In a slightly surprising turn of events, second-year back Chase Brown “continues to take the majority of reps at running back” with the Bengals’ first-team offense over the first week of training camp. As a result, free agent signing Zack Moss is saddled behind Brown on the first team and featured with the second team.
Although Brown is seeing most first-team reps, drafters are currently unbothered by the news. Right now, Brown is going off the board at 123 on Sleeper half PPR drafts, while Moss is going 31 spots higher at 92 overall. The change has also gone unnoticed in Underdog Best Ball drafts, where the ADPs are similar to redraft ADPs.
Let’s dive into Chase Brown vs Zack Moss and Chase Brown 2024 fantasy outlook.
CHASE BROWN VS ZACK MOSS
Our own MOH wrote that the Bengals’ running back committee is particularly intriguing this season due to their mid-round fantasy value. With a potent offense led by a healthy Joe Burrow, there’s potential for one of these backs to emerge as a fantasy standout, much like Joe Mixon, who has been a top-ten PPR running back for three consecutive seasons.
MOH notes that Chase Brown, despite his explosiveness, has struggled with consistency. Last season, he ranked near the bottom in success rate for zone concept rushes and was only slightly better in man and gap concepts. Additionally, his poor pass protection, highlighted by a 26.7 PFF grade, kept him off the field in crucial moments, indicating he may serve best as a change-of-pace back rather than a reliable fantasy option.
“I just want to become more fluid, work on my hands, work on my pass protection, just be a better all-around player coming back, and I feel confident that I accomplished all that this offseason,” Brown said to reporters in April.
Conversely, Zack Moss is expected to take on most rushing duties and goal-line carries. Moss demonstrated his reliability last season when filling in for Jonathan Taylor, finishing as a top-ten fantasy RB in four out of five starts. While not a game-changer, Moss’s steady production and ability to handle a starter’s workload make him the safer fantasy choice over Brown.
SUMMARY: CHASE BROWN 2024 FANTASY OUTLOOK
Moss is healthy and participates with the first team, though not as frequently as Chase Brown. However, letting this backfield pan out as camp continues would be wise. We know what Zack Moss brings to the table as a stable veteran, but this could be a ploy to get Brown acclimated with the ones to see how his skill set would fit with the starters.
The former 2023 fifth-round pick ended his rookie season on a high note, averaging 8.8 touches for 53.7 yards over the final six weeks and finishing the season with an impressive .91 fantasy points per opportunity. However, his fantasy production mostly stemmed from big plays rather than carry-by-carry consistency during his 44 carries. According to Fantasy Points data, Brown ranked 12th in yards after contact per attempt and 16th in missed tackles forced per attempt out of 77 RBs with at least 40 carries.
“This is my second time around so the playbook’s not new, the coaches aren’t new, the guys in the locker room aren’t all new, so you kind of feel like you’re at home and that’s kind of how I feel right now,” Brown said as he enters his second season. “But what I want to do most is just build on last year — kind of turned it on more at the end of last season —and just help this team win games in any way possible and just be a complete player.”
Despite this, Brown’s profile is promising, featuring a 4.43 40-yard dash (92nd percentile) and an impressive final season at Illinois with a workhorse-like 1,883 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also ranked in the 89th percentile with a 108.5 speed score, the 95th percentile with a 131.5 burst score, and a 42% college dominator rating (93rd percentile).
The key question now is whether Brown can develop enough to secure a starting role over Moss, who, while reliable, lacks excitement and upside. Brown’s athleticism and explosive potential make him an intriguing candidate, but he must demonstrate more consistent skill to surpass the steady Moss in the pecking order. Even if he doesn’t win the job, he has some true handcuff upside on a Bengals RB depth chart that only consists of Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans, Noah Cain, and Elijah Collins.
