Every NFL season, players perform above their ADP and below it in fantasy football. In Week 7, Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard played signifcantly above his ADP, while Cincinnati Bengals RB Chase Brown added another down week in fantasy to his 2026 resume, playing below his ADP. With that, here is a breakdown of who fantasy managers should have in their starting lineups in Week 8 between Brown and Pollard.

Chase Brown

Against the Baltimore Ravens last week, Brown logged 11 rushes for 39 yards and four receptions for 19 yards. It marked his third game in a row where he had below 40 rushing yards and his fifth game in a row where he did not score a TD. In PPR fantasy formats, he currently ranks as RB20. It is not officially time for fantasy managers to hit the panic button on Brown yet, but if he underperforms against the Titans' defense in Week 8, it will be.

The Titans this season are allowing the seventh-most rushing yards per game in the NFL, 131.1. Over their last three games, they are allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game in the league, 142.3. Tennessee is also allowing the 14th-most PPR and the 11th-most standard fantasy points per game to opposing RBs.

The last two RB1s to face the Titans rushed for 96 and 94 yards and combined for three TDs.

Tony Pollard

Pollard had his highest-scoring fantasy game since joining the Titans organization in the 2024 season in Week 7. Against the Cleveland Browns, he had 25 carries for 129 yards and three TDs, while also tacking on three receptions for 26 yards. For the week in PPR fantasy formats, he ranked as RB1. He will look to have another good fantasy outing against a more difficult rushing defense in Week 8 with the Bengals.

Cincinnati is allowing the 14th most rushing yards per game in the NFL, 116.3. They have been a well below-average rushing defense over their last three games in limiting yards gained. They are giving up 137.0 rushing yards per game, which ranks as the eighth-highest average of any team over that span.

The Bengals are allowing the fourth-fewest standard and the third-fewest PPR fantasy points per game to opposing RBs. The last two RB1s to face the Bengals rushed for 45 and 88 yards and combined for one TD.

Final Verdict  

When it comes to who to start and who to sit in Week 8 in fantasy football between Pollard and Brown, Pollard should sit, and Brown should start.

Despite Pollard’s big game last week, he should not have anything close to a repeat performance against Cincinnati. That comes from the Bengals' level of play against RB1s over their last two games and their ability to keep RBs out of the end zone in all of 2026. They have allowed just three TDs to RBs all season, which is tied for the lowest total by any team in the league. Brown has the clear better matchup, and with his receiving upside, his fantasy floor is higher than Pollard's, going into making him a better start in fantasy in Week 8.

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