Fantasy football drafts are just around the corner, and it's time to try to start making some sense out of muddy backfields. The Cincinnati backfield is one that has some questions. Both Chase Brown and Zack Moss can be taken later in drafts. But who is the best choice? Let's break it down.
Chase Brown Fantasy Outlook
There's been a lot of buzz about Chase Brown in preseason, and for good reason. Brown has been taking a lot of snaps as Cincinnati's RB1 in camp. In the first preseason game, Brown played all the snaps on the first drive.
There has been a lot of debate about how the Bengals' backfield will work, with both Brown and Moss predominantly playing on early downs in their careers. Chris Evans is a third-down back who could take those snaps, but I'd be willing to wager Brown ends up playing on third and long white, the veteran who gets paid 4 million per season gets the starting job.
Brown showed a lot of promise in 2023 on a per-touch basis, though the sample size was limited. Per fantasy points data, among 77 backs with at least 40 carries, Brown ranked 12th in yards after contact per attempt and 16th in missed tackles forced per attempt.
At the very least, Brown is a high-end handcuff. At best, he steals snaps from Moss and ultimately takes over the backfield. Brown is one of my favorite deep sleepers; however, his ADP is rising lately, so he may not be a deep sleeper much longer.
Zack Moss Fantasy Outlook
It's criminal that a starting RB like Moss is going as the RB30 in drafts. Even with Chase Brown in the wings, Moss should be in the driver's seat and have enough opportunity to deliver a solid floor for fantasy managers in a high-powered Cincinnati offense.
Mixon's absence leaves 250+ attempts up for grabs, and between Mixon and Boyd, there are another 160 targets available, too. We saw Moss fill in admirably for Jonathan Taylor in the early part of last season, averaging 98.5 yards per game in the seven contests when he played more than 50% of the snaps. He also finished Top-8 at the position in four of his first five games played last season.
Moss should be the early down back for the Bengals, even if Chase Brown takes more of the passing game work. As the 30th running back off the board, Moss represents good value.
If you want to wait on RB this season and load up on receivers early, drafting both Moss and Brown at their ADP is a solid strategy.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chase Brown vs. Zack Moss: Which Bengals RB Should You Draft in Fantasy Football? .
