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The Cincinnati Bengals have a high-octane offense. This was evidenced by Joe Burrow leading the league in passing yards and Ja'Marr Chase winning the Triple Crown last season. Chase is even the projected No. 1 pick in fantasy football this year. The team also has a talented running back who can rack up the fantasy numbers this season. That would, of course, be third-year ball-carrier Chase Brown.
Chase Brown's 2024 fantasy football statistics
Brown only had 179 yards as a rookie in 2023, but there was a path to a big role in Cincinnati's offense ahead of the 2024 season. He only had to compete with Zack Moss for reps, which is why he was listed as one of the best sleeper picks for fantasy football last season.
Brown lived up to that billing and his potential with a great season in which he ran for 990 yards and seven touchdowns. His numbers would have looked even better if he had been given a bigger opportunity earlier, but it took the Bengals a handful of games to hand him the reins. Brown hauled in 54 catches for 360 receiving yards as well. Brown finished 10th in PPR leagues and 12th in standard leagues, with 255 and 201 fantasy points, respectively.
Chase Brown's 2025 fantasy football projections
Now that he is the clear-cut bell cow back, Brown's production should increase in a big way. Brown is expected to run for 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns this upcoming season, according to ESPN. The Bengals' offensive line is improved because of the additions of Lucas Patrick and Dylan Fairchild. That should not only keep Burrow upright, but it should open up running lanes for Brown, too.
The Bengals are the most pass-happy team in the NFL. That could limit just how many carries Brown gets, but the team will need to find more balance this season if they want to make the postseason. Even if Burrow again throws the football at an unusually high volume, which is possible because Cincinnati's defense will once again be bottom of the barrel, he won't be able to air it out every play. There will also be plenty of opportunities for Brown to make an impact in the passing game out of the backfield.
Fantasy football running backs rankings
Brown has an average draft position of 22.5. He is ranked by FantasyPros as the 11th-best running back and 22nd-best player overall. Brown is worthy of a second-round fantasy pick, but he might be slightly overrated.
Jonathan Taylor is only ranked one slot higher than Brown. Taylor has led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns before, and he had a big bounce-back season with 1,431 yards last season. Taylor isn't the pass catcher Brown is, but it is all but set in stone that he will have a huge volume of carries this season, especially because the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback room has a chance to blow up.
Kyren Williams is ranked below Brown despite the fact he has surpassed 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Brown won't be the value pick this year that he was last. Even so, there isn't much competition for carries. Semaje Perine is back in Cincinnati to work in the backup role he has thrived so much in during his career, both with the Bengals and elsewhere. He isn't much of a threat to steals tons of carries from Brown, though. Expect Brown to put up good but not great numbers in 2024. He has a high floor and should go late in Round 2 or early in the third round of fantasy drafts.
