Who Should I Start? Dameon Pierce or Chase Brown

Monday, September 8, 12:59 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce totaled five yards on his three carries in Sunday's 14-9 road loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He failed to bring in his lone target. Veteran Nick Chubb was the only Houston rusher to see more than three carries (13), and Pierce technically saw the second-most of his fellow RBs. However, rookie Woody Marks also saw three attempts, and Dare Ogunbowale handled two of his own. It was a rough day for Houston's offense overall, as they were blanked in the second half by a hungry Rams' defense. Still, Chubb was the clear-cut Texans RB1 in this outing, and Pierce's current touch load wouldn't be enough to sustain fantasy value. Houston will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as part of a Monday Night Football doubleheader in Week 2. We'll see if Pierce can carve out a larger role then.

Saturday, September 13, 12:17 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown had only 43 yards off 21 carries in the Week 1 win over Cleveland. His 2.0 yards per carry was a tough pill to swallow for fantasy managers. Still, he at least found the end zone, so the afternoon wasn't a total flop. The same can't be said for the rest of the Bengals offense, with Joe Burrow throwing for 113 yards and one touchdown. To make matters worse, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for five receptions. Despite the subpar offensive showing, Cincinnati managed to pull off a narrow one-point victory. With a win in the books, Brown and company will host the Jaguars in Week 2. Without question, the Bengals have struggled to begin the season in the last few years. However, Brown and company have a great chance of turning things around. Although he sometimes struggles picking up yards on the ground, his versatility as a pass-catching back makes a difference. Sunday's game is expected to be one of the highest-scoring contests on the schedule, so both offenses may be clicking on all cylinders. All things considered, Brown should be more productive in Week 2, especially if Burrow can get the offense into the Red Zone more than he did against Cleveland. Keep Brown rolling in all fantasy lineups.