Despite the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals currently boast a top-10 scoring offense in the NFL, not everyone has reaped the rewards of their hot start. Running back Chase Brown is RB16 in fantasy through Week 5, despite being RB9 in ADP entering the season. His latest outing, especially, raised plenty of eyebrows, considering he picked up just 13 carries and four targets to backup Samaje Perine’s 14 carries and two targets. Perine was the one who found the end zone, too, ultimately outscoring Brown 15.8 to 7.0 in PPR leagues thanks to Brown’s lost fumble.
So should fantasy owners panic after seeing the Bengals’ latest backfield splits? Here is a quick breakdown of what may lie ahead for Brown and Perine following Cincinnati’s bye week, as well as some advice on how to move forward in fantasy.
Chase Brown Fantasy Outlook
Brown has 71 carries for 246 yards through five games this season, as well as 24 catches for 124 yards on 28 targets. He scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, but has yet to find paydirt since. He is averaging 13.0 PPR fantasy points per game on 19.0 touches a night.
As disappointing as Brown has been this season, his slow start isn’t exactly out of character. He was averaging just 9.4 PPR fantasy points per game through six weeks in 2025 with 15.7 touches a game and one total touchdown. From Week 7 on, however, Brown averaged 20.4 PPR fantasy points per game with 18.8 touches per game and 10 touchdowns. In 2024, he went from 5.8 PPR fantasy points per game across his first three appearances to 18.1 PPR fantasy points per game in his final 13. By those standards, Brown is actually ahead of schedule in 2026.
Then there’s Perine, who shared a backfield with Perine last year and is now in his sixth season as a Bengal. Perine has eaten into Brown’s touches in the past and scored a handful of touchdowns since returning to Cincinnati. He even logged two starts in December 2025. His 50.8% offensive snap rate from last week was the highest mark of his second Bengals stint, but still not as high as Brown’s 60.0%.
Perine is not some fresh face on the verge of his first real chance, nor is Brown a deteriorating veteran who can no longer handle the workload. This staff knows their strengths, their tendencies and how they play off of Joe Burrow and company. The most likely path forward is the one this group has paved time and time again.
Fantasy owners who took Brown in the second round probably aren’t too happy with his middling production, but he has shown time and time again that he will get the volume and improve his efficiency as the season progresses. And considering Brown’s lost fumble in Week 5 was his first since November 7, 2024, don’t overreact to that, either.
The Bengals are facing the Ravens when they return from the bye in Week 7. Brown scored 16.0 and 18.3 PPR fantasy points in his two games against Baltimore last season, as well as 22.4 and 14.4 when he faced them in 2024. Not that the Ravens are a soft landing pad for opposing running backs in general, but I can see Brown getting right against Baltimore and kickstarting his signature second-half run, asserting himself as a top-10 running back in fantasy down the stretch.
