Bengals superstar QB Joe Burrow is officially active today and will get the start vs. the Texans, despite the Questionable tag. Burrow did say he’d be out there playing if he wasn’t having surgery, so it seemed like he would play but now it is confirmed. Burrow ranked No. 5 in True Passer Rating last season and remains one of the games true elite Quarterbacks.
Despite facing the Texans defense, fantasy football managers can start your normal Bengals with confidence as the Texans did allow 36 points in Week 1 vs. the Bills. Granted, the Bills have a great offense, but there is no shortage of weapons on the Bengals either.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown was unable to ...
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has gotten off ...
The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that it is "easy to ...
Petraglia reported that while Joe Burrow was limited for a second straight day, he did much more during the media observation period of practice. Burrow himself said “If I’m not getting surgery, I’ll be out there.” when asked about his status Sunday due to the back tightness bothering him.
Burrow can be expected to play against the Texans on Sunday. While the Texans have a tough defense, they did allow 36 points to the Bills last week – so you shouldn’t fade Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins or Chase Brown despite the matchup. Fantasy football manager’s should keep an eye on Burrow’s practice participation tomorrow to see if there are any setbacks. Joe Flacco would get the start in the unlikely event Burrow is unable to play.
The Bengals are expanding Chase Brown‘s alignment across the formation, deploying him in motion and from the backfield much like Ja’Marr Chase. Armed with a 108.5 (89th-percentile) Speed Score and a 131.5 (94th-percentile) Burst Score, Brown offers the high-end athleticism needed to thrive in Joe Burrow‘s enhanced pre-snap motion scheme.
Brown is ranked as PlayerProfiler’s RB7 for 2026 fantasy football, just behind Cook and Barkley, but increased pass-game involvement secures Brown a clear path toward a top-5 PPR RB finish.
Stumbaugh quotes Brown, noting that the Bengals running back “would love to do something and be a part of this team. I [Brown] don’t want to go anywhere else.” Brown is further quoted in the article observing that both Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins waited to get paid and just got more expensive for the Bengals to resign.
Entering the final season of his rookie deal, the former fifth-round pick wants the bag, and rightfully so. Chase Brown is coming off his best season in the NFL, surpassing 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his career and catching a very nice 69 receptions. He finished as the RB7 in fantasy points per game and at times served as the bell cow running back for the Bengals. This said, with the Bengals already committing a substantial amount of their cap room to the salaries of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, Chase may have to leave the Bengals to get the most money next offseason. Brown’s fantasy production this season largely hinges on whether the Bengals look to secure a replacement for the veteran in this year’s draft or opt to ride Brown as their go-to back until he reaches free agency.
Author: Edward DeLauter (@ff_litigator)
Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase led the Cincinnati Bengals in receiving with seven catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns in the 37-14 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. Chase now has 117 receptions for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns.
Running back Chase Brown delivered on the ground, putting up 101 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Brown has paced the Cincinnati backfield all season carrying 219 times for 947 yards and six touchdowns.
Despite missing Joe Burrow for a good part of the season, Chase and Brown have delivered on their draft status for fantasy managers and will be quality fantasy assets in 2026.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
Chase Brown set a season-high with 96-percent snap share and handled his most touches since Week 1. Brown caught 8 passes for 75 yards on 14 targets while carrying the ball 11 times for a mere 37 yards.
Over the last two weeks, the Bengals have averaged 40 points– and Chase Brown has been a Top-10 RB both weeks. Brown’s three best RB finishes for fantasy have been with Joe Flacco at QB this season.
While Week 10 is the Bengals bye, if Perine were to miss Week 11 against Pittsburgh, expect Chase Brown to project as a Top-10 RB yet again.
Author: Bradley Stalder (@FFStalder)