Bengals RB Chase Brown led the backfield with 16 carries for 56 yards and a TD in Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay. He added 5 catches for 22 yards while tying for second on the team with 6 targets.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
Brown’s 18.8 PPR points topped his 16.5-point average from a career-best 2025.
The underlying usage was just as encouraging. Brown beat Samaje Perine in snap share (73% to 29%) and route rate (54% to 19%). He also handled 100% of Cincinnati’s work inside the 5-yard line, including an untouched TD run up the middle.
Brown managed only 3.5 yards per carry, but Tampa Bay’s defensive approach played a clear role. Per reporter Joe Goodberry, Brown faced stacked boxes on 50% of his carries, a well-above-average rate. He also took 62.5% of his carries from under center, a wrinkle Cincinnati used much less often last season. It's reasonable to expect some time before the run game gels.
Overall, it was a strong opener for the contract-year back. Next comes a Houston defense that surrendered 36 points to Buffalo but held James Cook to 57 yards on 13 carries.
