Who Should I Start? Chase Brown or Sione Vaki

Tuesday, March 4, 5:41 PM

Bengals beat writer Geoff Hobson gets the sense that the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to go bigger for a complement to lead back Chase Brown this offseason with Zack Moss' (neck) status unclear. Brown played big as a three-down back in 2024 after Moss' injury and racked up an impressive 1,350 scrimmage yards on 283 touches while also protecting quarterback Joe Burrow, but offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher wouldn't mind another big and physical back to help Brown out. "The easy answer is Chase isn't the biggest guy, so maybe if you have an opportunity to add a bigger back with a little more power repertoire to his game, that size helps you in protection," Pitcher said. The 24-year-old Brown finished as the RB12 in half-PPR scoring in 2024 thanks to his workhorse role, and although he should remain the lead back in a high-scoring offense, fantasy managers should expect some regression.

Friday, August 9, 3:34 AM

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki rushed four times for 29 yards during Thursday's preseason loss to the New York Giants. He broke off a solid 15-yard run in the effort, but perhaps his best play was a fumble recovery after a Giants defender lost the football on an interception return. A fourth-round pick out of Utah, Vaki projects to make the 53-man roster, slotting in behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs on the running back depth chart. He's an appealing option in deep dynasty leagues (and even deeper redraft formats) given that he could earn a handful of opportunities if Montgomery or Gibbs miss any time in 2024.