Bengals may double under-center early-down runs

It was a big pass-catching day for Brown, who saw 11-of-54 total Bengals targets on the day. After Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) exited, Brown and Tee Higgins saw massive upticks in usage. Brown saw 57 backfield snaps, catching a series of checkdowns and wheel routes despite just 10 rushing yards on the day. He worked ahead of Samaje Perine on passing downs, a good sign for his fantasy production moving forward. We don’t expect Brown to consistently see this many targets but a high backfield share gives him a consistent fantasy floor. Brown is a fringe RB1 for Week 5 against the Dolphins.

Brown was effective with the opportunities he received, but the Bengals did all of their damage through the air in this one, as Joe Burrow and the company aimed to keep pace with a surprisingly explosive Steelers offense. As far as the Bengals’ backfield is concerned, Brown continues to be the only game in town. He handled 71.4 percent of the Bengals’ running back opportunities in this one but has only one touchdown to show for his efforts this season. He’ll be a fringe RB1/RB2 in next week’s game against the Jaguars.

He “added” three catches for two yards on five targets, getting absolutely exploded by Kamari Lassiter on one of them. He also had a 20-ish yard run called back for holding. Brown looked quick and able, but the Bengals ran just two plays inside the Texans red zone all game. He played on 42-of-60 snaps per PFF. Brown will be in the low-end RB1 ranks against the Steelers in Week 3.

It was neither an efficient nor prolific outing for the Bengals’ lead back, but he found the end zone and out-touched No. 2 Samaje Perine 21-8. It was a full “as expected” day in the Bengals’ backfield. Brown will remain in the RB10-14 range for Week 2 against the Texans. That’s a tough defensive matchup, albeit one the similarly offensive-minded Bills just handled with ease.

Late in June, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. reported that QB Joe Burrow had agreed to try out more under-center concepts in spring practices. The Bengals’ quarterback prefers to operate from shotgun, but the offense has struggled to generate explosive pass and run plays in recent seasons. Meanwhile, 2025 playoff teams notably thrived under center, prompting a potential schematic switch in Cincinnati this year. Dehner previously reported on Brown’s efficiency leaps when switching from shotgun to under center. Burrow and his wide receiver should, theoretically, receive an efficiency bump from the intended changes as well. This is exciting for fantasy football purposes.

Brown, according to Dehner, is “being used all over the formation,” similar to the way Ja’Marr Chase has been deployed in recent years. Brown lines up in the slot and runs a slant one play, then takes a jet sweep the next. He’s part of 20 personnel with two running backs, motions into the backfield, behind a fullback and almost any other spot imaginable.” The Bengals are preparing to use motion at a much higher rate than they have during the Joe Burrow era, especially when Burrow is under center. It’s led to some early camp struggles, per Dehner. “We all got to prepare a little bit more, at least I do, a lot for the motions and playing F and wherever they are putting me takes a little extra study time because I haven’t really done that before,” Brown said. “It’s cool they trust me doing that and believe in my skill set enough. It’s been fun.” Dehner said the team’s “pre-snap eye candy and under-center emphasis have helped establish a refreshed run game” ahead of the 2026 season. Brown’s pass game involvement should give him every chance to be a top-5 back in PPR formats.

Brown was reported to be discussing an extension with the Bengals in January, but nothing came of that. Dehner believes the $14.3 million franchise tag number for running backs “speaks the Bengals’ language as they continue to work on a potential longer deal for him.” Brown, entering his age-26 season, remains a fringe fantasy RB1 in Cincinnati’s wide-open offense. It doesn’t seem like there’s any danger of a holdout or anything of the sort here.

Dehner reports that the Bengals have rigorously practiced lining up under center in spring practices. He believes they will remain a shotgun-first team, but thinks they could improve on their 31st under-center ranking by more than 10 spots. Among the top-40 qualifiers from 2024-25, Brown averages 5.1 yards per carry (fourth) and a 12.3 percent explosive run play rate (third) on runs when QB Joe Burrow lines up under center. From shotgun formation, Brown averages 4.5 (24th) and 7.3 percent (22nd), respectively. Even a minimal increase in under-center snaps would benefit Brown. The Bengals believe TE Erick All’s (knee) return gives them the needed flexibility to do so. He is capable of motioning into the backfield as a fullback, and “setting the edge with vicious crack blocks and overall serving as a hammer in front of Brown in the run game.” Brown finished as the RB7 last year and is being drafted as the consensus RB10 in best ball. Beating that ADP seems plausible.

Baby’s practice notes indicate that incumbent No. 3 WR Andrei Iosivas and No. 1 TE Mike Gesicki are the other two competitors for the role, and both players “had productive springs.” Pitcher also said RB Chase Brown “can sometimes be viewed as a slot receiver,” but those types of comments are common in the summer and rarely pan out in the fall. Iosivas and Gesicki have been helpful contributors, but the fact that the team is searching for an answer at the No. 3 receiving role is indicative of their ceilings. Pitcher believes Young is “going to fight and battle” this summer, and thinks there are things Young “can do quickly and help us.” If he can actually become the team’s third-most voluminous target earner, he could pay off as a late-round best ball pick.

Brown had an uneven fantasy season as he was disastrous pre-Joe Flacco and the Bengals simply couldn’t get the ground game going, but came on strong in the second half of the season and wound up with a 69/437/5 receiving line. Entering his age-26 season and the final year of his rookie contract, an extension would seem to make sense given the Bengals don’t exactly have anyone waiting in the wings. 2025 sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks is the closest thing Cincinnati has to a prospect at the position, and he only managed 47 offensive snaps in his rookie season.