Which Bengals' Fantasy Football Assets are Worth High Draft Picks? Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and More

Let's do another fantasy football outlook, this time looking at the Cincinnati Bengals.

We have looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Commanders, Texans and Cardinals so far. We will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come, so keep checking back.

Wish a real fantasy expert could break down your team, not just spit out generic advice? Now you can - get a personalized Team Breakdown, tailored for your exact league.

Joe Burrow Fantasy Outlook

Burrow is back for another year as the Bengals' starter. He's coming off a monster 2024 showing.

He was QB3 overall, despite not being a dual-threat quarterback. Burrow was second on the team in fantasy points. He is QB4 and is going around pick 35 so far.

Across 17 games, Burrow threw for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He ran for an additional 201 yards and two scores.

Burrow has a talented offense around him, so putting up similar numbers is doable. Expecting a little regression is fair after that kind of monster season he had, but his ADP gives him enough space to outperform his current marks.

I'd be happy to take Burrow near his ADP, although I'd be even happier to land him in the 40s. You won't have to take another quarterback if you draft Burrow, and you should have a top-five QB capable of the top fantasy QB score every week.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

Chase Brown is the team's starting back going into 2025. Samaje Perine and rookie Tahj Brooks are some backup options, but Brown is going to dominate the backfield.

Brown is RB11 and is going around pick 22 on average. He was RB10 overall last season, despite not being the clear No. 1 guy for several weeks.

Brown played in 16 games overall, making 10 starts. He had 1,350 total yards and 11 touchdowns. He rushed for 990 yards and seven scores, while adding 360 yards and four scores as a pass catcher.

With the backup options Cincy has, Brown is going to be an absolute workhorse for this offense. The Bengals will pass a lot, but Brown should get most of the RB carries, and add plenty through the air to deliver another great fantasy season.

I see top-10 potential with Brown again, and think there's enough room for him to outperform his ADP. Even if he regresses a bit from last season, he should finish near that RB11 mark - he just has to avoid injuries.

Getting Brown as your lead back is a nice consolation prize if you don't take one in round 1 or 2. Him as a No. 2 back is setting your team up for a monster year.

Brooks is RB73 and is going around pick 246. Perine is RB85 and is going near pick 298. In other words, nobody expects either guy to do much, and with no clear No. 2 guy, neither are worth a late-round pick in a standard league.

Both are worth a roster spot in some deeper setups, but don't expect either to do much this season unless Brown gets injured. My guess is that Perine will more be a pass-catching back and secondary ball carrier to Brown, and if he goes down, Brooks would lead the way, with Perine getting a bigger slice of the workload then.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are probably the best 1-2 punch in the NFL. Andrei Iosivas is the other projected starter, while Jermaine Burton, Charlie Jones and Isaiah Williams are the backup options.

Chase is the top pick on the ADP list, and is the most popular No. 1 pick I've seen this season. He was the top fantasy receiver in 2024, by a long shot.

He played in 17 games, totaling 1,740 total yards and 17 touchdowns. Chase had 1,708 yards and the 17 scores as a pass catcher, hauling in 127 of his 175 total targets.

It was an absurd season from Chase, and I think he's still capable of even more. I would expect a little regression, but after clearing the next non-QB by 40 points, Chase could still be the No. 1 fantasy finisher. That's why I like him as the No. 1 pick this season.

Take Chase, build around him and expect big things for him and your team in 2025.

Higgins is WR13 and is going around pick 31 on average. On a per-game basis last season, Higgins was WR6, so if you are a bit confused why he's being taken so early, that's why.

He's definitely a risky pick though, as he's only played 12 games in each of the past two seasons. Higgins has played 16 games twice and was at 14 games in his other season in the NFL.

In 12 games last season, Higgins racked up 911 yards and 10 scores on 73 catches and 109 targets. Over a full season, those would have been elite numbers.

He's a perfect example of a high-risk, high-reward fantasy asset. I personally would feel a bit better if he fell later in the 30s, and be most happy with him in the 40s. I'm just not a huge fan of spending early picks on oft-injured players.

If you do end up taking Higgins (regardless of where he goes), make sure to surround him with proven and high-upside fantasy wideouts, in case Higgins misses time again.

Iosivas is WR89 and is going around pick 295 on average. It's fun to dream of Iosivas exploding as the No. 3 option on a great Bengals' offense, but he failed to do that last season, even with Higgins missing a chunk of the season.

Iosivas played in 17 games overall. He finished with 479 yards and six touchdowns on 36 grabs and 61 targets.

He improved from his first year to his second, and another step forward this season could turn him into a weekly flex option in standard leagues. I'd avoid him in standard league drafts this fall, but keep an eye on him in case he gets into waiver wire talk and flex streaming potential.

He's a solid deep-league option, but is just a flex option in those leagues too to kick off the season.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

Mike Gesicki is the team's projected starting tight end. Noah Fant was recently added to the team, and Drew Sample, Erick All Jr. and Tanner Hudson are also on the roster.

Gesicki is the top drafted guy so far, going as TE27 and around pick 222. Fant is TE36 and is going near pick 290 on average.

Gesicki played all 17 games last season, something he's done for four consecutive seasons. He had 665 yards, but just two scores last year.

He took on a bit more with Higgins out of the lineup for a bit, and now with the addition of Fant, I see Gesicki's numbers likely dropping this season. 

Gesicki could still be a streaming option here and there if he can carve out a consistent role, but he'll likely be a better deep-league asset all season. He's still one to keep tabs on though.

Fant played in 14 games with Seattle last season, tallying 500 yards and a score on 48 catches and 64 targets. He's not going to be a top-end option when on the field, but again, Gesicki didn't really stand out last season, so Fant might be able to overtake him in time.

Right now, I agree with taking Gesicki over Fant in deeper leagues, but I think Fant could end up being the better fantasy asset by the end of the season. He'll open the year as a depth option in deeper leagues, but could maybe work up to standard league streaming potential in time.

The dual-tight end thing is probably going to be a mess for fantasy owners throughout the season, so I'd be most inclined to skip on both guys and avoid the headache.