Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Chase Brown

Wednesday, September 3, 4:27 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was once again deployed as the team's RB1 during practice on Wednesday. During a QB/RB drill, JP Finaly of NBC4 reported that Ekeler was given the first opportunity, while seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt followed him. Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. followed behind him as the third and fourth running backs. Earlier in the week, Ekeler was listed first on the team's depth chart, and his usage during Wednesday's practice seems to solidify his role as the lead option. During his debut season in Washington, Ekeler served as the primary pass-catching back, but was still very effective on the ground, posting a 4.8 YPC. Given his projected role, Ekeler carries RB2 upside in PPR leagues and strong flex value in standard formats facing the New York Giants in Week 1.

Saturday, August 30, 9:13 AM

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. predicts that Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown's workload "won't be too far off" from the 23.6 touches he averaged per game between Week 9 and Week 17 of the 2024 season. Dehner Jr. writes that the team "restructured the run game specifically around (Brown's) skillset" and is "utilizing him more split out wide." During the eight-game stretch last season referenced above, Brown gained 930 yards from scrimmage and scored six touchdowns. As long as Cincinnati's offense is again one of the league's most prolific, Brown should be in line for a monster season. He's a low-end fantasy RB1, and could finish even higher in full-PPR scoring formats.