Bengals' decision not to draft RB makes Chase Brown a fantasy steal

The Cincinnati Bengals have, and still clearly believe in their RB1, Chase Brown. As well they should. 

But the front office and teammates are not the only ones who love what they have in Brown, as Fantasy Football guru Matthew Berry has the Bengals’ star running back on a short list of “Loves” following the NFL Draft. 

So while most were watching Joe Burrow, who he was taking pictures with, who he was standing next to, and what he was wearing at Churchill Downs, Berry was there to remind us of Brown’s fantasy value.

Chase “loved” by Matthew Berry

NBC’s Matthew Berry took some time out of his busy schedule at the horse track to run down his “Love/Hate” list for fantasy based on the results of the NFL Draft. And when it came to running backs, Chase Brown was the first on his "Love list. 

Of Brown, Berry stated: 

“Since Week 9 of 2024, he’s the Running Back 6 in points per game, he’s averaging over 95 yards from scrimmage per game. He’s ninth among running backs the last two years in terms of touches. He’s Top 10 in touches over the last two years. Again, massive volume on what we expect to be one of the better offenses in the NFL. Healthy Joe Burrow back… Chase Brown is a high-end RB2 for me.”

We have waxed poetically, ad nauseam even, about Brown’s value among fantasy football players. At some points, it seemed that he was getting more love from those who play fantasy than he was from his own fanbase. Or at least, his role and play for the Bengals have gone underrated. 

Nevertheless, fantasy football remains a driving factor in Brown's popularity among fans outside Cincinnati. 

Runway cleared after draft for Chase to take off

The talk of drafting a running back with the tenth overall pick, if the option presented itself, floated in the realm of possibilities a bit too much for some of our liking. 

However, not only did that not come to pass, the Bengals did not draft a running back at any point in the draft despite having the opportunity to with a couple of personal favorites available in Emmett Johnson and Adam Randall in the fourth round. 

Instead, the front office took one of their biggest reaches and most questionable selections in wide receiver Colbie Young. 

The front office could have chosen to take the succession plan route, as they have for so many players entering the final year of their contracts. They did not.

As a result, the depth chart behind Brown remains untouched from last year, with Tahj Brooks, Gary Brightwell, and Kendall Milton fighting for playing time and a roster spot behind Brown and Samaje Perrine. 

Room for Chase to outperform Berry’s expectations

While Berry had high praise for Brown, citing underrated stats, we hope the fourth-year back will give his best Pokémon impression and evolve past RB2 status into whatever Berry considers RB1 status. 

Much has been made of the positive impact that running it back with the offensive line will have on Joe Burrow. However, the same reverberations should take place for the running backs. Brown has improved every year and is trending towards having his best professional year yet. 

That timing is impeccable for Brown, who is entering a contract year, running behind the same O-line as last season. Only this year, we should expect him not to have to overcome getting hit in the backfield as much as in 2025.

And the Bengals should get an extension done before he turns into a bona fide star whom other teams will target next offseason, potentially offering more in the open market than the Bengals are willing to pay. 

One of the reasons Berry believes that the Bengals’ offense will be special is that they have a special running back. Brown should receive compensation commensurate with what he brings to the offense. 

Brown will be an integral part of the team’s offensive success this season. And if he performs admirably for fantasy players along the way, all the better. 

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