Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury has had massive fantasy implications for his Bengals teammates. Perhaps no Cincinnati player has been impacted more than Chase Brown ($6,100). Last season, the 25-year-old finished as the fantasy RB10 in PPR leagues. This season? He’s fallen all the way to RB31.
What makes Brown’s fantasy output so frustrating is that it’s a team-wide issue. Under backup QB Jake Browning ($4,900), Cincinnati’s offense has struggled to generate positive yardage, let alone scoring opportunities. It’s difficult to stay fantasy-relevant without a chance at the end zone.
It’s still early in the regular season, so there’s hope Brown can turn things around. Regardless, it’s difficult to have much confidence in the former set-it and forget-it rusher. What can fantasy managers expect from Brown against the Lions in Week 5?
Set your fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Fantasy Football Start or Sit: Chase Brown
Brown has been a clear victim of bad luck post-Burrow injury. With that being said, the third-year-pro hasn’t done himself many favors. Through four games, he’s gained 133 rushing yards on 57 carries. That’s good enough for an atrocious mark of 2.3 yards per attempt. The Illinois alum has also made an impact as a pass catcher, hauling in 11 receptions for 74 yards.
Those numbers, while dismal, can’t really get any worse. On the bright side, Brown has seen the field for 71% of Cincinnati’s snaps in three of his four outings. Backups Samaje Perine ($4,100) and Tahj Brooks ($4,000) don’t appear poised to take on a bigger workload.
At this point, a desperate Bengals squad has no reason not to play their best weapons on offense. The bigger issue is game-script. Cincinnati has found itself trailing for most of its matchups this season. That includes a 48-10 whooping vs. the Vikings in Week 3. Unsurprisingly, Brown only handled ten carries in that contest. When the team won, during its first two games, they fed their running back with 41 combined touches.
A date with the Lions is certainly no picnic. However, it is a step down in difficulty compared to Cincinnati’s last two games vs. Minnesota and Denver. Detroit’s defense has held opposing running backs to the ninth-fewest fantasy points in football.
Cincinnati has scored a combined 13 points over their last two games. Don’t expect an offensive outburst on Sunday. Still, this level of inefficiency is simply unsustainable. Even if they produce in garbage time, the Bengals should put together an improved performance. That means more work for Brown, who still has RB1 usage. Back this talented rusher one last time. If Week 5 turns into another dud, then it’s time to waive the white flag until Burrow’s return.
