Start Bucky Irving or Chase Brown? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Chase Brown over Bucky Irving in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Chase Brown at 16.2 points and Bucky Irving at 13.9, a gap of 2.3. No player market is posted for Bucky Irving this week yet, so his 13.9 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (11.9, 14.5 and 15.3); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Chase Brown at ADP 16 and Bucky Irving at 45.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 16.2 fantasy points for Chase Brown, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market-based projection for Chase Brown is 55 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, 3-4 receptions and 0.9 touchdowns (7, 7, 7 and 7 market sources).

No Week 9 player market is posted for Bucky Irving yet. His market-based projections were 11.9, 14.5 and 15.3 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 13.9, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

That puts Chase Brown 2.3 points ahead of Bucky Irving on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Chase Brown and CIN visit ATL on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET.

ATL allowed 24.6 fantasy points a game to RBs this season over 7 games, the 8th most in the league.

Running backs ran for 82 yards and a touchdown a game against ATL and caught passes for 39 more yards.

Bucky Irving and TB visit CHI on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

CHI allowed 18.6 fantasy points a game to RBs this season over 7 games, the 6th fewest in the league.

Running backs ran for 74 yards and 0.4 touchdowns a game against CHI and caught passes for 35 more yards.

By points allowed to the position, Chase Brown has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Chase Brown is not on the injury report.

Bucky Irving is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Chase Brown played 71 percent of CIN snaps, took 63 percent of the carries, drew 16 percent of the targets and had 23 percent of the red zone chances.

Chase Brown, Week 4 against JAX: 60 of 76 snaps, 9 carries for 10 yards, 11 targets and 11 catches for 71 yards.

Chase Brown, Week 5 against MIA: 39 of 65 snaps, 13 carries for 39 yards, 4 targets and 3 catches for 21 yards.

Chase Brown, Week 7 against BAL: 40 of 53 snaps, 11 carries for 39 yards, 5 targets and 4 catches for 19 yards.

Chase Brown, Week 8 against TEN: 12 carries for 55 yards, 9 targets and 8 catches for 46 yards.

Through Week 8, Bucky Irving played 64 percent of TB snaps, took 57 percent of the carries, drew 11 percent of the targets and had 45 percent of the red zone chances.

Bucky Irving, Week 5 against DAL: 39 of 72 snaps, 21 carries for 165 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 10 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Bucky Irving, Week 6 against PIT: 63 of 74 snaps, 19 carries for 46 yards, 3 targets and 2 catches for 3 yards.

Bucky Irving, Week 7 against CAR: 37 of 63 snaps, 24 carries for 106 yards, 2 targets and 1 catch for 4 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Bucky Irving, Week 8 against ATL: 27 carries for 170 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Chase Brown played 17 games for CIN and scored 282.6 PPR points, 16.6 a game, finishing RB7.

He ran 232 times for 1019 yards and 6 touchdowns, and caught 69 of 88 targets for 437 yards.

He was on the field for 67 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Bucky Irving played 10 games for TB and scored 138.5 PPR points, 13.9 a game, finishing RB34.

He ran 173 times for 588 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 30 of 35 targets for 277 yards.

He was on the field for 62 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Chase Brown over Ashton Jeanty.
• Start Bijan Robinson over Chase Brown.
• Start Chase Brown over Braelon Allen.
• Start Ashton Jeanty over Bucky Irving.
• Start Bucky Irving over Bhayshul Tuten.
• Start Bucky Irving over Braelon Allen.