A fantasy football look at the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023
Fantasy football drafts are still a few months away but it's never too early to start preparing! We’ll look at which positions to target, but more importantly, which players to pair with the Cincinnati Bengals players that you might select.
For this exercise, we will use a standard 10-team PPR in which you start nine players (one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, one flex, one defense/special teams, and one kicker). With the Bengals sporting one of the best offenses, let's look at one of the most high-powered passing attacks in the league and what they could offer to your fantasy team.
Quarterback: Joe Burrow (3.02)
The Bengals signal caller’s Average Draft Position (ADP) is 3.02, meaning that he is being selected around the 32nd overall pick. This is right behind elite quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts, who all had stellar campaigns this past year. Burrow runs the least amount of this group, but he was the third most efficient quarterback in the red zone this past season.
In 2022, Burrow finished as the overall QB 4, reflective of his new ADP. Since Burrow is not a frequent rusher, do not select Burrow above the middle third round. However, he is worth the pick if he falls to late in the third or beginning of the fourth round.
While I would instead suggest a similar player in Justin Herbert (4.08), whose current ADP reflects an injury-plagued 2022 campaign that struck the entire Chargers offense, both will be good selections. Herbert can add more on the ground fantasy-wise, but both quarterbacks are solid picks.
Be aware that choosing Burrow at his premium price limits you elsewhere in the draft. Ensure that you have at least one superstar running back on your roster before drafting him, or else the season could get choppy for you. Additionally, you could pair Burrow up with a high-upside scrambling quarterback later in the draft as your backup. Anthony Richardson (11.09) would be a great pick-up since you would not need him to perform right away but could stash him on your bench.
If Richardson pops off later in the season, you could trade him for a premium price to a QB-needy team. Any second or third-round wide receiver will do the trick to complement Joey B. I’d recommend two number 1 targets on their teams such as Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper, who are projected to go at the round 1 to 2 swing and middle-round three respectively.
Drafting these players with a consistent running back in the first or second round would be a formidable first four picks, keeping your league mates on notice.