Who Should I Start? Tahj Brooks or Kaleb Johnson

Friday, September 18, 5:57 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks was hardly utilized in his team's Week 1 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, logging just two snaps on offense and failing to record a touch. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Brooks recorded just 54 scrimmage yards on 17 touches across 16 games as a rookie. Fast forward to 2026, and Brooks remains buried on the Bengals running back depth chart behind star back Chase Brown and trusted veteran Samaje Perine. While Brooks may be a more explosive rusher than the 31-year-old Perine, Perine is widely thought of as one of the league's best pass-protectors at the running back position and also recorded three catches for 30 yards in Week 1. Barring an injury or a change of scenery, Brooks should remain off the radar of fantasy managers heading into Cincinnati's Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans.