We broke down our response to the Nick Chubb injury this week in a round table. This is to give you more strategies to address the loss of a running back like Nick Chubb.
What do you do when you lose Nick Chubb?
Do Not Panic
If you lose a Nick Chubb-level running back, it will hurt your team. But this will not sink your team. Overall, about 6 to 12 running backs will produce a win over replacement in a season. Last year, in Superflex formats, it was 6, and Chubb himself produced 1.1 wins over replacement in 2022.
Does the loss of Chubb’s production hurt your lineup? Yes.
Does it sink your team? No.
You can still win the championship. The injury does not force you into a rebuild.
Understand the Nature of the Position
The running back position is a week-to-week position.
You will not find a one-for-one replacement for Chubb’s production in a trade without harming your lineup.
Instead of trying to replace Chubb, recreate the player in the aggregate. The nature of the running back position allows this better than any other position.
Your goal is to replace his lineup spot one week at a time. Worry about Week 3 in Week 3. Then worry about Week 4 in Week 4. And do not worry about Week 10 until Week 10.
One of the weaknesses of the running back position is the high injury rate. Starters like Chubb can suffer injuries in a manner that hurts your lineup. However, the strength of the running back position is when there are injuries to starters, backup running backs can get clarified starting opportunities with good workloads. When a wide receiver or tight end starter is injured, there is rarely a clear opportunity for the backup to match the workload of the starter. However, when a running back starter is out, there is a clear opportunity for a starting workload on a week-to-week basis.
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