Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Chase Brown

Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 PM

The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Wednesday that they placed running back Najee Harris (Achilles) on Injured Reserve, according to Fernando Ramirez of the Sporting Tribune. Harris' season is over after he tore his Achilles in the Week 3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's a disappointing end to his first year with the Bolts after signing with them in free agency in the offseason. The 27-year-old will end his streak of four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to begin his career. In his three games this year, Harris carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards and no touchdowns, adding three receptions for 25 yards through the air. The Chargers will be forced to lean more on rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton as their lead back going forward, making him a must-start each week. Hassan Haskins will be elevated to the RB2 role, with Kimani Vidal the next man up at No. 2 in the backfield.

Saturday, December 20, 12:29 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown struggled on the ground in the last three games. However, he at least made up for it by catching 17 passes during that span. Without question, fantasy managers were expecting more from the 25-year-old after a quality 2024 campaign. Still, the upside is there, as evident by his two-touchdown effort in the Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals have already been eliminated from postseason contention. While that could result in Brown and some of the other starters shutting it down before the end of the regular season, he should handle his usual workload versus Miami in Week 16, keeping him in the must-start conversation. That applies even more for PPR participants if Tee Higgins (concussion) can't suit up, considering Brown will presumably remain in line for additional pass-catching opportunities.