2025 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Preview
Cincinnati Bengals No team embodies the Tecmo Bowl spirit of ‘all offense, no defense, no punting’ mentality quite like the Cincinnati Bengals. By signing QB Joe Burrow, WR Ja’Marr Chase, and WR Tee Higgins to expensive long-term deals, the Bengals should field a potent offense for years to come, with little salary cap space to fortify a defense that ranked 25th in 2024. That makes Bengals players highly desirable fantasy targets. Burrow led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. He finished as fantasy’s QB2 after missing seven games in 2023. Playing behind a suspect offensive line, Burrow engineered an offense that ranked 6th in scoring (27.8), 8th in yards per play (5.8), and 10th in EPA per play (0.07). Burrow/Chase stacks won countless fantasy titles last season and will be one of the most sought-after stacks again in 2025. Defacto GM Duke Tobin evenly split Cincinnati’s six 2025 NFL Draft picks on defense and offense, targeting the trenches. Tobin did not address the RB position until he selected Tahj Brooks in the 6th round, cementing Chase Brown as a legitimate RB1 target. Brown produced 1,350 scrimmage yards and 11 scores despite not starting until Week 4. Brown scored 13-plus fantasy points in 12 of his 13 starts and will see plenty of touches in his third season. Ja’Marr Chase was fantasy football’s No. 1 wideout who commanded a league-high 175 targets. Those ample looks resulted in Chase pulling the receiving Triple Crown. Duplicating last year’s production will be difficult, but Chase warrants 1.01 attention in all leagues. Now locked into Cincinnati for four years, Tee Higgins ranked 5th with 18.7 PPR points per game, giving the Bengals the top duo in football. Higgins missed five games with hamstring and quad injuries but scored 12-plus fantasy points in nine of the 10 full games he played. Andrei Iosivas returns as the WR3 after the Bengals ignored the position in free agency and the draft. Iosivas will need to improve his consistency, but he is worth late-round consideration in deeper leagues. And just because the QB and wideouts got extensions didn’t exempt the tight ends. Mike Gesicki re-signed for three years and returns to lead Cincinnati’s TE rotation. Gesicki finished just outside TE1 range last season and ranked 12th with 83 targets. He’s a solid TE2 fantasy option but will continue to split playing time with Drew Sample and Erick All, who missed most of his rookie campaign. The Bengals should once again be able to score and surrender plenty of points. That makes targeting Cincinnati skill position players a solid investment on draft day. Fantasy Grade: A QB Burrow, Joe, CIN [QB1] Joe Burrow delivered a stellar 2024 fantasy season, leading the NFL in passing yards (4,918), touchdowns (43), and completions (460), while maintaining a 70.6 percent completion rate. He averaged 22-plus fantasy points per game, ranking as the QB3 overall. Burrow’s advanced metrics underscore his elite performance: he topped the league in pass attempts (652), red zone throws (126), and air yards (4,609). His 6.6 percent touchdown rate and 1.7 percent turnover-worthy play rate highlight his efficiency and decision-making. Paired with an elite supporting cast and a defense that will lead to fantasy-friendly game scripts, Burrow remains a top fantasy option in an expanding QB class. ADVICE: Still elite, but likely to be overdrafted. RB Brown, Chase, CIN [RB1] Chase Brown was one of last year’s biggest breakouts. After Zack Moss went down with a Week 8 neck injury, Brown became Cincinnati’s feature back. Starting in Week 9, Brown averaged 23.6 touches, 116.2 scrimmage yards, and housed six touchdowns. Moss is slated to return in a backup role, and the Bengals reunited with Samaje Perine, but Brown is expected to have a prominent role as the team’s three-down starter. Brown will see favorable game scripts in a Cincinnati offense projected to be among the highest-scoring NFL offenses. ADVICE: Finished as the RB10 last season and is poised to have a more prominent role in 2025. RB Moss, Zack, CIN [RB2] Moss opened the season as Cincinnati’s lead back, scoring 12-plus PPR points in three of the club’s first four games. But Moss’s lack of explosive plays resulted in him losing snaps to Chase Brown before a neck injury ended Moss’s season after Week 8. Now, Moss is clearly behind Brown on the depth chart. But the Bengals may hesitate to keep giving Brown over 23 touches per game, freeing up Moss to see early-down work. Even if Brown remains the bellcow, Moss is one of the top handcuffs to target in a Bengals’ offense that averaged 27.8 points per game last season. ADVICE: Handcuff to Chase Brown, who could factor in as a short-yardage option. WR Chase, Ja’Marr, CIN [WR1] Fresh off a historic Triple Crown season, Chase remains the premier fantasy wideout. With Joe Burrow healthy and Tee Higgins re-signed, defenses can’t focus solely on him. The Bengals had one of the most explosive passing games in the league, and they made no changes to the staff or players involved in the passing game. Expect elite volume, red-zone dominance, and explosive plays. He’s the consensus WR1 and a strong candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in PPR formats. ADVICE: Elite WR1 with league-winning upside—worthy of the top overall pick. WR Higgins, Tee, CIN [WR2] Tee Higgins quietly delivered an elite 2024 season when on the field, finishing sixth among wide receivers in fantasy points per game (18.5) despite missing five contests due to injury. He set career highs in touchdowns (10) and was a top-20 fantasy scorer in seven of his 12 games. Cincinnati once again leaned heavily on the pass, especially near the goal line, where Higgins thrived—his eight end-zone targets from inside the 3-yard line ranked second in the league, producing four scores. The Bengals return the same offensive core, and Higgins remains locked in as a starting outside receiver opposite Ja’Marr Chase. His touchdown upside and target share remain strong as
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 10
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 10 The fantasy playoff stretch drive starts with an excellent AFC North battle. This rematch of a Week 5 shootout won by the Baltimore Ravens 41-38 over the Cincinnati Bengals should be one of the
The fantasy playoff stretch drive starts with an excellent AFC North battle. This rematch of a Week 5 shootout won by the Baltimore Ravens 41-38 over the Cincinnati Bengals should be one of the NFL’s games of the month. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 10 breaks down the game from a fantasy and sports betting perspective.
At 4-5 with a loss to the Ravens already in the books, this is a crucial game for the Bengals’ playoff odds. And after losing five of their last six against Baltimore, the pressure is on for Zac Taylor’s bunch.
Meanwhile, the Ravens boast the league’s top offense. John Harbaugh’s team added reinforcements at the trade deadline and has had Cincinnati’s number of late.
Baltimore opened as 3-point favorites but that line quickly doubled. Meanwhile, the total, which opened at 47, has shot up to a Week 10-high 53 points.
Matchup
| TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 17 | 5 | 26 | 14 | 6 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Last week’s Jets/Texans game was a snoozer. However, this game has some potential. Both squads rank inside the top 6 in scoring. And the first meeting between these rivals resulted in 962 combined yards and 53 first downs. Inject it into our veins!
The Bengals are a pass-first team led by Joe Burrow, who ranks third in fantasy points and is tied for second in the league with 20 touchdown passes. However, Cincinnati ranks 26th in rushing and is better at defending the run than the pass.
But the Ravens have the best offense in the NFL, ranking first in rushing and second in passing. That makes Baltimore’s balance problematic for the Bengals and every opponent.
Cincinnati Offense…
How will Thursday’s Bengals vs. Ravens game go?
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Circa Survivor Report: Week 2
Circa Survivor Report: Week 2 The parity in the NFL is wreaking havoc with Circa’s Survivor $1,000 entry fee Contest. For the second consecutive week, the BIGGEST betting favorite on the board was the MOST SELECTED team in the contest. Consequently, for the second straight week, that team was upset. 2,304 entries (26.5%) picked Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to beat Las Vegas at home. However, the 8.5-point underdog Raiders pulled off the biggest upset of Week 2 after earning the stunning 26-23 victory. #CircaSurvivor 2024 🏈🏆 Week 2 Selections 📄 Complete selections: https://t.co/csTKGuYaGd pic.twitter.com/uJfOyvrNTv — Circa Sports (@CircaSports) September 15, 2024 The record-breaking $14,266,000 million prize pool, despite not needing to cover any point spread, is proving impossible for even the best bettors to navigate. UPSET ALERT 🚨 Raiders (+350 ML) shock the Ravens in Week 2 ✅ pic.twitter.com/6e7dBjmR7r — DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) September 15, 2024 In addition to the Ravens, the Lions were the next biggest knock-out blow to contestants as they took out another 859 entries (9.9%) after being upset by Tampa Bay. A total of 4,775 (55%) of the 8,675 remaining entries were eliminated in Week 2. Think the NFL is easy to predict? The Week 2 massacre concluded on Monday Night Football when the Falcons stunned the Eagles, 22-21, knocking out 785 (9%) of the entrants. In just two weeks of NFL games, 10,321 of the starting 14,266 entries have already been eliminated! This is historically shocking. After Week 2’s bloodbath, the highest percentage of entries have now been eliminated through Week 2. In 2022: 67.2% were eliminated after the first two weeks, but this year has topped them all taking out 72.8% of the contest after just 32 games. If you own one of the remaining 3,878 entries heading into Week 3 consider yourself fortunate. The sweat is already on heading to Week 3 as the entrants battle for the biggest Survivor prize in history. FALCONS COME BACK WITH UNDER A MINUTE LEFT TO STEAL THE WIN IN PHILLY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XkbzsizLiK — ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2024 The Circa Survivor contest is a grueling contest that forces entrants to pick one winner every week, with no spread with one pivotal caveat. Entrants CAN NOT use the same team more than once during the course of the season. In an early look-ahead to Week 3, it is expected that: Cincinnati (-8 ) vs Washington, San Francisco (-7)at LA Rams, Cleveland (-6.5) va NY Giants, Tampa Bay (-6.5) vs Denver, and Las Vegas (-6) vs Carolina – will be among the most heavily chosen teams in the contest. Circa Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas is the proud home of FullTime Fantasy‘s renowned Fantasy Football World Championship! ENTER OUR WEEK 3 DRAFT CONTEST! How it Works: Firstly, draft your team using our On-Demand Simulator. Next, try to stack the team with players you think will do well this week. Finally, the highest Week 3 Score wins. (PLUS: You get to see the Thursday Night game and then draft!) Here’s our Week 3 Player Rankings to help. Firstly, it’s a best-ball contest, so no need to submit a lineup. We’ll optimize the best one. Secondly, you just sit back and watch your team climb the leaderboard. Weekly Prizes and a Grand Prize at the end of the season! Finally, the Grand Prize Winner (highest individual week of the season) gets to choose from the amazing prizes below. If you don’t know just how awesome and amazing the Panini Flawless Football briefcase is, make sure and watch the video starting at the 8-minute mark! Trading cards are back! MEMBER PERK! Fulltime Members get 5 Free On-Demand Drafts each month in our contest! DRAFT YOUR WEEK 2 TEAM and enter your REDEMPTION CODE you received by email.
Circa Survivor Report: Week 1
Circa Survivor Report: BENGALS DASH DREAMS; KO ONE-THIRD OF CONTEST ANY. GIVEN. SUNDAY. Those three words came back to haunt the 34.2% of the people who backed Cincinnati in Week 1 of the Circa Survivor contest. 4,895 entries picked Joe Burrow and the Bengals to beat New England at home. However, the 7.5-point underdog Patriots pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1 after earning a 16-10 victory. Bengals (-375 ML) were the biggest favorite on the Week 1 slate… They lose outright after closing -8 👍 pic.twitter.com/wWpJrMAAc6 — br_betting (@br_betting) September 8, 2024 Following the news that star WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) would miss the game – coupled with an unhappy Ja’Marr Chase (contract) – New England drew strong support at the betting counters dropping the spread from +9.5 down to +7.5 at Circa. Circa Survivor, which drew a record-breaking $14,266,000 million prize pool this year, proved once again that there is no such thing as a “lock” in the NFL – despite not needing to cover any point spread. #CircaSurvivor 2024 🏈🏆 Week 1 Selections 📄 Complete selections: https://t.co/7AUS2wUrt0 pic.twitter.com/GYVsPNP4lG — Circa Sports (@CircaSports) September 8, 2024 In addition to the Bengals, the Falcons were the next biggest knock-out blow to contestants. Atlanta knocked out another 431 entries (5.7%). 5,519 (39%) of the 14,206 entries were eliminated in Week 1. The Circa Survivor contest is a grueling one that forces entrants to pick one winner every week, with no spread and one pivotal caveat. Entrants CAN NOT use the same team more than once during the season. Circa Survivor, which requires a $1,000 entry fee, will be a sweat of a lifetime for those who run deep into the season due to the massive winner-take-all prize pool. In an early look ahead to Week 2, it is expected that: Baltimore (-9.5) vs Las Vegas, LA Chargers (-6.5) at Carolina, Detroit (-7) vs Tampa Bay, Kansas City (-6) vs Cincinnati and Houston (-6.5) vs Chicago – will be among the most heavily chosen teams in the contest. Circa Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas is the proud home of FullTime Fantasy‘s renowned Fantasy Football World Championship! ENTER OUR WEEK 2 DRAFT CONTEST! How it Works: Firstly, draft your team using our On-Demand Simulator. Next, try to stack the team with players you think will do well this week. Finally, the highest Week 2 Score wins. (PLUS: You get to see the Thursday Night game and then draft!) Here’s our Week 2 Player Rankings to help. Firstly, it’s a best-ball contest, so no need to submit a lineup. We’ll optimize the best one. Secondly, you just sit back and watch your team climb the leaderboard. Weekly Prizes and a Grand Prize at the end of the season! Finally, the Grand Prize Winner (highest individual week of the season) gets to choose from the amazing prizes below. If you don’t know just how awesome and amazing the Panini Flawless Football briefcase is, make sure and watch the video starting at the 8-minute mark! Trading cards are back! MEMBER PERK! Fulltime Members get 5 Free On-Demand Drafts each month in our contest! DRAFT YOUR WEEK 2 TEAM and enter your REDEMPTION CODE you received by email.
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 1
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 1 What a way to kick off a new season! After seven months, a rematch of last year’s AFC title game opens the 2024 season. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 1 breaks
What a way to kick off a new season! After seven months, a rematch of last year’s AFC title game opens the 2024 season. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 1 breaks down the fantasy and sports betting prospects for the season opener.
Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs were able to squeeze by the Ravens with a 45-yard field goal with three seconds left. That set up the club to win their second consecutive title. However, winning a third gets off to an ominous start against that same Baltimore team thirsting for revenge.
The Ravens enter the 2024 season with the third-highest Super Bowl odds. Only the 49ers and these Chiefs rank higher. These teams are familiar with one another and match up well. But if the Ravens want to prove they can make it back to the big game, they must find a way to win at Arrowhead.
Vegas sees these two teams as evenly matched. The Ravens are the standard three-point underdogs on the road. Additionally, the total of the game has risen to 47.
Matchup
| TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
| Baltimore Ravens | 6 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 6 | 19 | 9 | 15 |
These teams are fairly evenly matched on both sides of the ball. While Baltimore employs a run-first approach, the Chiefs will attack through the air.
On the other side of the ball, these two teams allowed the fewest points in the NFL in 2023. Baltimore ranked sixth overall and led the NLF with 31 turnovers. Conversely, Kansas City surrendered the second-fewest points and ranked fourth versus the pass.
For Baltimore, sticking with their strength should be the game plan. Instead of attacking through the air, the Ravens will attempt to slow down the pace and stick to what they do best. Run the ball.
There are lots of new elements to Kansas City’s offense. Expect Reid to take plenty of downfield shots. However, Baltimore’s secondary is stacked and received reinforcement in the first round with CB Nate Wiggins.
Baltimore Offense
How will Thursday’s Ravens vs. Chiefs game go?
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2024 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Preview
2024 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Preview A year after winning the AFC North, Zac Taylor’s squad struggled out of the gate before a winning October put them back in contention. Then they lost Joe Burrow before another unlikely win streak had the Cardiac Cats on the verge of the AFC playoffs. Nearly overcoming that adversity was a testament to Taylor’s coaching. With Burrow back, the Bengals project to be contenders in 2024. Burrow’s poor play was largely to blame for Cincinnati’s 1-3 start. However, things clicked in Week 5. During the team’s four-game win streak, he topped 22 fantasy points three times. Ultimately, Burrow’s campaign ended in Baltimore with a right scapholunate ligament tear. Last season stands out as an anomaly on Burrow’s resume. He was an elite fantasy signal-caller in each of his previous two campaigns and the 2024 Bengals should rely on the pass even more. Expect Burrow to contend for overall top-5 numbers this season. Ja’Marr Chase saw a dip in production but it wasn’t due to lack of volume. Chase absorbed a career-high 145 targets in 16 games. Chase’s 24.5% target share was also the highest of his career. Considering the uncertainty in Cincinnati’s receiving corps and assuming we get a fully healthy Joe Burrow under center makes Chase one of the safest picks in fantasy and every bit worthy of a top-3 overall selection. Tee Higgins was franchise-tagged but has been at an impasse with the team. Higgins is one of the better WR2s in the league but wants the chance to shine as the top dog. Assuming he returns to the Bengals, Higgins will be plenty motivated to play for a lucrative long-term contract. The Bengals also used the 80th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Alabama WR Jermaine Burton. Burton has good size and speed and is more of a downfield playmaker than Tyler Boyd. The rookie is an intriguing late-round fantasy sleeper, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Higgins. Taylor employed a committee approach to the tight end position. No TE exceeded 50 targets last season or ranked inside the top 30 fantasy scorers. The club signed Mike Gesicki to presumably take over as the starter. However, fourth-round Iowa rookie Erick All is a dark horse to win the starting role and emerge as a waiver-wire asset. With Joe Mixon traded to Houston, Zack Moss takes over as the team’s lead back. Moss filled in admirably for Jonathan Taylor last year, averaging a career-high 10.0 PPR points per game (23rd). Taylor likes to include his backs in the passing game, so Moss is a sneaky bet to be a solid RB3/flex option. Second-year rusher Chase Brown got a chance to contribute late last season and could play his way into the mix. Quarterbacks QB JOE BURROW – SOLID/SAFE PICK A pair of injuries bookended an erratic 2023 campaign for Joe Burrow. A July calf ailment resulted in a rusty start. Then, Burrow got healthy and averaged 21.4 fantasy points per contest during the team’s 4-1 stretch through Week 10. Ultimately, a wrist injury ended Burrow’s season in Week 11. He’s expected to be fine for 2024 but that mid-season stretch of a healthy Burrow is what piques our interest. With the addition of Jermaine Burton and Mike Gesicki plus the loss of Joe Mixon, the Bengals will rely on Burrow more than ever. He’s firmly in the conversation to be a top-5 fantasy option and the discounted price makes him a solid mid-round value. ADVICE: Safe QB1. Running Backs RB ZACK MOSS – SLEEPER (UNDERVALUED) Zack Moss filled in admirably for Jonathan Taylor last season. He was so effective that he continued to have a weekly role in Indy’s offense. Now, it appears that Moss will open the season atop Cincinnati’s depth chart after the Bengals shipped Joe Mixon to Houston. Mixon was used as a workhorse, inviting some optimism that Moss could potentially see 250-plus touches in a solid Bengals attack. Chase Brown will also work into the mix, but Moss’s tackle-breaking ability and solid receiving skills make him the favorite for early-down work and short-yardage opportunities. ADVICE: Excellent sleeper candidate in the middle rounds. RB CHASE BROWN – QUALITY BACKUP Joe Mixon and his 78.9% opportunity share are gone. In his place, the Bengals signed Zack Moss to a relatively modest contract. The expectations are that Cincinnati will move to a committee backfield. Moss has always shared time and we saw snippets of what Brown could do in the second half of 2023. Brown averaged 5.8 yards touch and 4.2 yards after contact. He’s got that breakaway ability that will make him a nice change-of-pace option from Moss. The split could be closer than many think, with Brown acting more as an RB1B than RB2. That makes Brown an appealing ‘dead zone’ target. ADVICE: Dead zone sleeper extraordinaire. Wide Receivers WR JA’MARR CHASE – STUD (LOW RISK) Touchdowns matter and no wide receiver has drawn more weekly red-zone targets than Ja’Marr Chase, who earns 1.64 per game. And part of that came in a trying 2023 season that saw the Bengals hobbled by injuries to QB Joe Burrow. The combination of Burrow and Chase is one of the top duos in football, with league-winning upside. Even with Jake Browning playing 469 snaps, Chase still ranked top 30 in yards per route run (2.2), contested catches (11), and missed tackles forced (17). He’s an elite option primed to make a run at the overall WR1 if Burrow stays healthy for 17 starts. ADVICE: Locked-in first-round WR with No. 1 overall upside WR TEE HIGGINS – SOLID/SAFE PICK Rib and hamstring injuries cost Tee Higgins five games last season. Joe Burrow’s health-related struggles also played a factor in Higgins having his worst fantasy performance in 2023. However, he’s now healthy and entering a contract year fully intent on grabbing that bag. Even in a down year, Higgins still had four top 10 weeks and was top 20 in air yards share (35.9%) and yards per reception (15.6).
2024 Fantasy Football Team Outlooks
Welcome to our 2020 Fantasy Football Team Outlook series. Check out our statistical and in-depth analysis for EVERY player on EVERY NFL roster!
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 11
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 11 We need redemption after last week’s clunker. Fortunately, this week’s Thursday tilt featured two contenders from the tough AFC North. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 11 breaks down the fantasy and
We need redemption after last week’s clunker. Fortunately, this week’s Thursday tilt featured two contenders from the tough AFC North. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 11 breaks down the fantasy and sports betting prospects for the Bengals versus Ravens slugfest.
The road through the AFC playoffs currently goes through Baltimore. John Harbaugh’s Ravens boast an AFC-best 7-3 mark and will be amped to right the ship after a last-second loss to Cleveland in Week 10. Baltimore’s +113 point differential is the best in the league and the club is preparing for this game as if it were a postseason contest.
Meanwhile, the Bengals are also coming off of an emotional home loss to a Texans team that Baltimore easily handled in Week 1. The Bengals got off to a rough start thanks to Joe Burrow’s calf injury. But Zac Taylor’s had won four straight before Week 10. One of Cincinnati’s losses came to Baltimore, so the Bengals will be extra motivated to even the score.
Baltimore opened as a slight favorite. However, the line has shifted to the Bengals currently listed as 3.5-point underdogs. And the opening total of the game was 43.5.
Matchup
| TEAM | OFFENSE | PASS | RUSH | YDS/PLAY | POINTS |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 27 | 16 | 32 | 23 | 20 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 4 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
It is quite unusual to see the Bengals sporting a bottom-tier offense. But most of those struggles can be attributed to Joe Burrow’s preseason calf strain. The Bengals scored one of zero touchdowns in three of their first four games- the main culprit in that 1-3 start.
However, things have drastically turned around since that 34-20 drubbing of the Cardinals. Burrow has been the fantasy QB4 over the last four games. Also, the running game has struggled all season. Cincinnati is running for an NFL-worst 74.8 yards per game. Facing the NFL’s top run defense, don’t expect those numbers to improve on Thursday.
While the Ravens rank fourth in the NFL in offense, their performance has fallen flat. Todd Monken’s high-octane passing attack hasn’t come to fruition. Instead, Baltimore is back to being an old-school Ravens’ offense that leads the league in rushing.
Also, Baltimore’s defense ranks fourth overall while leading the league in fewest points allowed. The Ravens have won four of their last five when hosting the Bengals. Another victory would seriously hamper Cincinnati’s postseason hopes.
Finally, weather shouldn’t be a factor. Gametime temperatures are projected to be 52 degrees with less than a 10% chance of showers.
Cincinnati Offense
Cincinnati’s passing game has improved at the same rate as Joe Burrow‘s recovery…
How will Thursday’s Bengals vs. Ravens game go?
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NFL Week 1 Bengals at Browns: DFS & Fantasy Preview
NFL Week 1 Bengals at Browns: DFS & Fantasy Preview Betting Line: Bengals – 2 Over/Under: 47.5 The Bengals have an elite quarterback (Joe Burrow) supported by two high-ceiling wideouts (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins). Their quest heading into 2023
Betting Line: Bengals – 2
Over/Under: 47.5
The Bengals have an elite quarterback (Joe Burrow) supported by two high-ceiling wideouts (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins). Their quest heading into 2023 is a return to the Super Bowl while bringing home a championship to their fans. In the offseason, Cincinnati tried to upgrade their tight end position (Irv Smith). To continue their rise in the AFC, their defense must stop offenses in the most critical part of the game – the fourth quarter.
It’s showtime for Deshaun Watson after the Browns paid him $230 million in 2022. Cleveland has a stud running back with Nick Chubb, with improving depth and upside at wide receiver – Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell. In addition, the Browns have a developing tight end (David Njoku).
Note: The fantasy points per $1,000 are based on the early projections for Week 1.
The above grid shows the top players excepted to contribute in Week 1 in the fantasy games. I listed each player’s salary at DraftKings and FanDuel, plus their fantasy points expected per $1,000 of salary invested. In GPP (grand prize pools) events, the goal is to find players with a chance to score four times their salary at DraftKings ($50,000 salary cap and three times at FanDuel ($60,000 salary cap).
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow
- Last year, Burrow scored more than 30.00 fantasy points in four of his first 12 starts (35.50, 44.05, 32.25, and 32.90). The Browns kept him in check (17.80 and 19.95 fantasy points) in his two matchups.
- In his rookie season, he posted two stellar games (335/3 and 440/4) against Cleveland.
- The Browns had the best quarterback fantasy defense (15.00 FPPG) in 2022, one notch above Cincinnati’s pass defense.
- The key for Burrow in this matchup is a longer pass window.
- His calf issue appears to be healed, but the fantasy market needs to see him in game action before trusting that Burrow is on top of his game.
- His matchup suggests fading him, but Cinci had too many receiving weapons to avoid Burrow. In addition, the Browns should score in this matchup.
- He needs at least 300 yards with three touchdowns to be in the mix in the daily games in Week 1.
Joe Mixon
- Mixon’s ticket came in only once last season (Week 6 – 55.10 fantasy points), helping me win $250,000 at DraftKings. He scored between 17.00 and 21.50 fantasy points) in six matchups, none of which would support his current salary.
- The Bengals will rotate in a second running back, but Mixon may have a more significant role out of the gate.
- Burrow will use his running backs in the passing game close to the goal line – 103/796/7 on 132 targets. Their backs had the third most catches (103) in the league in 2022.
- Three times his salary seems reasonable, leaving some upside if Mixon hits on a second touchdown or a bunch of receptions.
- Viable rotational running back upside in Week 1.
Ja’Marr Chase
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2023 Fantasy Football Team Outlooks
Welcome to our 2020 Fantasy Football Team Outlook series. Check out our statistical and in-depth analysis for EVERY player on EVERY NFL roster!