Bengals Beat: RB Chase Brown 'going to be problem' this season

Sep 02, 2025

Chase Brown took his development from last season and returned to WR coach Drew Lieberman this offseason with a renewed focus on route running, trying to elevate on-script to match his off-script magic.

The Bengals responded accordingly. OTAs and training camp were filled with splitting Brown outside and testing matchups against safeties and linebackers. This grew far beyond the typical choice routes coming out of the backfield. This was true receiver usage.

“Splitting out as a receiver and having a real understanding of what our receivers go through and what Joe is going to see — he’s become really valuable in that way,” HC Zac Taylor said.

Fantasy Impact:

The story mentioned Bengals LB Logan Wilson said Brown is trying to separate himself in the passing and he's done a lot of work to get better at route running. Wilson went on to call him a, "true receiving threat wherever he is at on the field at all times.” The story said Brown's improvement in the passing game allowed the Bengals to expand their playbook for this season. The story added that extrapolating his numbers from the second half of last season over a full year would put him well over 1,000 yards rushing and 500 receiving, and only two backs have accomplished both in a season since 2020: Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey. Brown looks to be a RB to target in the late second or early third round of fantasy drafts if he's there.

yesterday

Rams QB Matthew Stafford (back) expected to start Week 1

Sarah Barshop on X

3 hours ago

Matthew Stafford is expected to start against the Texans, Sean McVay said.

Fantasy Impact:

Great news for Stafford and his fantasy owners. Hopefully his back issues are a thing of the past but it will be worth watching once Stafford starts to take a few hits. We already know it was reported his back will need to be managed this season.

Chargers RB Najee Harris (eye) could play Week 1

Pro Football Talk

4 hours ago

There is some positive news on the injury front for Chargers running back Najee Harris.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters in his Monday press conference that Harris has been cleared for contact and there’s a “possibility” he plays against the Chiefs on Friday night.

“He’s looked really good in practice,” Harbaugh said.

Related players: Omarion Hampton, Hassan Haskins

Fantasy Impact:

Harris, who signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles this offseason, has been sidelined by an eye injury suffered in early July. He had returned to practice, but hadn’t been doing any drills with contact, the story said. Other reports said Harris will begin to ramp things up. Even if Harris is good to go for Week 1, which remember is a Friday night game, he may not have a safe enough workload for fantasy lineups. Hopefully we'll learn more by the team's first injury report, but Hampton is looking like a safer option either way.

49ers WR Jauan Jennings (calf) returns to practice

Pro Football Talk

4 hours ago

Monday brought a positive development for the 49ers’ receiving corps.

Reporters at the open portion of practice shared photos and videos of Jauan Jennings taking part in the session. The wideout has been sidelined by a calf injury for an extended period of time, but the word in the last week or so has been that the team expects him to play against the Seahawks this week.

Fantasy Impact:

Monday’s workout is a good sign that things are moving in that direction, although the team won’t issue their first official injury report of the season until after Wednesday’s practice is in the books, the story said. Jennings, of course, also wants a new contract and there is no word if things have changed on that front.