Nick Chubb start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

Houston Texans travel to take on the Los Angeles Rams as 3-point underdogs in a game with a 43.5 point over/under. Both teams won their division with a 10-7 record last season, and advanced to the Divisional Round where the Texans lost to the Chiefs and the Rams lost to the Eagles. Both teams have strong pieces, but they also have weaknesses that could derail their season and we wouldn’t be all that surprised.

The Texans weakness last year was their offensive line and it appears to still be their weakness coming into the season. Last year their lead back Joe Mixon performed admirably, rushing for over a thousand yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. Unfortunately Mixon is dealing with a foot injury which will keep him out for at least four weeks and maybe more. That leaves former Browns star Nick Chubb as the lead back. Last season Chubb was not good after returning from yet another knee injury. Of course, there is hope that the further removed from his injury, the healthier he’ll be. But, at 29 and showing obvious decline, he’s not going to return to previous form completely.

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

The Rams were middling against the run last year, but did add run stopper Poona Ford to the mix this offseason. They should be better, which would make them above average. While the Texans offensive line is easily one of the worst in the league. Chubb will need to find running room between the tackles, as he won’t get much usage as a receiver. The lead role does come with the benefit of goal line work and the Texans have one of the best receivers in the league with Nico Collins, so there could be opportunities for a short touchdown.

Sit. I don’t foresee Chubb putting up good yardage or receptions in this matchup. His usage should be good enough for a deep flex spot, but he’ll need to find the end zone to be worth a start.

Start. Chubb becomes a bit safer in standard leagues, as a short touchdown would help him more with non-PPR setting than it would PPR. We saw Joe Mixon rack up 12 touchdowns last season, so it’s not out of question, but Mixon was better than Chubb is at this point.