D'Onta Foreman's Preseason Player Analysis

Bottom Line

There could be opportunity for Foreman in Cleveland if Nick Chubb doesn’t start the season on time or suffers any in-season setbacks. But Foreman’s lack of receiving and replacement-level status means you shouldn’t expect difference-making contributions. He’s best applied as a RB5-6 in best ball and deep reserve in non-PPR redraft leagues.

What We Learned Last Year

• Foreman can produce on the ground when given the chance. Actually, we didn’t learn that last year, because he also did so for two other teams the previous two seasons.
• His 2023 time in Chicago included a RB1 overall finish in a Week 7 win over the Raiders, as well as an RB13 finish in a narrow Week 10 victory over Carolina.
• Both games fell within a five-week stretch that saw Foreman garner 15+ carries four times. (The other was a lopsided loss at the Chargers.)
  • Foreman averaged 16.2 carries and 70.2 yards per game over that span, with 4.3 yards per carry.
  • His RB1 week also included a 3-31-1 receiving line on five targets, but Foreman caught just eight other passes for the year.
• Interestingly, the Bears included Foreman in Week 1, giving carries to him, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson – but then deactivated Foreman for the next four games.
  • A Herbert high-ankle sprain in Week 5 presented the midseason opportunity.
  • Foreman suffered his own ankle injury in Week 10, though, aggravated it in Week 11, missed Week 12 (ahead of the bye), and then ceded the backfield to Herbert and Johnson the rest of the way.

What to Expect in 2024

• Foreman signed a one-year deal with the Browns for just under $1.3 million in March. That’s less than he got in one-year pacts with the Bears and Panthers the previous two years.
• Foreman joins an uncertain backfield in the wake of Nick Chubb’s injury.
  • Chubb tore the ACL and MCL – along with other damage – in his left knee last September and required multiple surgeries.
  • Neither he nor the team has presented a timeline yet for Chubb’s expected return to full action.
• Jerome Ford led the backfield in touches and fantasy production after Chubb’s injury last, sharing work with Kareem Hunt. The team hasn’t re-signed Hunt this offseason.
• The Browns did import RB Nyheim Hines. Though he’s coming off his own July 2023 ACL tear and likely comes in as more returner than backfield contributor.
• Foreman ranked among the top two RBs on his team in carries each of the past three seasons and averaged at least 11.9 per game each time.
• But he has also averaged just 0.7 receptions per game for his career. And his lack of a second contract after each of the past three seasons positions Foreman as a replaceable player.