The ripple effect of Joe Burrow’s injury will be felt across the NFL. It radically changes the outlook for the Bengals this year, as well as the fantasy football potential of their skill-position players. But questions were already being asked about Bengals running back Chase Brown before the injury happened; now those questions grow louder.
Let’s break down what has been happening with Brown and project his rest-of-season outlook in fantasy football.
What’s going on with Chase Brown?
Brown’s Week 1 performance was cause for concern out of the gate. The third-year back ran 21 times for 43 yards against the Browns, finding the end zone once. It ended up as a fine fantasy day because of the score, and in hindsight, this Browns run defense is going to be a fantasy problem all year. Things were slightly better in Week 2, running 16 times for 47 yards, but it was a disappointment considering the high-scoring nature of the game.
Things really cratered in Week 3. In their blowout loss to the Vikings, Brown ran it 10 times for three (yes, just three!) yards. It was one of the worst games of his career, and leaves us wondering if this is the new standard for Brown.
The quoted tweet above is the real issue. Brown is being hit in the backfield so often that it is becoming the norm. Cincinnati’s offensive line has never been a strength, but it is now becoming a glaring problem. And without Joe Burrow under center, defenses have no reason to fear passes going over their head if they want to stack the box.
Brown still dominates the volume in the backfield and gets some passing-down work to boost his PPR floor. But his value has taken a massive hit. So, where do we go from here with Brown?
The verdict
If you took him in the first or second round of a fantasy draft, your running back room is likely dependent on Brown. Unless you crushed the rest of your draft, you likely have no choice but to start him at least as an RB2. But it’s important to figure out how to properly value him.
Chase isn’t explosive enough to make up for an offensive line that allows him to get pummeled. This offense still has some juice with Browning, a decent enough backup QB, and will put him in positions to score. But right now, he seems to be a touchdown and volume-dependent RB2 option— a major disappointment for all managers who roster him.
