Zack Moss or Chase Brown -- Which Bengals Back Should You Target in Fantasy Football?

The Cincinnati Bengals' run game has been lacking for years, with Cincy finishing among the bottom 11 teams in rushing yards per carry in six consecutive seasons. With that said, Joe Mixon managed to turn in two top-five RB fantasy campaigns over the last three seasons due in large part to volume, so there's still value to be had in Cincinnati's backfield.

Following six straight seasons with Mixon as starting running back, the Stripes' rushing attack will look different in 2024. After shipping Mixon to the Houston Texans, Cincinnati added Zack Moss alongside second-year tailback Chase Brown.

Joe Burrow and the passing attack remains at the forefront of this offense, but don't completely overlook the value of the Bengals' running backs. According to FantasyPros' average draft position (ADP), Moss is bordering RB26 while Brown is nearing RB38. If either of these backs pull ahead as the season advances, they could smash their current ADPs

With that said, is Moss or Brown bound to become RB1 of Cincinnati? Let's check out the fantasy football outlook of each tailback for the 2024 season.

Cincinnati Bengals RBs Fantasy Football Outlook

Zack Moss' Outlook

Moss comes in as the new addition from the Indianapolis Colts. The fifth-year running back didn't have much success with the Buffalo Bills, failing to secure a starting spot.

A change of scenery was just what the doctor ordered as Moss quickly made his presence felt in Indianapolis. The 26-year-old back is fresh off his best season yet, making eight starts a Colt while reaching a career-high 794 rushing yards.

The advanced stats keep singing the praise as Moss totaled 9.4 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) -- which was tied for the ninth-most in the NFL.

Based on Brandon Gdula’s expected FanDuel Points model, Moss' expected FanDuel points (FDP) per game vs. FanDuel points per game finished at 0.0, suggesting that Moss didn't really produce better than expected in 2023. He logged 15.0 touches per contest last year. I'm not sure if Moss can get a much better workload than that moving forward assuming Brown stays healthy.

Moss still finished as just the RB29, even in a career-best season.

Chase Brown's Outlook

The familiar face in the Queen City is Brown. The fifth-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft had to wait for his turn in 2023, not logging more than one carry until Week 12.

When Brown finally got his shot, he made it count. Over the final six games of the season, the rookie halfback totaled 173 rushing yards on 42 carries (4.1 yards per attempt) and 149 receiving yards on 11 receptions (13.5 yards per catch). That's good for a per-game average of 53.7 scrimmage yards, and Brown was logging 8.8 touches per contest.

The fantasy numbers weren't that impressive, though, as he managed to record only one touchdown -- likely hurt by the fact that the Cincy offense wasn't the same sans Burrow. Brown surpassed 6.6 fantasy points in one of the six contests, which was an 18.0-point showing in Week 14 thanks to 3 receptions, 105 scrimmage yards, and 1 touchdown.

The former Fighting Illini RB managed to at least get on the field despite a healthy Mixon, but he was still in a backup role, with Brown's 8.8 touches per game lagging way behind Mixon's 19.2 touches per outing.

Brown's 7.3 fantasy points per game over the final six games of the 2023 season is nothing to write home about. We would need to see a major jump in playing time for Brown to become a worthy fantasy selection.

Which Bengals RB is the Best Option?

Looking at 2023's numbers can make deciding between Moss and Brown rather easy. Moss was the much better back with more fantasy points throughout the season.

numberFire's fantasy football projections also suggest that Moss should be your top priority in this backfield. Brown is forecasted to be RB46 with 101.8 fantasy points, 532 rushing yards, and 146 receiving yards. numberFire is also predicting about 9.0 touches per game for Brown.

Moss, on the other hand, is the RB26, forecasted for 954 rushing yards and 171 receiving yards. Moss is in line for a larger workload, carrying a projected 14.9 touches per contest -- not far off from last season's 15.0 touches per game.

The receiving game is where things get interesting. numberFire thinks this will be a tight race, projecting 26.7 receptions for Moss, compared to Brown's 22.2.

Brown was successful in the passing game during his rookie season with the fourth-highest receiving grade at Pro Football Focus (PFF) among tailbacks, and the second-year back has been focusing on his receiving ability throughout the offseason, even earning praise from head coach Zac Taylor. If Brown becomes a trusted weapon for Burrow, that will be a big feather in his cap.

Between Moss' career-best 2023 campaign and glowing reviews surrounding Brown, all signs are pointing to a split backfield in Cincy. numberFire's projections -- which have Moss as RB26 -- are in line with Moss' ADP of RB26. Brown does not have the same value with a projection of RB46 and ADP of RB37.

Brown looks like a wise late-round dart throw, especially with his expected improvement in the passing attack. But he may prove to be nothing more than a thorn in the side of Moss managers as Brown will likely do just enough to prevent Moss from a breakout season.

Overall, this is a frustrating backfield on an offense that totaled the third-fewest rushing attempts per game last season. Moss has a chance to be an RB2/flex type while Brown's projections are far behind his ADP.

If one running back has to be circled, it's Moss, but don't expect either to have a breakout season and become a league winner.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.