Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Chase Brown

Tuesday, February 25, 2:59 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb will hit the free-agent market when free agency opens on March 12, according to general manager Andrew Berry. The former second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft rushed for 996 yards as a rookie before compiling four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 2019 to 2022. He suffered a significant knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign, limiting him to just two games played. The 29-year-old returned to action in Week 7 last season but rushed for just 322 yards and three touchdowns in eight games before suffering a broken foot. With Chubb's future outlook uncertain and Cleveland needing to flip its roster, there's a good chance his time with the organization is over. However, the Browns could bring him back on a cheap deal if he does not draw much interest in the open market.

Tuesday, March 4, 5:41 PM

Bengals beat writer Geoff Hobson gets the sense that the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to go bigger for a complement to lead back Chase Brown this offseason with Zack Moss' (neck) status unclear. Brown played big as a three-down back in 2024 after Moss' injury and racked up an impressive 1,350 scrimmage yards on 283 touches while also protecting quarterback Joe Burrow, but offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher wouldn't mind another big and physical back to help Brown out. "The easy answer is Chase isn't the biggest guy, so maybe if you have an opportunity to add a bigger back with a little more power repertoire to his game, that size helps you in protection," Pitcher said. The 24-year-old Brown finished as the RB12 in half-PPR scoring in 2024 thanks to his workhorse role, and although he should remain the lead back in a high-scoring offense, fantasy managers should expect some regression.