Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Chase Brown


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.8 65.6 0.6 4.5 37.0 0.2

Christian McCaffrey News

Christian McCaffrey Matches Up Well Against Broncos

Friday, October 2, 11:44 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is in line for a productive Week 4 when he squares off against the Denver Broncos. So far in 2026, Denver has given up the third-most rushing yards, has the highest EPA allowed per run, and has the most missed tackles in the league. The Broncos defense will also be missing linebacker Dondrea Tillman (hamstring). This makes for an inviting matchup for McCaffrey, who owns the league's fifth-best rushing success rate and the highest average rushing yards before contact among starting running backs. As usual, McCaffrey can be expected to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's favorite targets. And with Mike Evans (ribs) questionable and expected to be a game-time decision on Sunday, McCaffrey could see his receiving work increase. The Broncos gave up six catches for 70 yards to Kyren Williams last week. McCaffrey is projected as the overall RB6 in Week 4.


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
16.4 65.7 0.4 3.8 22.6 0.2

Chase Brown News

Chase Brown's Lack of Receiving is Holding Him Back in 2026

Friday, October 2, 2:51 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has gotten off to a slow start to the 2026 season despite heavy usage. In three games, Brown has 49 carries for 197 yards and a touchdown, plus 10 receptions for 32 yards, averaging 11.3 half-PPR fantasy points per game. Brown has played 70% of the snaps so far this season, which ranks among the best among NFL running backs. However, his receiving role hasn't been as much of a factor, averaging just 10.7 yards per game through the air. He's relying more on his rushing ability, but that could be hard to come by in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which allowed the fewest fantasy points in 2025 and has allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards so far this season. While Brown is likely to bounce back, his receiving role will need to improve for him to be the low-end RB1 fantasy managers drafted him to be.


Christian McCaffrey vs. Chase Brown

Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Brown? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Christian McCaffrey is projected to score 19.8 points this week while Chase Brown is projected to score 16.4 points.