Cincinnati Bengals

What you need to know (2023 Season):

• Record: 9-8 (4th in AFC North)

• Points Per Game: 21.5 (16th)

• Lost Offensive Coordinator Brian Callahan (New Titans Head Coach)

• Dan Pitcher is New Offensive Coordinator (Formerly the Quarterbacks Coach)

The Cincinnati Bengals went through their ups and downs a season ago. Through the injuries, this team fought until the bitter end. It wasn’t the storybook ending Cincinnati wanted, but going 9-8 despite all the injuries goes to show just how talented this team is. As long as Joe Burrow stays under center, the Bengals will compete for a championship. It’s not a bad offense to invest in fantasy either as they’ve offered multiple players worth rostering over the years. Maybe one or two of them can help you reach a championship of your own, but which will make the cut in 2024?

• Key Additions: None

• Draft Picks: None

• Notable Losses: None

Only one quarterback is gone from last season’s roster that attempted a pass. That was AJ McCarron who had a whopping five pass attempts. Joe Burrow is without a doubt the team’s starting quarterback. He’s among the best in the league as far as real football goes, however, in fantasy there are players with higher upside or equal floor with later ADP. Burrow’s dealt with some injuries, but seems to be getting back on the right track. When he’s played 16+ games he’s averaged 20+ PPG each season with top-10 finishes. The Bengals offense is going to look a little different this season with Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd on new teams. Ja’Marr Chase is still there and, as of now, so is Tee Higgins. Joe Cool has the weapons to still be a force in the AFC, but first thing is first, he’s got to stay upright.

Not a lot of backups get talked about, and for good reason, but I wanted to at least mention Jake Browning. Last season after Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury, Jake Browning stepped in and played well while keeping the Bengals playoff hopes alive until the final week of the season. Browning started eight games and in those starts, he averaged 18.83 PPG. If Joe Burrow were to miss any time again, Jake Browning would be a plug-and-play option off the waiver wire.

The Backfield

• Key Additions: Zack Moss (Signed from Colts)

• Draft Picks: None

• Notable Losses: Joe Mixon (Traded to Texans)

The backfield is going to look different for Cincinnati this year. The Bengals traded Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans while adding Zack Moss in free agency. Moss will pair up with second-year player Chase Brown giving the Bengals a solid one-two punch. Last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Zack Moss filled in for Jonathan Taylor while he recovered from injuries then finished the season in a complement role. In games Moss played at least 50% of the snaps (8 games), he averaged 16.01 PPG, which bested Mixon’s PPG total of 15.7. Moss isn’t the well-known player that Joe Mixon is, but he’s certainly a serviceable player. At RB30, Moss is a great target with upside.

Chase Brown will be the backup behind Moss and will offer some PPR appeal in leagues. Joe Mixon has dominated the running back touches in Cincinnati during his tenure, but Chase Brown was starting to carve a role down the late in season. From week 13 on, Brown was averaging 9 touches per game and 8.2 points per game. This backfield isn’t going to lean on one player like it did when Mixon was the lead back, so Brown's going to get a bump in volume. Zero-RB teams should look for him late in drafts.

The Pass-Catchers

• Key Additions: Mike Gesicki (Signed from Patriots)

• Draft Picks: Jermaine Burton (3rd Round), Erick All (4th Round), Tanner McLachlan (6th Round)

• Notable Losses: Tyler Boyd (Signed with Titans)

The Bengals have been rich at the wide receiver position with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. It was among the league’s best wide receiver trio, if not the best. Well, now Tyler Boyd is gone and Tee Higgins has requested a trade for the second time. There are a lot of targets vacated and a handful of players competing for them. Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones, Trenton Irwin, and rookie Jermaine Burton will be vying for that WR3/slot role. Tyler Boyd played 635 snaps in the slot, second among all players, so that’ll be a juicy role for whoever wins that starting slot role. However, any of the wide receivers outside of Chase and Higgins shouldn’t be drafted until we know more. One of them will likely be a popular waiver-wire pickup at some point.

Regarding the superstar receiving threats, they’re easy selections to make. Ja’Marr Chase has the overall WR1 upside each season and Tee Higgins could be the top receiving option on multiple teams. Injuries have slowed Higgins down over the past couple of seasons, but when he’s healthy, he’s a high-ceiling WR2 with upside. Don’t overthink it, both players will give you WR1-type numbers in your lineups each week.

The Bengals have been long searching for a viable tight end to contribute. Last season it was a collection of Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Mitchell Wilcox, and Irv Smith Jr., but none of them were difference-makers. Tanner Hudson was the only one worth rostering at any point. Down the stretch, he was TE18 weeks 9 through week 18 and averaged 7.1 PPG. Not a world-beater, but a serviceable bye-week filler. Now Mike Gesicki is the next man through the revolving door at tight-end. Gesicki didn’t have the season he had hoped with the Patriots, but not many players had fantasy success in New England last year. If we review his days with the Dolphins, he was a top-12 fantasy tight end for three of his five seasons in Miami. If Gesicki can get back to that production, he could be a steal in drafts, especially if Cincinnati slides him into the coveted big-slot role.

2024 Fantasy Summary

In a good offense, they score more points and have more opportunities to score. With that said, most of the starting players are going to have a bump in value. In the two seasons Joe Burrow played more than 10 games, the Bengals offense were top-10 in points per game. Cincinnati will have a good offense once again and Burrow unquestionably will be a top-12 fantasy quarterback once again. After stints with the Bills and Colts, Zack Moss is ready to be a lead back. In the eight games he played at least 50% of the snaps last year, his 16.01 PPG would’ve been tied for 8th best among running backs. Moss is being drafted closer to his floor than his ceiling right now and he’s got draft steal written all over him. Chase Brown should get a bump in volume this season, but should still be considered a late-round dart-throw. Draft with caution.

The pass-catchers are simple. Ja’Marr Chase is an easy first-round fantasy football selection. Chase is on the case, to begin his mission for the overall WR1 title. Tee Higgins has left a bad taste in fantasy managers' mouths after back-to-back seasons with bad injury luck. However, if he can stay healthy, he’s a bargain at WR27. Mike Gesicki’s circumstance is eerily similar. He’s been disappointing the previous two seasons, although, now finds himself back into a fruitful situation ready to exceed expectations. At his current ADP, Gesicki is worth the gamble. All other pass-catching options are in wait-and-see mode. Keep an eye on Jermaine Burton though, he is the early favorite to earn that expanded role.