Bengals running back Chase Brown took the fantasy world by storm last season. The RB37 in terms of ADP data, he posted career highs across the board, including a huge jump in his points-per-game average (15.9) compared to his rookie campaign (4.5). In all, Brown finished in the top 10 in PPR points among running backs and was a league winner.
Clearly, it was a breakout campaign for Brown.
The Illinois product didn’t even open the regular season as the Bengals No. 1 running back, as veteran Zack Moss held the top spot on the depth chart. However, Brown took over the lead role when Moss went down with an injury and he never handed the job back to the veteran. In his 10 starts, Brown averaged a stellar 18.7 points for fantasy managers.
So, which running back might make a Brown-esque push to fantasy stardom in 2025? Here are five players who fit the bill … and unlike Brown, they’re all in their first year in the NFL. All of these backs will be coveted at one level or another, so unlike Brown they’re not all potential bargains. In fact, at least two of them could become RB1s in fantasy play.