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 […]
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 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.
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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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 […]
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 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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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 […]
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 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 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 […]
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 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
To finish reading this in-depth fantasy and DFS break down of Week 1…
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2023 Cincinnati Bengals Outlook The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview […]
2023 Cincinnati Bengals Outlook
The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championshipdynasty, redraft, or high-stakessquad, FullTime Fantasy memberswill have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.
Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Cincinnati Bengals Outlook.
— Offense —
The Bengals threw the ball 60.5% of the time last season, leading to the seventh overall rank in offensive yards per game. Cincinnati attempted 38.1 passes, an increase of 14.4% from 2021. The Bengals would like more success running the ball to help close out leads in the fourth quarter. The strength of this team is Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, meaning many balls will be in the air again in 2023.
— Quarterback —
Joe Burrow
Coming into 2021, the Bengals appeared positioned to be a high-volume passing team based on Burrow’s 40.4 passing attempts over 10 games in his rookie season. Instead, Cincinnati finished 20th in passing attempts (555 – 32.6 per game) while taking 55 sacks (third-most in the NFL). Burrow overcame his below-par passing opportunity by completing 70.4% of his passes and gaining 8.9 yards per pass attempt.
Despite playing well over his first eight games (2,258 combined yards with 20 touchdowns), he failed to lead many fantasy teams to the playoffs after a dull five-game stretch (282/0, bye, 148/1, 190/1, and 300/1). However, for anyone surviving with Burrow in the fantasy postseason, his play was exceptional in Week 16 (525/4) and Week 17 (446/4). He finished the year with 4,729 combined yards and 36 touchdowns or 376.45 fantasy points (8th) in four-point passing touchdown leagues while missing one game.
Burrow ended last season with comparable combined yards (4,732 – 4,729 in 2021) despite having an increase in pass (86) and rush (35) attempts. He became more of a factor in the run game (75/257/5) while missing explosive plays by Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow gains 7.4 yards per pass attempt, with five fewer completions of 40 yards or more. Over his final four starts, he delivered only five passing touchdowns while averaging 234 passing yards. When at his best, Burrow gained more than 300 yards in five matchups (338/2, 300/3, 481/3, 355/4, and 375/3).
Fantasy Outlook: With 76 touchdowns over the past two seasons and a better opportunity on the ground, Burrow looks poised to fight for the top quarterback-scoring slot in the land. He can’t match Josh Allen’s or Jalen Hurts’s running ability, but Cincinnati has two elite wideouts who have yet to play an entire season of games together. Burrow may average more than 300 passing yards with a difference-maker floor in scoring if their offensive line creates a longer passing window. In the early draft season, he ranks fourth at quarterback. I consider him a player to fight for in 2023.
Other Options: Trevor Siemian, Jake Browning
— Running Backs —
The Bengals’ running backs combined for 2,068 yards with 18 touchdowns and 103 catches in 2022, leading to 26.12 FPPG in PPR formats. Despite their fantasy success, their backs continue to gain short yards per rush (4.0), something that has been an issue for three seasons. Joe Burrow’s willingness to use his backs in the passing game should be repeated going forward.
Joe Mixon
After a career season in touches (334), rushing yards (1,205), and touchdowns (16), Mixon missed a pair of games due to a concussion. He still finished 11th in running back scoring (239.50) in PPR formats, but 23.0% of his output came in one monster showing (211 combined yards with five touchdowns and four catches). His only other two games with more than 20.00 fantasy points came in Week 1 (21.50) and the divisional playoffs (20.30).
Over the past four seasons, over 899 carries, Mixon averaged only 4.0 yards per carry, with only 19 of his runs gaining 20 yards or more. He set a career-high in catches (60) and receiving yards (441) in 2022 despite losing snaps (257) to Samaje Perine (225) over his final seven matchups.
Fantasy Outlook: Mixon gained more than 1,250 combined yards in four of the past five seasons. He has 29 scores over 36 starts, with Joe Burrow on the Bengals’ roster. Despite being in the NFL for six years, Mixon will start the season at age 27. The Bengals have a rising offense with a gear that hasn’t been hit yet. He ranks 21st in the early draft season in the high-stakes market, well below his ranking over the past two seasons (11th and 4th). Any investment in Mixon is a bet on the Bengals’ offense.
Chase Brown
Brown saw action over five seasons in college, leading to 4,079 combined yards with 21 touchdowns and 58 catches. His game progressed in his final two years at Illinois, highlighted by his 2022 season (328/1,643/10 with 27 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns). Brown started the season with more than 100 rushing in nine matchups while receiving a minimum of 19 carries in all his starts. Over his final seven games, he earned his keep by volume of chances instead of big plays (4.7, 4.4, 4.7, 4.1, 4.3, 4.8, and 3.2 yards per carry).
Fantasy Outlook: A better offensive system and spacing should lead to Brown delivering long runs with the Bengals. He has speed in his back pocket, with various ways to make defenders miss. His potential intrigues me, so following the Cincinnati coach-speak, this summer should hint at his 2023 fantasy opportunity. I expect him to win…
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE BENGALS IN 2023?
To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players
