Joe Burrow is presumably healthy. That is a massive deal for this team after the standout veteran quarterback missed more than six games for the third time in six professional seasons in 2025 (missed nine games, or about half the season). Furthermore, the offensive core of Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown remains intact after three consecutive offseasons where one of those players were involved in some sort of contract dispute or speculation. The team also failed to address either tight end or slot wide receiver in free agency or the draft, keeping the expectation of elite concentration intact. This appears to be another year of “fantasy goldmine” in Cincinnati, with the bulk of the concentration likely to fall on Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Brown. Burrow has thrown for 35 or more touchdowns in all three seasons in which he remained completely healthy, peaking at an NFL-leading 43 in 2024. Furthermore, the team chose to retain head coach Zac Taylor, which gives the Bengals elite continuity.
Regardless of my feelings on Taylor as a coach and offensive mind (more on this below), this is still a highly concentrated, and powerful, offense that recently saw Chase finish as the overall WR1 (2024), Burrow finish as the overall QB3 (2024), Brown finish as the overall RB7 (2025), and Higgins finish in the top 15 at the position in fantasy points per game (twice). I’ll continue to put my personal thoughts of the offense aside and draft these players as if they have overall number one at their respective positions within their ranges of outcomes (they do).
The rest of this breakdown dives into the real risks and reward profile for this offense in best ball formats, including how coaching philosophy, health concerns, and current draft cost create a nuanced outlook that varies sharply by format type. It’s free to read — just create an account to unlock the full analysis.
