Knowledge is power and the greatest asset you can acquire in order to compete for a fantasy football championship.
Here’s your 2023 preview of the Cincinnati Bengals, the 26th of 32 team profiles during draft season:
2023 Fantasy MVP: Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Chase (ADP: 4) missed four games with a hip strain in the middle of last season, but remained dominant. He finished as the overall WR6 in PPR points per game behind only Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs. His production extrapolated over a full season would be 123 receptions (190 targets!), 1,482 yards and 13 touchdowns. This compares favorably to Jefferson, who had 128 receptions (184 targets), 1,809 yards and eight TDs in 2022, especially when you consider the talent he’s competing with for targets.
2023 Fantasy Sleeper: Irv Smith Jr., TE
Injuries have plagued Smith (ADP: 202) the last two seasons, but he’s only 25, and the former second-rounder has teased his talents while on the field. He’s a no-risk, high-reward lottery ticket at the most inconsistent position in fantasy who could easily rebound on a high-powered Bengals offense with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL throwing him the football.
2023 Fantasy Bust: Joe Mixon, RB
Mixon (ADP: 31) was actually borderline bad last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he was 42nd in elusive rating, 39th in yards after per attempt and 36th in breakaway percentage (among 45 running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts in 2022). It took an increase in his normal usage in the ing game and the Carolina Panthers defense taking Week 9 off (Mixon exploded for 211 total yards and five scores) to keep his fantasy value from cratering.
2023 Fantasy Rookie to watch: Chase Brown, RB
Chase (ADP: 216) is athletic, explosive and runs with a low center of gravity. His 328 carries led all Power Five backs, and his 83 forced missed tackles trailed only Bijan Robinson. His ball security must improve (eight on 676 collegiate carries, with five last fall), but if Mixon continues to show decline, he’s talented enough to take advantage.
