Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Chase Brown

Saturday, August 16, 6:34 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has been outstanding in training camp, drawing high praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan, who said the star back is "as fast as he's been." After injuries limited him to just four games last season, McCaffrey looks fully healthy and back to form. The do-it-all back is only two years removed from a 2023 campaign in which he racked up 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. His strong camp showing has fantasy managers regaining confidence, and possibly pushing his ADP back into the mid-first round as an elite RB1 option.

Monday, August 4, 1:50 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown is expected to see an uptick in his passing-game numbers in 2025 after he caught 14 passes for 156 yards a year ago, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Brown has worked to improve his receiving abilities, and head coach Zac Taylor thinks it can be a strength for him. Despite the fact that the Bengals have studs in the passing game with receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki, the expectation is that Brown "will serve as a safety valve in the screen game when defenses try to take away Chase or Higgins." The 25-year-old took over the backfield from Zack Moss (no longer on the team) last year and came 10 yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark while adding 11 total touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts). Brown is the focal point of one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, making him a low-end RB1 target.