Brown has the third-highest explosive run rate in the NFL at 17.1% and 47.4% of his rushes have gone for at least five yards. He should probably be the lead back even if Moss is recovered from his ankle injury. Brown will be more of a contrarian play if Moss plays, and the chalk if Moss is out. I want him in my lineup either way.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Leading rusher in OT loss
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Brown carried the ball 12 times for 46 yards and caught all three of his targets for eight yards in Sunday's 41-38 overtime loss to the Ravens. He also ran in a two-point conversion.
The second-year RB led the Bengals in rushing yards while seeing 15 or more touches for the second straight game. While Brown's usage is already on the upswing, he could have the backfield to himself in Week 6 against the Giants, as Zack Moss suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter Sunday and didn't get another touch the rest of the way.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Set to share work with Moss
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The nature of Cincinnati's backfield split between Brown and Zack Moss remains somewhat unclear ahead of Sunday's game against New England, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.
Both running backs are expected to be heavily involved, and the good news for fantasy purposes is that there may even be room for both to thrive Week 1 with the team opening its season at home as a heavy favorite. The Bengals won't always be favored by more than a touchdown, of course, and there will be plenty of weeks in which wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins comfortably outproduce the running backs. With that in mind, it will be important to keep close tabs on how the Bengals deploy Moss and Brown in various situations, although there's some chance it's more of a hot-hand approach than anything else. Brown is much faster and more dangerous in the open field, but Moss is viewed as a superior blocker and could thus take on more playing time in pass situations even if he's less threatening on screens and dumpoffs. And while Moss is a logical favorite for goal-line carries, it's possible even those opportunities are split between the two backs to some degree.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Working with starters a lot
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Brown took a majority of first-team reps during the first three practices of training camp, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.
Free-agent signee Zack Moss is healthy and also getting some first-team work, but apparently not quite as much as Brown, a 2023 fifth-round pick who averaged 8.8 touches for 53.7 yards over the final six weeks of last season. It was a promising finish to his rookie year, with the stipulation that Brown's production came from a few big plays rather than snap-to-snap consistency (he also played only eight snaps on offense before Week 13). There are some other positives in his profile, including a 4.43 40-yard dash (at 5-foot-10, 209 pounds) and a senior season at Illinois with 355 touches for 1,883 yards and 13 TDs. The question now is whether Brown shows enough skill development to earn a starting job over the steady-but-boring Moss.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Looks set for No. 2 role
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Brown appears primed to work as the top backup to Zack Moss following the 2024 NFL Draft, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.
The Bengals didn't select a single running back across 10 picks in this year's draft, so even if the team brings in a handful of talented UDFAs, Brown looks like a notable winner for fantasy purposes. He flashed across 12 appearances as a rookie last season, and while Moss' experience with a large workload and on third downs may make him the favorite for the No. 1 role, Brown's short-area burst could make him an effective complementary option. If Brown can put together a solid offseason and push for increased touches, he could be an interesting late-round sleeper in 2024 drafts.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Handles 12 touches in Week 18
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Brown rushed 11 times for 43 yards and caught one of two targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Browns.
Brown continued to operate as the No. 2 running back behind starter Joe Mixon in the season finale, with the rookie's 11 carries marking his highest total of the campaign. Though he saw a larger role over the second half of the season, Brown's opportunities were fairly limited in 2023, as he totaled 44 carries for 179 yards and added 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown over 12 games. Though Mixon is under contract for 2024, he's owed a $3 million roster bonus March 16, so Brown's role heading into next season should come into focus by that date. Even if the Bengals elect to keep Mixon in the fold next season, it's possible that the 23-year-old Brown earns a larger role as part of a timeshare after Mixon continued to demonstrate middling efficiency as a rusher in 2023. Mixon has now finished with 4.1 yards per carry or fewer in each of the last five seasons.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Five touches against Chiefs
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Brown rushed three times for five yards and caught both of his targets for 23 yards in Sunday's 25-17 loss to the Chiefs.
Brown continued to operate as the Cincinnati's No. 2 running back, playing 11 of the Bengals' 74 offensive snaps Sunday. With limited usage behind veteran Joe Mixon, the rookie's fantasy utility is suppressed within the Cincinnati offense. The Bengals are eliminated from playoff contention heading into Sunday's season finale versus the Browns, so it's possible the coaching staff could look to deploy Brown in more of an even timeshare with Mixon in an attempt to get a glimpse into the future.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Handles six touches
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Brown rushed four times for 16 yards and secured both of his targets for eight yards in Saturday's 34-11 loss to the Steelers.
Brown operated as the Bengals' No. 2 running back Saturday, playing 14 of Cincinnati's 64 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, starter Joe Mixon played 38 snaps and carried the ball 11 times in the contest. Brown has earned extra opportunities in recent weeks, but he saw a dip in his recent usage on a day when the Bengals struggled to get much going on offense. The rookie will look to get more involved behind Mixon in a Week 17 matchup with the Chiefs.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Sleeper RBs
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The Steelers are beat up defensively with both safeties out in Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and Domatnae Kazee (suspension) and tackling at the second level of the defense could be a problem. That should help Joe Mixon, who is a must-start Fantasy running back, but Brown is also worth using as a flex in Week 16. He's done well over the past two games in tandem with Mixon with three catches in each of those two outings against the Colts and Vikings, and he's scored at least 8.1 PPR points in each game. He also has three games in a row with at least seven carries. Brown could be awesome with more work, but just use him as a flex in this matchup.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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The Steelers are beat up defensively with both safeties out in Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) and Domatnae Kazee (suspension), and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is also in the concussion protocol. That should help Joe Mixon, who is a must-start Fantasy running back, but Brown is also worth using as a flex in Week 16. He's done well over the past two games in tandem with Mixon with three catches in each of those two outings against the Colts and Vikings, and he's scored at least 8.1 PPR points in each game. He also has three games in a row with at least seven carries. Brown could be awesome with more work, but just use him as a flex in this matchup.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Upgrades to full practice
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Brown (sternum) was a full participant in practice Wednesday, Jay Morrison of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Brown thus is set to reprise his role as the Bengals' No. 2 back Saturday against Pittsburgh, following three straight games with at least nine touches on 18 or fewer snaps. Joe Mixon is still dominating the playing time in Cincinnati's backfield, but Brown also has emerged as a significant piece of the offense, remarkably touching the ball on 71.4 percent of his snaps over the past three weeks. The rookie out of Illinois should stay involved Saturday, though the limited playing time implies a rather low floor for fantasy production.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Dealing with injured sternum
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Brown was limited at Tuesday's practice due to a sternum injury, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Brown entered Week 13 with five touches in the first six appearances of his career, but the rookie fifth-round pick has come on the last three games, combining for 30 touches for 217 yards from scrimmage and one receiving TD. Assuming he gets through Week 16 prep and is able to play Saturday in Pittsburgh, he'll be a decent enough option for managers in need of RB depth.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Brown could be awesome if the Bengals gave him the full-time role -- which might happen in 2024 -- and he's done well as a flex over the past two games in tandem with Joe Mixon. He has three catches in each of those two outings against the Colts and Vikings, and he's scored at least 8.1 PPR points in each game. He also has three games in a row with at least seven carries. Mixon will remain the No. 1 running back for the Bengals in Week 16 at Pittsburgh, but Brown can be a flex option in deeper leagues.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Week 15 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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Brown is still obviously the No. 2 back in the Bengals offense, but he's also playing well enough that they probably need to keep giving him opportunities. Brown had 11 touches Sunday after getting nine the week before – he had just five all season before that. Brown is bringing a big-play ability to the Bengals offense, and he's been a nice change of pace for Joe Mixon. He looks like one of the must-have RB handcuffs right now, because if anything happens to Mixon, Brown looks like a potential must-start RB.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Plays on special teams in return
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Brown failed to record a single carry or target in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Steelers.
Brown returned to the field Sunday after four weeks on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, but he failed to play a single snap on offense. Instead, the rookie running back was used on special teams, playing just 11 snaps. Brown sits behind both Joe Mixon and Trayveon Williams on the depth chart, and he'll be far off the fantasy radar when the Bengals visit the Jaguars in Week 13.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Moved to IR
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The Bengals placed Brown (hamstring) on injured reserve Saturday.
Head coach Zac Taylor noted via Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site Friday that Brown picked up the injury in practice earlier in the week. He'll be forced to sit out for the next four games and will be eligible to return against the Steelers on Nov. 26. In the meantime, Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans will be in line for an increased workload behind starter Joe Mixon.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Ruled out for Week 8
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Head coach Zac Taylor said Brown (hamstring) won't play Sunday against San Francisco and is week-to-week, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.
Taylor confirmed that Brown injured his hamstring in practice earlier in the week. With the rookie running back sidelined, Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans will be on hand as backup options behind workhorse Joe Mixon against the 49ers.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Tending to hamstring injury
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Brown (hamstring) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Brown and the Bengals are coming off a bye, so it would seem he picked up the hamstring issue at practice during the week. If he can't log a full practice Friday, he figures to carry an injury designation into the weekend.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Will make debut
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Brown is active Sunday against the Ravens, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Brown was a healthy scratch Week 1, but with No. 3 running back Chris Evans (hamstring) inactive, the Illinois product will get the chance to operate in that role Sunday.
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Bengals' Chase Brown: Won't debut Week 1
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Brown (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's matchup against the Browns.
A rookie fifth-round pick, Brown had an underwhelming preseason but still landed a spot on the Bengals' 53-man roster. However, it appears the Illinois product is still buried on the depth chart, as Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans will operate as the primary backups to Joe Mixon in Week 1.
