Jerome Ford start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is finally here and opening weekend will continue on Sunday with the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Cleveland Browns for an AFC North showdown at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.

The Browns had a miserable 3-14 campaign one year ago and there’s not much expectation for them to improve upon that this season. There are questions abound for the offense in particular and one of the pieces tasked with shouldering the load is returning running back Jerome Ford. He enters the year with an ADP (average draft position) in the 48-50 range across multiple scoring formats according to FantasyPros, making him a solid backup option for fantasy managers.

Below, we’ll go over Ford’s outlook in fantasy football for Week 1.

Ford ended up leading the Browns in rushing last season despite backing up Nick Chubb for much of the campaign. The 2022 fifth-round pick didn’t quite reach the highs of his excellent season the year prior, but he did post solid numbers with 565 rushing yards off 104 carries and three touchdowns. He was also active in the passing game with 37 receptions for 225 receiving yards and that allowed him to finish as the No. 33 RB in PPR leagues.

Second-round rookie Quinshon Judkins signed his rookie contract this weekend, but he will not play in Week 1. Ford has an open lane to be the featured workhorse back for the Browns this season. Considering his ADP heading into the opener, there’s a chance that he could be a draft steal for whoever scooped him up.

Start. Ford made the most of his touches last season, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. The Bengals, meanwhile, were extremely vulnerable against the run and it’s not a surprise that Ford carved them up for 92 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 last year. With more opportunities as Cleveland’s starter, it would not be a surprise to see him make a statement in the opener. He could prove to be an effective Flex option for managers moving forward.