Kareem Hunt - Fantasy Points Outlook

Basic Stats

RB CLE

#26 Running Back

152 Projected Points

ADP: Not Available

Bye: 13

Experience: 4 Yr(s)

Age: 26

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 216

40 Time: 4.62

Weekly Outlook

High Floor

6.3

DS Projection

8.4

Consensus

38 other sites
9

High Ceiling

13.9

Rest of
Season

8.8

Week 14 Projections

Rush Yds	Rush TDs	Rec	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	Fantasy Pts
31.2	0.4	3	23.2	0.1	8.4

Weekly Writeup

Rest Of Way Outlook

Rush Yds	Rush TDs	Rec	Rec Yds	Rec TDs	Fantasy Pts
44	0.3	2.5	20	0.1	8.8

Week 11
Cleveland designated Hunt this week to return from IR, and it sounds like he has a shot to face the Ravens this Sunday.

“We’ll see how practice goes, and I’ll make sure I’m feeling great and be able to go out there and give it my all,” he said, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.

Hunt’s last game of action came with no Nick Chubb (calf injury). Over the previous 5 weeks with Chubb, Hunt averaged 11 carries and 4.2 targets -- with healthy rates of 5.4 yards per rush and 8.76 yards per reception.

He’ll return to an offense that desperately needs the backfield to control things. Cleveland has a Week 13 bye, then a Baltimore rematch followed by clashes with the Raiders, Packers and Steelers.

Week 5
Hunt is the only RB2 that plays like an RB1 in the NFL and for fantasy. Through Week 5 Hunt has 5 TDs on just 55 attempts. That 9% TD rate only trails James White and Kenneth Gainwell for all RBs on the season. This TD rate is probably not sustainable, but it just goes to show that Hunt continues to get the high value touches in this offense. On top of his red zone usage, Hunt continues to see steady pass game work. In Week 5 Hunt saw 6 targets, catching 5 for 28 yards. This pass game role should help Hunt keep his PPR value afloat even on weeks when he doesn’t find the end zone.

Week 4
Hunt has a unique role in this offense as the Browns run so much that they can keep 2 RBs afloat. Hunt was outproduced by Nick Chubb on the day 105 to 86 in yardage, but Hunt had 4 targets and found the end zone. Finding the end zone is starting to become a coin flip between the two RBs as they have split work 4 to 3 in carries inside the 5. A key example of this is prior to Hunt scoring his TD, Chubb had a few goal line looks of his own on the same drive.
Heading into Week 5, the matchup vs. the Chargers looks solid for both RBs. The great news for Hunt owners is if the Browns fall behind to the Chargers, Hunt will be the preferred passing down back. This makes Hunt a solid flex play.

Week 3
Hunt had exactly the kind of game in Week 3 that you’re hoping for from him. He tallied 10 carries in a game the Browns controlled most of the day. And his 7 targets ranked 2nd on the team, in the 1st game since Jarvis Landry went down.

The keys to his fantasy success were 6 catches for 74 yards and an excellent 30-yard TD run to open the 4th quarter. Landry’s absence for at least 2 more games should help Hunt’s target counts. But let’s not lose sight of the fragility in his role.

Even in a 20-point victory, Hunt garnered less then half the carries Nick Chubb collected (22). It’s also worth noting that Demetric Felton drew 3 targets before Hunt’s 1st touch.

The opportunities Hunt got were also concentrated. We didn’t see Hunt until the Browns’ 3rd possession, when he took over the backfield for 2 catches and 3 carries (1 of those negated by a penalty). Hunt showed back up after the 2-minute warning of the 1st half, getting another 4 targets and 1 rushing attempt in that timeframe. Hunt also collected 5 carries on a mid-4th quarter drive that came with Cleveland up 23-6.

None of this is meant to discredit Hunt’s Week 3 production or value going forward. He’s in a position where winning handily can increase his carries, while falling behind can drive up his target count. Just keep the variance built into Hunt’s role in mind the next time he endures a dud -- as well as when you’re making weekly lineup decisions.

Week 2
Nick Chubb continues to outperform Hunt on the ground, out-gaining him 95-51, but it is notable that they evenly split carries on the week. In a close game, Hunt received 13 carries to only 11 for Chubb. This does include 3 carries to close out the game, but still a 11 to 10 split is notable in a close one. The issue for Hunt is his pass game role has been limited in games when the Browns are competitive or up big. This makes Hunt tough to trust as when he doesn’t find the end zone, he really hurts your fantasy team.
In Week 3 the Browns face the Bears, who haven’t allowed much production to the RB position in the pass game so far in 2021. Overall, this might not be the game to play Hunt, but if you think rookie QB Justin Fields will struggle in his first start then maybe the Browns run away with it which should lead to more production for Hunt.

Week 1
Hunt rushed 6 times for 33 yards and 1 TD, hauling in all 3 of his targets for 28 yards in Cleveland's Week 1 loss to Kansas City.
Hunt also added a 2-point conversion from 1 yard out after the Browns’ opening TD, which gave them an 8-0 lead. Hunt is a talented RB and was able to produce a decent fantasy game, but it will be difficult to do so going forward with starting RB Nick Chubb dominating the touches in the Browns backfield (17 to 8).
Hunt should be considered a RB3 or flex option but has a tremendous matchup in Week 2 against the Texans as 12.5-point home favorites.

Preseason Player Analysis

What You Need to Know:

After a suspension-shortened 2019, Hunt returned to play all 16 games last season. He dropped 198-841-6 plus 38-304-5 as a receiver.
Hunt confirmed his value as an overqualified handcuff. In the 5 games that Nick Chubb missed some or all of (MCL sprain), Hunt ranked as the RB13, RB14, RB32, RB8 and RB30.
The former Chief averaged 18 opportunities per game (carries + targets) over that stretch.
In the duo’s 11 full regular season games together, Hunt was out-touched 150-200.
Still, Hunt ranked as a top-24 PPR RB 6 times in 11 games with Chubb.
No surprise why, as Cleveland ranked 4th in run rate; 4th in attempts.
While volume — 5 receiving scores — helped Hunt finish as the PPR RB10, he remained a legit talent. He 3.17 yards after contact per attempt mark nearly set a career high.
Hunt also ranked 8th among 47 RBs with 100+ attempts in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating.
Nick Chubb continued to play out of his mind; his advanced metrics all topped Hunt’s. This despite both guys seeing 8+ man boxes on ~32% of their rushes.
Cleveland trotted out PFF’s top run-blocking O-line in 2020. The same 5 starters return.
The Browns return the same QB (Baker Mayfield), O-line, HC (Kevin Stefanski) and OC (Alex Van Pelt).
The Browns will get back Odell Beckham, who missed Week 8 on with an ACL tear. There’s room for this young staff and unit to improve on a macro level after ranking 13th in yards per play, 21st in total plays and 14th in points.

Draft Sharks Bottom Line

Hunt delivered for fantasy owners last year, due in part to a Nick Chubb injury. He also scored 5 times on 38 catches on a nearly 11% target share. If Odell Beckham stays healthy for most of 2021, it’ll be tough for Hunt to repeat that scoring rate.

While Hunt is a Nick Chubb injury away from RB1 value, he showed last year that he can provide value even with Chubb healthy. The problem is the former Chief is costly in summer drafts, with an ADP in Round 5.

Recent Shark Bites View All Shark Bites »

Browns RB Kareem Hunt (calf) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Ravens. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said this morning that Hunt is expected to be “eased in” in his first action since Week 6.

View all Kareem Hunt Shark Bites »

The Browns have activated RB Kareem Hunt (calf) from IR. He's expected to return for Sunday night's game against the Ravens. Check our Week 12 RB rankings to see whether Hunt makes sense for your fantasy football lineup.

View all Kareem Hunt Shark Bites »

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said Friday that he expects RB Kareem Hunt (calf) to play vs. the Ravens on Sunday night. Hunt has been out since Week 6 but returned to practice this week. In 5 games alongside RB Nick Chubb this season, Hunt has averaged 11.0 carries and 4.2 targets to Chubb's 18 carries and 1 target. Expect a similar workload split this weekend.

View all Kareem Hunt Shark Bites »

Browns RB Kareem Hunt (calf) has been designated to return from IR. That means he'll return to practice this week, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll play vs. the Ravens on Sunday night. We'll keep an eye on Hunt's progress over the next few days. Cleveland would need to activate him by 4 pm ET on Saturday if he's going to play vs. Baltimore.

View all Kareem Hunt Shark Bites »

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski expects to get RB Kareem Hunt (calf) back at practice this week and is "hopeful" he'll be able to play vs. the Ravens on Sunday. Hunt has been sidelined since Week 6. Once healthy, he should return to a significant role behind RB Nick Chubb in what will continue to be a run-centric Cleveland offense.

View all Kareem Hunt Shark Bites »

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