Bengals' Chase Brown: Opportunity knocks as Mixon traded
Rotowire
Brown bumps up to the No. 2 spot on Cincinnati's depth chart behind Zack Moss, with Joe Mixon in line to be traded to the Texans, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.
Brown earned a larger role in Cincinnati's offense during the second half of his rookie season, securing the No. 2 gig for himself during the final six games of the campaign, but he ended the year with just 44 carries for 179 yards, plus 14 catches for 156 yards and a score. Though Moss is coming off an impressive season in Indianapolis, Brown could offer him real competition for touches, depending on what other additions the Bengals make to the running back depth chart.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Handles 12 touches in Week 18
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Five touches against Chiefs
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Handles six touches
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Sleeper RBs
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Upgrades to full practice
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Dealing with injured sternum
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Role continues to increase
Rotowire
Brown ran for 23 yards on seven carries in the 27-24 overtime win against the VIkings on Saturday, adding three receptions for 28 yards on three targets.
It was a modest showing for Brown overall, but the interesting development is that he nearly matched the carry count of starter Joe Mixon (10). Brown's three targets also matched Mixon's target count. Brown will continue to play off the bench for the Bengals, but it appears he's gaining on Mixon on the Cincinnati depth chart.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Week 15 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Plays on special teams in return
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Moved to IR
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Ruled out for Week 8
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Tending to hamstring injury
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Will make debut
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Won't debut Week 1
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Looking good for roster spot
Rotowire
Brown had 11 carries for 39 yards and two catches for a loss of one yard in Saturday's 21-19 preseason loss to the Commanders.
Th Bengals didn't have Joe Mixon (rest), Chris Evans (undisclosed) or Trayveon Williams (ankle), leaving Brown to make the start and dominate playing time early in the game with the second-team offense. Cincinnati then turned things over to undrafted rookies Jacob Saylors and Calvin Tyler, neither of whom did anything to unseat Brown, a fifth-round pick. Reports suggest Evans is the favorite to spell Mixon on third downs, but Brown at least appears in good position for a roster spot heading into Week 1 at Cleveland.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Struggles rushing in debut
Rotowire
Brown rushed eight times for 12 yards and caught all three of his targets for 33 yards in Friday's 36-19 preseason loss to the Packers.
Brown came into the game after Chris Evans, who was far more effective on the ground (seven carries, 49 yards). The rookie fifth-round pick salvaged his debut with a decent performance as a pass catcher, but Brown appears to be trailing Evans in the competition for the No. 2 spot on the running back depth chart behind Joe Mixon. Trayveon Williams (ankle) is also in the mix despite sitting this game out, and all three will have a chance to improve their standing in the team's next preseason game, Aug. 18 at Atlanta.
... See More... See Less
Bengals' Chase Brown: Added to Cincinnati backfield
Rotowire
The Bengals selected Brown in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 163rd overall.
Brown (5-foot-10, 209 pounds) took mammoth workloads at Illinois but on that frame probably can't take up a workhorse role for more than a few games at a time at the NFL level. He should still emerge as fantasy-relevant at some point in the next couple years, though, because he clearly possesses above-average athleticism and no worse than an average skill set. That Brown's production at Illinois was mostly driven by volume could be an indication that he lacks upside in terms of skill, but he's adept at passing down functions and can credibly compete for a variety of tasks. Throw in a 4.43-second 40, 40-inch vertical and 127-inch broad jump and Brown's broader prospect profile still tilts toward above average sooner than the contrary. As much as Brown won't be challenging Joe Mixon as the Bengals' starting running back, expect him to do well with whatever opportunities he gets, and he could quickly move past Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans on the depth chart.
