John Kelly Fantasy Stats

Cleveland Browns running back John Kelly Jr. carried the ball eight times for 20 yards and lost a fumble while adding a three-yard catch in an 18-18 tie vs. the Philadelphia Eagles in preseason action on Thursday. Kelly got the start but his fumble was a costly one as it came on Philly's one-yard line and short-circuited a 75-yard drive on Cleveland's opening possession. Kelly has been battling for backup carries this preseason but it appears that he has moved behind Demetric Felton Jr. He will get one more chance to make his case next week against the Kansas City Chiefs in Cleveland's final preseason game.

Cleveland Browns running back John Kelly Jr. posted an impressive game in a 21-16 win over the New York Jets in the preseason opener on Thursday. Kelly ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards while adding four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown in the win. Kelly kicked off the scoring for Cleveland in the game, finding the end zone on a three-yard pass from Kellen Mond in the second quarter. The veteran spent most of the 2022 season on the practice squad and may do so again in 2023 with several running backs ahead of him on the depth chart.

Cleveland Browns running back John Kelly Jr. carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards and a touchdown in a 21-20 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Kelly led the team in rushing and found the end zone on a six-yard run in the third quarter. The veteran running back who spent the first three seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Rams is trying to earn a roster spot in Cleveland, although he has plenty of competition ahead of him. He could see a lot of work in Cleveland's third and final preseason game next week, which makes him interesting for DFS contests.

The Cleveland Browns activated running back John Kelly from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday. It's not the running back that fantasy managers were hoping would be activated -- that would be Nick Chubb. Chubb, Kelly and rookie Demetric Felton were all unavailable in the Week 10 blowout loss to the New England Patriots while on the COVID-19 list, but there's optimism that both Chubb and Felton will return in time for this Sunday's game against the winless Lions. D'Ernest Johnson had the backfield all to himself last Sunday and nearly posted his second 100-yard rushing game, but he'll lose most of his fantasy appeal again if Chubb returns. The Lions have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to RBs this season, so Chubb has a cake matchup as a must-start RB1 as long as he's activated before Sunday. Kareem Hunt (calf) will remain on Injured Reserve for at least another week.

Los Angeles Rams running backs Justin Davis and John Kelly are looking to capitalize on their impressive starts to the preseason. Kelly ran for 77 yards on 13 attempts in their preseason opener. Davis finished with 41 yards on seven attempts, but both players finished with the same yards per carry in that game. Todd Gurley is obviously the lead back, while Malcolm Brown is expected to be the second string behind him. There is a chance that Davis or Kelly pass Brown on the depth chart this preseason. However, Gurley is going to see a majority of the carries, so there shouldn't be another fantasy relevant back for the Rams.