Chris Evans Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

A day after finishing the NFL Draft with only fifth-round pick Chase Brown added to the backfield, Bengals HC Zac Taylor gave RB Joe Mixon a vote of confidence. "His future is here with the team," Taylor said, according to WKRC in Cincinnati. "I like Joe Mixon as our starting running back." Mixon remains just RB26 in Underdog ADP, making him a strong best ball value. He sits much higher in our fantasy football RB rankings. Brown, meanwhile, figures to compete with Trayveon Williams and Chris Evans for the No. 2 job.

The Bengals grabbed RB Chase Brown in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Brown spent one year at Western Michigan before transferring to Illinois for the past four. He served as the Fighting Illini's lead back each of the last three seasons, culminating with a big 328-carry, 1,643-yard 2022 campaign. Brown added another 240 yards and three scores on 27 catches. The 5'10, 209-pounder blew up the Combine with a 4.43-second 40 time and 40-inch vertical to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. Brown joins a Bengals backfield currently led by RB Joe Mixon. Mixon has been a rumored cut candidate, although Cincinnati's moves at RB so far this offseason make that seem unlikely. We'll keep an eye on the Mixon situation, but Brown at least has a chance to emerge as the Bengals' #2 RB this year. His competition for that spot: Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams.

The Athletic's Jay Morrison writes that the Bengals cutting RB Joe Mixon "feels closer to a certainty than a mere possibility." The move would save Cincinnati $7.3 million against the 2023 salary cap. "The Bengals envisioned this scenario coming into play when they signed Mixon to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2020, and structured the deal so that they could get out of it two years early without much of a hit," Morrison adds. Mixon averaged just 58 rushing yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry last year. He ranked 47th among 51 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus' Elusive Rating and 27th in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Mixon was also accused of pointing a gun at a woman in downtown Cincinnati in January. We'll see if the Bengals send him packing before the start of free agency in mid-March. RB Samaje Perine is set to hit the open market then, leaving Chris Evans as Cincinnati's only other RB signed for 2023. Expect the Bengals to make a significant addition to the backfield -- via free agency or the draft -- if they do cut Mixon.

Bengals RB Samaje Perine garnered 24 opportunities in the team's win at Tennessee Sunday. He predictably had trouble with rushing efficiency against the league's top run defense, gaining 58 yards on 17 carries (3.4 per rush) with a long run of 9. But Perine found the end from 7 yards out to make his fantasy day. He added 4 catches for 35 yards on 7 targets for a nice PPR line. Trayveon Williams worked as the #2 RB -- with Joe Mixon out -- carrying twice for 18 yards and catching 1 of 2 targets for 24 yards. RB Chris Evans played just 4 snaps. We'll see about the status of Mixon (concussion) for Week 13.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Titans. We'll see if he can make it back for Week 13. His absence leaves Samaje Perine as Cincinnati's lead back, although the matchup against Tennessee's 5th-ranked RB defense makes him as more of a low-end RB2 in fantasy lineups. Chris Evans is set to return from his knee injury and should operate as the #2 RB on Sunday.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that RB Samaje Perine has a “leg up” in the competition to be the 3rd-down back. Taylor also called Perine a "security blanket" while acknowledging that 2nd-year RB Chris Evans could still earn the role. The main takeaway here is that the team doesn't want to put too much on Joe Mixon's plate, despite his 3-down skill set. A Mixon injury would almost certainly lead to a timeshare.

Bengals RB Samaje Perine was activated from the PUP list on Wednesday. He operated as Cincinnati's #2 RB last season but will need to hold off 2nd-year RB Chris Evans for that job this summer.

The Bengals on Saturday placed RB Samaje Perine on the training camp PUP list. The team didn't reveal his injury, and a player can come off the camp PUP at any point. But it certainly doesn't help him in his competition with Chris Evans to serve as the team's #2 RB. We'll be watching that battle throughout camp.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon was added to the COVID list on Wednesday. The timing here means that he can't be cleared in time for Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Browns. Mixon should be back for the opening round of the playoffs. His absence this weekend will leave Samaje Perine as Cincinnati's likely lead back and rookie Chris Evans in a change-of-pace, pass-catching role. RB Trayveon Williams is also on the active roster.

Bengals RB Chris Evans (hamstring) is out for Sunday's game against the Jets. Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine will handle all of Cincinnati's backfield work.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (ankle) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game against the Lions after getting in limited practices on Wednesday and Friday. That’s not a great look, but HC Zac Taylor said Friday morning that Mixon “should get a full workload” this weekend. RB Samaje Perine remains on the COVID list as of Friday afternoon, leaving RBs Chris Evans and Trayveon Williams behind Mixon on the depth chart.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (ankle) did not practice on Thursday. He either suffered a setback with that ankle or got the day off. Tomorrow's practice participation and final injury report will tell the story. With RB Samaje Perine still on the COVID list, rookie Chris Evans could be left as the lead back for Sunday's game vs. the Lions.

The Bengals have placed RB Samaje Perine on the COVID list. His specific status isn't yet clear, but he at least looks very iffy for Week 6. Perine isn't much of a standalone fantasy option when Joe Mixon is healthy, but he did eat up 11 carries (for 59 yards) and catch 4 balls for 24 yards and a TD in Sunday's loss to the Packers. Perine played more than 3 times as many snaps as Mixon in that game and beat him in rushing attempts and targets. As long as Mixon avoids any setback with his sprained ankle, we'd assume more work for the starter in this Sunday's visit to Detroit. If Perine is out, then Chris Evans should see some involvment. We wouldn't expect him to be an option for fantasy football lineups, though.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (ankle) is expected to play vs. the Packers today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Rapoport confirms that Mixon "won't be 100%" but doesn't say whether he'll be on any type of snap or touch count. We're expecting Mixon to be limited to some extent and would try to avoid Cincinnati's backfield in Week 5 fantasy lineups.

The Bengals list RB Joe Mixon (ankle) as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Packers. He didn't practice all week, but HC Zac Taylor said they'll test that ankle on Saturday. We'll look for further updates and will get Mixon's game status by noon ET on Sunday. He'll obviously carry elevated risk if he ends up active. If not, look for RB Samaje Perine to lead a committee attack ahead of RB Chris Evans.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon (ankle) missed practice again on Thursday. At this point, he seems unlikely to play vs. the Packers this weekend. HC Bill Callahan said it'll be a "committee" approach with RBs Samaje Perine and Chris Evans if Mixon is out. We're expecting Perine to handle most of the rushing work, with Evans entering in passing situations.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Bengals RB Joe Mixon is "week to week" with a "low-grade" ankle sprain. HC Zac Taylor said Friday that Mixon has "a chance" to play vs. the Packers this weekend, but this report has us less optimistic. Samaje Perine will step in as Cincinnati's lead back if Mixon misses time, with rookie Chris Evans in a change-of-pace role.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon was knocked out late in Thursday night's game vs. the Jaguars with an ankle injury. HC Zac Taylor called it "minor" after the win. Mixon has 10 days to get ready for Cincinnati's Week 5 game vs. the Packers. We'll monitor his status next week. If Mixon misses time, it'd likely be Samaje Perine as the Bengals' lead back, with Chris Evans mixing in on passing downs.

Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. tweeted Sunday that RB Chris Evans will have a “small role on third downs.” He adds that Evans’ role could grow as the year goes on. (Of course.) The Michigan rookie caught a long TD from backup QB Brandon Allen in Sunday's preseason game and has drawn camp praise for his pass catching work. A high-end athlete, Evans is a name to monitor in deep formats.