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Should I drop Chase Brown for fantasy football Week 6? Is Chase Brown a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has been a massive disappointment in fantasy football so far in 2025. His 2024 breakout, combined with his bellcow status, pushed him up draft boards to an ADP of 22.9 before the season began.
So far, fantasy football managers have not gotten their anticipated return on investment. Through five games, Brown is averaging just 9.9 PPR points per game. Brown has handled 65 rushing attempts for 165 yards, equating to a paltry 2.5 yards per carry, and has a single touchdown that came back in Week 1.
The loss of quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) and poor offensive line play have lowered the prospects of the Bengals' star performers across the board. So, is it time to drop Chase Brown in fantasy football?
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Should I Drop Chase Brown in Fantasy Football?
Despite his poor performance, Brown still owns the increasingly elusive bellcow role in Cincinnati. In an era where time shares are commonplace, Brown is one of the few running backs who has a near monopoly on his team’s backfield opportunities. Brown's 70.7% team rush share ranks second in the NFL.
Each defense that Brown has faced so far this season ranks in the top half of the league in PPR points allowed to running backs. The Bengals face the Packers in week six, which will be another game of tough sledding for Brown, but after that the schedule opens softens up with matchups against the Steelers, the Bears and the Jets.
On Tuesday, Cincinnati traded for quarterback Joe Flacco, who is expected to relieve Jake Browning in the hopes that he will kick-start the offense. Flacco averaged 8.5 running back targets in his four games with the Browns this year, which could mean better days are in store for Brown. In 2024, he was used extensively as a receiver, ranking sixth in targets (65), fifth in receptions (54), and third in receiving touchdowns (4) among running backs.
While a quarterback change and a more forgiving schedule will certainly help Brown’s prospects, the fact remains that Cincinnati’s offensive line is doing him no favors. Brown’s 0.32 yards before contact per attempt is one of the worst marks in the league and is indicative of ineffective run blocking.
Chase Brown with the rare “playing bad and playing in a bad environment” double whammy.
Arguably the worst non-injury pick in the first 3 rounds https://t.co/avwcXYXhbn
— Dan Fornek ↗️ (@fornekdf) October 8, 2025
Even though Brown is not performing to the level that fantasy football managers expected, he should not be dropped. The Bengals are feeding him the ball, and backups Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks do not pose a threat to overtake him on the depth chart. It will be next to impossible to find a replacement on the waiver wire with Brown’s opportunity share. He may have sunk to flex candidate status, but frustrated managers are better off selling low (perhaps for another underperforming star) than outright dropping Brown.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
The rash of injuries to running backs in recent weeks has opened the door to some big games for players readily available on the waiver wire. In Week 5, Rico Dowdle of the Panthers and Michael Carter of the Cardinals stepped into starting roles and performed admirably. Dowdle is now rostered in 72% of Yahoo leagues, but Carter’s rostership still sits at just 52%. He should be leaned on heavily in the next few games, though he faces some tough defenses in the Colts and Packers before Arizona’s Week 9 bye.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Hassan Haskins could be the next backup to break out. He is already one of the most popular waiver wire adds at the start of the week, but is still rostered in just 44% of leagues. With the Chargers’ depth at running back thinned out by injury, Haskins should see plenty of work in Week 6 against a generous Dolphins run defense.
Hassan Haskins the "Next Man Up" in Chargers Backfield https://t.co/4UbVOAe6dA
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 7, 2025
While it is inadvisable to drop Brown, fantasy football managers could let go of an end-of-bench player to pick up an upstart like Carter or Haskins and give him the start in Week 6 over Brown, who will be in a hard spot to turn things around against Green Bay.
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