The Cincinnati Bengals entered this season once again looking like a team that could compete in the AFC with the Kansas City Chiefs and potentially make their second Super Bowl appearance in the last three seasons.
With Joe Burrow battling injuries all year and then finally suffering a wrist injury that ended his season, playoff aspirations seemed dead in the water.
However, quarterback Jake Browning has been solid in relief, and he has gotten some help from UDFA running back Chase Brown. Is the rookie worth picking up off of the waiver wire in the middle of the fantasy football playoffs?
Should Chase Brown Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 16?
Browning’s emergence has come with Brown’s simultaneous emergence. Joe Mixon continues to lead the backfield, but Brown is an intriguing option moving forward that must be considered for fantasy.
Mixon is one of the most talented running backs in the league, but when Samaje Perine left for the Denver Broncos, the backfield became a one-man show. However, over the last two weeks, we’ve seen a slight shift in the backfield’s distribution.
Before Week 13, Brown’s highest share of RB carries was 8% in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, in Week 13, he had 32% of the RB carries, and in Week 14, he had 28%.
Brown is now taking carries away from Mixon. While it is still Mixon’s backfield, Brown is showing he has the potential to play — even as RB2. Mixon can do everything in this backfield, but this also feels like the team trying to take away some of his workload to keep him fresh down the stretch.
With Brown’s game-breaking speed, he provides the Bengals with a little extra juice the team is missing with Burrow being out. Does this mean that fantasy managers should sign him off the waiver wire?
I’m not big on adding running backs off the waiver wire at this point, as there’s probably a reason why they’re still on the waivers. That being said, if you do need to sign a running back, there aren’t any options with a ceiling as high as Brown’s. Thus, he should be a waiver wire target heading into Week 16.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
A healthy, startable RB is worth their weight in gold this season, even if they’re an RB2 on their respective roster.
The matchup next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers is an interesting one. The Steelers have a ton of talent on defense, but they’ve allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.
Brown also has the opportunity to get more work as the season progresses. The Bengals look like they are going to be in playoff contention the entire way this year. They’ll need to do whatever they can to make sure they have a chance to win every Sunday.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Brown showed his speed with a long touchdown two weeks ago, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he has a couple more of those plays left in him this year.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
