Who Should I Start? Jonathan Ward or Chase Brown

Tuesday, October 13, 3:19 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals shifted to a higher rate of shotgun, downhill runs in the Week 5 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The shotgun formation fits backup running back Samaje Perine's skill set better, and his powerful running style resulted in 4.9 yards per carry on 14 attempts. Perine's 57.1% success rate tied for the most of any back in the NFL last weekend. Brown, meanwhile, saw 13 carries for only 39 yards (3.0 yards per attempt) while catching three of his four targets for 21 yards as a receiver. Perine had one more carry than he had in the first four games combined, and he had one more rushing attempt than Brown. There have been 182 runs of at least 14 yards in the NFL so far this year, but the Bengals are the only team without one. "I think we'll continually assess how that touch share between (Perine) and Chase Brown should play out," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "Every game's different." Brown will continue to have a major role in Cincy's backfield, but how opponents play the Bengals could determine how the Bengals dictate the usage of Perine versus Brown. He should continue to be a must-start in all fantasy lineups, especially when considering that his 24 catches are the second-most of any RB in the NFL through five weeks.