What began as a nightmare season for Brown in 2025 eventually turned for the better, to the point that by the end of the year the nightmare had been forgotten. Given how poorly it went for Brown through the first six weeks, no one could have guessed how well he would do over the remaining 11 games. Indeed, Brown's year-end numbers in 2025 were similar to those from 2024, buoyed by eight TDs and 28 receptions over the final six weeks (after Joe Burrow returned from a toe injury). Going into 2026, there's reason to think Brown's production will be more even, hopefully keeping all of the highs while removing some of the lows (or at least spacing them out more charitably). The Bengals didn't add any noteworthy running backs in the offseason, and returning backup Samaje Perine is about as non-threatening as veteran backups get. Even if he cedes a few carries to Perine or someone else, Brown is a strong bet to pile up catches and goal-line touches in a prolific offense, creating an obvious path to RB1 fantasy value.