Chase Brown vs Rico Dowdle: Who Should You Start?
Two running backs who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals) finished the 2025 season averaging 14.6 fantasy points per game in 17 games. Rico Dowdle (Pittsburgh Steelers) came in at 11.6 PPG over 17 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Chase Brown carries a 3.0-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Chase Brown is the receiving back in this matchup, turning 69 targets into 437 yards, while Rico Dowdle profiles as a more traditional rusher with 1076 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. In PPR and half-PPR formats Chase Brown carries the higher weekly floor. In standard leagues the gap tightens considerably.
One scheduling note: Chase Brown is off Week 12 and Rico Dowdle Week 9. If these two are on your roster, you will need a fill-in running back for both weeks. DraftCall flags bye conflicts so you can plan ahead rather than panic on waivers.
