Who Should I Start? Dameon Pierce or Chase Brown

Thursday, May 2, 4:48 PM

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce had a notable rookie campaign after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In just 13 games before being sidelined with injuries, he racked up 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries and caught 30 passes for 165 yards and one score. However, his role, production, and efficiency declined in 2023 after the arrival of Devin Singletary, as he posted just 517 total yards and rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. Singletary is now gone, but the team traded for former Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon. Despite this, Texans general manager Nick Caserio spoke highly of Pierce in a recent media availability. "He is going to be a big part of what we're doing. Watching him move on the field, he looks pretty good. Everybody's looking forward to the opportunity in front of them; you can't worry about what's happened in the past," Caserio said. "He's got as good an attitude as anyone on the team. We're glad DP is here." While you never know whether a head coach or general manager is being honest in these situations, Caserio's comments can only help his fantasy stock. Fantasy managers should go into the season with low expectations for Pierce, but he should at least be viewed as a high-end handcuff running back in what projects to be one of the league's best offenses.

Monday, April 29, 11:49 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown remains the No. 2 option out of the backfield after the team opted not to select any competition in the NFL Draft. Cincinnati replaced Joe Mixon with Zack Moss last March, and while it seemed like they could upgrade their backfield in the draft, that wasn't the case. Instead, it appears Moss will be Cincinnati's primary running back, barring a surprise signing or trade. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic indicates that Moss has a leg up over Brown heading into the summer, including on third downs. This isn't necessarily a surprise given that Moss looked great in Indianapolis last year, but Brown also flashed promise as a rookie, totaling 335 yards and a touchdown. He enters the summer as Moss' backup but could push for more snaps with a strong camp.