Strong (back) had 63 carries for 291 yards and one touchdown to go with five catches for 47 yards on eight targets while appearing in all 17 regular-season games.
Strong spent his rookie season with the Patriots in 2022 but was traded to the Browns in August. Nick Chubb's season-ending knee injury opened up an opportunity, but the Browns promoted Jerome Ford to the top of the depth chart and re-signed Kareem Hunt, leaving Strong in a little-used third-string role. Chubb is expected to be recovered by the start of the 2024 season, and Ford remains on hand as well, so Strong's usage isn't projected to increase moving forward. On a positive note, the back injury that kept Strong from playing in the team's wild-card round loss to Houston last weekend isn't expected to affect his availability moving forward.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Questionable versus Houston
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Strong (back) is listed as questionable for Cleveland's wild-card matchup against Houston on Saturday, Mary Kay Cabot of Celveland.com reports.
Strong suffered a back injury during the team's season finale, which has cast doubt on his availability for Saturday's playoff game. If the 2022 fourth-round pick ends up being unable to play, James Proche should handle Cleveland's kick-return duties.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Manages limited practice Wednesday
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Strong (back) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
Strong was unable to practice Tuesday, so his presence at Wednesday's session represents a step in the right direction. Even still, he'll probably need to practice in full Thursday to avoid carrying an injury designation into Friday and possibly Saturday.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Spectator at practice Tuesday
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Strong (back) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
Strong was missing from the Browns' first practice of the week just two days after seeing his largest workload of the season in Cleveland's 31-14 loss to Cincinnati. Since the Browns were already locked in as the AFC's No. 5 seed in the playoffs, the coaching staff held out or limited several key players in the regular-season finale, including Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt (groin). That resulted in Strong taking on his biggest workload of the season. The former Patriot played 27 snaps on offense and carried the ball 14 times for 65 yards before he left the game in the second half due to a back injury, which now threatens his availability for Saturday's wild-card game in Houston.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Lead role cut short by injury
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Strong exited in the second half of Sunday's 31-14 loss to the Bengals with an apparent back injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. He rushed 14 times for 65 yards and didn't catch his only target prior to the injury.
Strong worked as the primary ball carrier before getting hurt, as Jerome Ford got three carries and Kareem Hunt registered just one touch. Ford and Hunt are expected to lead Cleveland's backfield in the wild-card round against the Texans, so Strong will likely be bumped back down to a third-string role if his back injury doesn't keep him from suiting up.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Could work as lead back Sunday
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Strong was spotted warming up with the starting offense prior to Sunday's game against the Bengals, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Strong has been the No. 3 option on the depth chart for much of the season, but he looks as though he could get a look in a lead role out of the backfield in the regular-season finale. Though Cleveland is keeping both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt active, the team's top two running backs may only handle light roles Sunday while the team is already locked in as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Browns' main goal is to escape Week 18 with the health of its key players intact, creating plenty of opportunities for depth options like Strong to see their most extensive work of the season. Strong has carried 49 times for 226 yards and a touchdown to go with five catches for 47 yards on seven targets through Cleveland's first 16 games.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Sleeper RBs
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It would be a surprise if the Browns played Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt much, if at all, in Week 18 at Cincinnati. Cleveland is locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and resting Ford and Hunt for the playoffs makes sense. In that scenario, Strong would be in a featured role in a great matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.8 PPR points, and Strong is worth using as a flex option in all leagues if Ford and Hunt are out as expected.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
It would be a surprise if the Browns played Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt much, if at all, in Week 18 at Cincinnati. Cleveland is locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and resting Ford and Hunt for the playoffs makes sense. In that scenario, Strong would be in a featured role in a great matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.8 PPR points, and Strong is worth using as a flex option in all leagues if Ford and Hunt are out as expected.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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The Browns will likely rest Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt for the playoffs since they are locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC, which means we could see Strong in a featured role in a great matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati has allowed three running backs in a row to score at least 13.8 PPR points, and Strong is worth using as a flex option in all leagues if Ford and Hunt are out as expected.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Plays support role in win
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Strong had four carries for 29 yards and lost a fumble in Thursday's 37-20 win over the Jets in Week 17.
Strong was on the field for 14 offensive snaps, getting work to spell both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt in what became a blowout by the end of the first half. The quick turnaround added some intrigue, as Hunt dealt with a groin injury early in the practice week. However, Strong was not needed for anything more than the role he's played the last few weeks: a handful of touches and a healthy dose of special teams duty.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Most carries since Week 8
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Strong had five carries for 22 yards, did not catch his lone target and returned one kickoff for 36 yards in Sunday's 36-22 win over Houston in Week 16.
Strong's opening kickoff return gave the offense good field position, which set up a 53-yard connection from quarterback Joe Flacco to wideout Amari Cooper. Three plays later, the Browns had a 7-0 lead just 1:42 into the game. That sequence set the tone of the day. On offense, Strong's five totes were his most since Week 8 when Jerome Ford was dealing with an ankle injury. The Browns return to action quickly, Thursday night at home against the Jets, which could lead to a bigger role for Strong as Kareem Hunt is working through a groin injury.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Will play vs. Bears
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Strong (illness) does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game versus the Bears, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Strong did not participate at practice Thursday due to an illness, but he was able to manage a full practice Friday and is set to play Sunday. He's unlikely to see more than a couple carries as long as Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt remain available.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Gets one carry in Week 14
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Strong played five of 76 snaps on offense and carried once for zero yards in Sunday's 31-27 win over the Jaguars. He also returned a kickoff for 29 yards.
Strong took two carries for 20 yards in last week's 36-19 loss to the Rams, but he didn't have the opportunity to build on that performance while the Browns leaned more heavily on Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt in a more tightly contested Week 14 game. Ford emerged from Sunday's win with a wrist injury, so if he's unable to play through the issue in the Browns' Week 15 game against the Bears, Strong could see a heightened role as a change-of-pace option behind Hunt.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Special teams only in Week 10
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Strong did not play on offense during Sunday's 33-31 win over Baltimore.
Strong was questionable all week with a hamstring injury, which may be the reason he was limited to special teams duty, although he did return one kickoff for 33 yards. He entered Sunday with 23 touches over the prior three games, but with Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt healthy, Strong's role figures to be limited. He played just five offensive snaps in Week 9's win over Arizona.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Questionable for Sunday's contest
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Strong (hamstring) will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Strong returned to a limited practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session and thus has a chance to suit up this weekend. That said, with both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt also in the team's RB mix, Strong figures to be limited to complementary work if he's available versus Baltimore.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Dealing with hamstring issue
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Strong won't practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
In the Browns' 27-0 win over the Cardinals this past Sunday, Strong recorded just five snaps on offense, carrying three times for nine yards and catching his only target for minus-7 yards. Strong wasn't reported to have sustained an injury during the contest, but the hamstring issue suddenly puts his availability for this Sunday's game against Baltimore in question. Even if he's able to overcome the issue by the weekend, Strong will be working behind both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt. The Browns could elevate either Kenyan Drake or John Kelly from the practice squad if Strong isn't able to play Sunday and the team wants another depth option out of the backfield.
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Browns' Pierre Strong: Productive in loss
Rotowire
Strong gained 41 yards on 10 carries and caught his lone target for 41 yards in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Seahawks. He also returned one kickoff for 15 yards.
Strong, who played a season-high 24 snaps, led the Browns backfield in combined yards, as Kareem Hunt supplied 67 on 15 touches and Jerome Ford managed only 39 yards on 10 touches. Ford dealt with an ankle injury in practice during the week, which helps explain the near-equal three-way split. For a second straight game, Strong showed off his speed, and his 41-yard catch and run late in the first quarter set up the Browns' first touchdown. He also played in the fourth quarter of a close game for a second straight week and lined up at wideout a few times, and the coaching staff clearly trusts him. Ford (26 snaps) looked healthy in a managed role, and the Browns will monitor his ankle heading into a Week 9 tilt against Arizona. Strong's workload will depend to some extent on Ford's availability, but the former seems to have carved out a consistent role.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Week 9 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
Rotowire
Strong still played a pretty solid role in Week 8 despite starter Jerome Ford being healthy enough to get nine carries, and he showed some juice. Strong rushed for 41 yards on 10 carries and hit on a big play in the passing game, taking his lone target for 41 yards. This might just be a three-way split moving forward, or Strong might even be relegated to a reserve role next week if Ford is feeling better. But he also showed he can make plays in this offense and could be one injury away from really mattering for Fantasy.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Week 8 Adds (RB Preview)
Rotowire
Strong is the fastest Browns back on the active roster, and he has averaged 1.7 yards per carry more than Hunt so far this season. So while we expect Hunt to lead the committee, we're also OK with Strong as a flex play against Seattle. If Ford misses Week 9 as well, both Hunt and Strong could be starters against Arizona.
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Browns' Pierre Strong Jr.: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
Jerome Ford (ankle), who left the Week 7 game at Indianapolis in a protective boot, is expected to miss 1-2 games. That means the Browns will lean on Kareem Hunt and Strong in the backfield heading into Week 8 at Seattle. Hunt (83 percent rostered) should be added in all leagues, but Strong is worth a look in deeper formats. He had eight carries for 25 yards against the Colts after Ford went down, and he could be a flex option if needed until Ford returns. Strong is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
