Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Chase Brown

Friday, October 3, 12:32 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 57 yards on 22 carries during Thursday's Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He also caught eight of his nine targets for 82 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. The superstar running back handled 30 total touches, continuing to prove that he's the only relevant member of the Niners' backfield for the time being. His efficiency on the ground was a little underwhelming, but that didn't stop him from dominating as a pass catcher, per usual. The 29-year-old has exceeded 22.5 fantasy points (PPR) in every game this season, ranking as the overall RB1 to this point. He should be started with full confidence against the Buccaneers in Week 6.

Saturday, October 4, 1:26 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has been one of fantasy football's biggest disappointments to start the 2025 season. Through four weeks, Brown has 57 carries for just 133 yards and one touchdown, along with 11 catches for 74 yards, ranking as the RB35 in half-PPR formats on a per-game basis. He's struggled badly behind Cincinnati's offensive line, sitting dead last in the league in both yards per carry (2.3) and yards before contact (1.0). Week 5 doesn't offer much relief, as the Bengals face the Detroit Lions, who have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Detroit's run defense has been one of the best in football over the past two seasons, making running lanes nearly nonexistent. Given the tough matchup and Brown's inefficiency, he should be considered no more than a low-end FLEX option in Week 5 lineups.