Who Should I Start? Cam Akers or Chase Brown

Monday, October 20, 10:33 PM

As the Minnesota Vikings face a short week and a series of injuries in the backfield, running back Cam Akers is likely the next man up if needed on Thursday at the Los Angeles Chargers. Jordan Mason should still be the Vikings' top option, but Zavier Scott (wrist) is now facing an injury and Aaron Jones (hamstring) has not yet been activated off injured reserve. If Jones is not moved onto the active roster, Akers likely would be Minnesota's answer behind Mason. No action is needed just yet, but managers in deeper leagues might want to keep an eye on the Vikings' backfield if facing a bye-week crunch.

Saturday, November 1, 12:23 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown scored a touchdown in the Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, he had more than a few miserable outings in his following appearances before finally surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark in the Thursday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 25-year-old then had his best performance of the 2025 campaign in the Week 8 one-point loss to the New York Jets, finding the end zone twice (one rushing, one receiving). Joe Flacco (shoulder) has the offense back on track. While there's a chance Flacco won't suit up in the Week 9 clash with the Chicago Bears, it appears he's (fortunately) trending toward playing. However, even if Jake Browning finds himself back atop the depth chart, Brown should remain a high-upside option for managers, especially with the game between the Bears and Bengals projected to be one of the highest-scoring contests on the schedule. Granted, Brown's presence in all fantasy lineups isn't without risk. That will apply regardless of who is starting at quarterback.