Who Should I Start? Chase Brown or Kimani Vidal

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.

Monday, November 3, 5:23 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal followed a standout Week 8 performance with a dud, gaining only 30 yards on 12 carries in Sunday's 27-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. He averaged just 2.5 yards per carry and was outperformed by both Justin Herbert (57 rushing yards) and Jaret Patterson (44 yards), who was elevated from the practice squad again. It's been a rollercoaster for Vidal, who alternates between breakout games and quiet ones. With Hassan Haskins (hamstring) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) both on IR until at least after the Week 12 bye, Vidal will continue to handle lead duties out of necessity. Next Sunday night, the Chargers face a Pittsburgh Steelers' defense that just shut down the league's top running back, Jonathan Taylor, so expectations should remain modest. With so many injuries and inconsistencies, it will be interesting to see if the Bolts' front office makes any trades to strengthen the running back position by the trade deadline tomorrow. For now, Vidal remains an RB3/FLEX option who relies on game script and red-zone opportunities.