Bengals RB Chase Brown could turn fantasy football hype into a bigger payday

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is entering his contract year with a lot to prove to his organization and, potentially, all of the others across the NFL. 

Despite being an integral part of Cincinnati’s offense and touching the ball more than every player except Joe Burrow and Ted Karras, Brown remains undervalued. 

But that could finally change as fantasy owners continue to sing his praises during the 2026 season. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect for the Bengals’ running back, as fantasy recognition could affect his future in Cincinnati and his 2027 free-agent value.

Fantasy hype continues for Brown

In the Bengals’ season opener, Brown ran for 56 yards and one touchdown. He added five receptions on six targets for 22 yards. He tied Mike Gesicki for the team lead with 78 yards from scrimmage while leading the team, by a large margin, with 21 touches. The next closest was Samaje Perine with eight. 

While Brown’s numbers were not gaudy in any way, they were enough to grab fantasy experts’ attention. As Graham Barfield and Ryan Heath pointed out for Fantasy Points:

“Chase Brown’s role looked basically as advertised. His 74.6% snap share ranked top-5 at the position this week and was better than he averaged in 2025 (66.1%). As expected, he finished top-6 at the position in target share (17.1%) and 4th in XFP (22.0, on par with the 21.7 he averaged in Joe Burrow’s starts last year).”

Brown continues to be a reliable bell-cow for the Bengals in the same way as he was for his alma mater, Illinois. He also continues to show that he is one of the more reliable and counted-on targets out of the backfield. 

With his five passes on six targets for 22 yards, Brown trailed only Bijan Robinson in Week 1 in designed targets for running backs.

Furthermore, as Barfield and Heath point out, the numbers tell only part of the story of how good Brown was against the Buccaneers.

“His final total of 18.8 fantasy points honestly slightly undersells how good his role was; Brown led all RBs in red zone snaps (15, a 93.8% share), and only Jahmyr Gibbs (8) saw more red zone opportunities (carries + targets) than Brown (6). This looks like a top-7 RB and potential league-winner.”

Brown capitalized on one of those red zone touches, scoring on a five-yard touchdown run up the middle of Tampa Bay’s vaunted defense. 

Chasing his next contract

The edict has gone out to get the wider NFL world on board with making Amarius Mims a household name on par with Trent Williams. Rightfully so. We should apply that same pressure to make sure everyone knows how good Chase Brown is while we’re at it, as some Bengals fans might also be unaware.

But it will take more than us to make Brown a household name. And that’s where fantasy football comes in. 

You may be surprised by how many people only “watch” football through statistics and Twitter highlights. That includes some who cover the sport and professional scouts. But even some of that ilk are getting in on the Chase Brown stock. 

As long as that is the case, if Brown continues receiving praise from the fantasy community that continues to find new ways to chess-strategy-bookify the sport, other teams and fan bases will look to Cincinnati's running back as one of, if not the best player at the position on the market next offseason. 

Brown could cost the Bengals more than they’d be willing to pay to keep him. And that does not include the tax they should incur for having such a productive, yet underpaid, asset on their team in the first place.

The Bengals could roll the dice on a running back early in the draft next Spring. However, you will hear about learning curves, pass blocking, and rookie mistakes all year, even if they find a player who can contribute immediately. 

The most expedient move for the team would be to pay Brown a contract worthy of the market he is competing in. However, if Cincinnati is unwilling, an increased fantasy spotlight on our favorite Canadian running back will make other teams and fan bases jump at the chance to add him to their rosters. 

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s hope that the push in the narrative of an improved offensive line, Amarius Mims in particular, shines a light on Brown as he prepares to have a monster contract-year season that some may not realize is happening outside of fantasy football players. 

In turn, after posting a career season in 2025, Brown must continue to do his part in putting up rushing, receiving, and touchdown numbers that make his next contract inevitable. 

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