Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Chase Brown

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Week 2 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Austin Ekeler News

Austin Ekeler 100 Percent Medically Cleared for Football Activities

Thursday, April 30, 9:22 AM

Veteran free-agent running back Austin Ekeler (Achilles) is 100% fully medically cleared for all football activities after suffering a torn right Achilles last September against the Green Bay Packers, a league source told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Ekeler intends to play in 2026 and is expected to draw plenty of interest. The 30-year-old was one of the premier pass-catching backs in the NFL in his seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers before he signed a two-year deal with the Washington Commanders before the 2024 season. He appeared in 12 games (six starts) for Washington in 2024, carrying the ball 77 times for 367 yards and four touchdowns while catching 35 passes for 366 receiving yards. Ekeler missed some time due to a concussion that year before playing in just two games in 2025 before tearing his Achilles. Ekeler might not be the same shifty back in space after his season-ending injury, but he could still give a team some solid pass-catching depth out of the backfield as he nears the end of his career.

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Week 2 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
16.0 59.2 0.4 4.0 23.5 0.2

Chase Brown News

Chase Brown Could Be In Line For Even More Work Against Texans

Friday, September 18, 12:29 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown will face the Houston Texans on the road in Week 2. Brown put together a great fantasy performance last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, racking up 78 total yards, five receptions, and a touchdown. Brown's real-life contributions were fairly inefficient, but they equated to 18.8 PPR fantasy points. Brown should have the opportunity to build on last week's success against the Texans. Houston's defense just gave up 36 points to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 and now Brown is set to play without fellow back Samaje Perine. Perine popped up as a DNP on the injury report Thursday and Friday with an illness, but is not on the injury report ahead of the game on Sunday. Brown could also stand to benefit from a diminished Joe Burrow heading into the weekend. Burrow was a limited participant in practice earlier this week with back tightness. If Burrow is not 100% and cannot push the ball downfield, Brown should be in line for a ton of receptions closer to the line of scrimmage. Brown has the benefit of being a capable rusher and an excellent pass catcher, giving him multiple avenues to fantasy success any given week. Brown is ranked RB11 in our RotoBaller Week 2 PPR rankings, making him a solid RB1. Fantasy managers should be excited to plug Brown into their lineups again this week.

Austin Ekeler vs. Chase Brown

Still trying to decide between Ekeler and Brown? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Austin Ekeler is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Chase Brown is projected to score 16.0 points.