2025 Cincinnati Bengals Preview

Heading into 2025, the Bengals are riding a four-year winning streak (10-7, 12-4, 9-8, and 9-8), but they missed the postseason in back-to-back years. Zac Taylor returns for his seventh season while still having a losing career record (46-52-1). His greatest success came in the 2021 playoffs, culminating in a Super Bowl loss. He has a 5-2 record in the postseason.

Dan Pitcher takes over as the offensive coordinator for Cincinnati after the Bengals lost Brian Callahan to take over as the head coach for Tennessee. Over the previous four seasons, Pitcher held the quarterback’s coach job for Cincinnati. He started in their system in 2016 (offensive assistant) at age 29. Last season, the Bengals finished sixth in scoring (472 points), their highest ranking since 2013. They climbed to ninth in offensive yards from 22nd in 2023.

Their defense is now in the hands of Al Golden. Over the past three seasons, he worked as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Notre Dame. From 2016 to 2021, Golden worked on the defensive side of the ball for the Lions and Bengals. Cinci has ranked poorly in back-to-back seasons in points allowed (384 – 21st and 434 – 25th) and yards allowed (31st and 25th). Over 10 seasons in college as a head coach, Golden had a 59-59 record.

Offense

The Bengals slipped to 30th in rushing yards (1,574) and attempts (380). Their backs scored 11 times on the ground while gaining 4.1 yards per carry. Cincinnati led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and completions (460). They scored a league high 43 passing touchdowns with nine interceptions. Their offensive line gave up 48 sacks.

Quarterbacks

Joe Burrow, CIN

Four games into 2023, Burrow passed for 728 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while battling a calf issue. He gained only 4.8 yards per pass attempt while completing 57.6% of his passes. After better success over his next two matchups (513 combined yards with five scores), Burrow regained his form over the following three weeks (326/3, 352/2, and 367/2 – 8.4 yards per pass attempt). Unfortunately, his season ended in Week 11 due to a wrist injury.

Burrow checks the upside box in 2021 (4,729/36) and 2022 (4,732/40) while pushing his quarterback bar to a new high (5,119 combined yards with 45 touchdowns). He finished with career highs in 300 (7) and 350 (5) passing games.

Over his first eight games, Burrow averaged two scores a week, but he only had two winning days (328/43 and 393/5), both at home. His floor was three touchdowns over an electric seven-game run (355 yards per game with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions). Burrow passes for over 300 yards in five of these matchups, highlighted by Week 10 (434/4) and Week 17 (437/4). He finished second in quarterback scoring (436.60) in four-point passing touchdown leagues.

Fantasy Outlook: The Bengals reupped Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, setting a high floor at wide receiver for Burrow if both players stay healthy. The addition of Mike Gesicki gave Cincinnati added receiving depth to move the ball and help cover a wide receiver injury. To maintain his developing floor, Burrow needs someone to emerge as their third wide receiving option. In the early draft season, he is the fourth quarterback drafted while on a path to gain 4,800+ yards with another run at 40 scores.

Other Options: Jake Browning, Logan Woodside, Payton Thorne

Running Backs

The running lanes for the Bengals’ backs have been small for three consecutive seasons, highlighted by their weakness in yards per carry (4.0, 4.0, and 4.1) and low rushing attempts (321, 325, and 336). Joe Burrow looks for his backs in the red zone (16 receiving touchdowns from 2022 to 2024). Cincinnati will throw to their running backs, but their opportunities have been lower over the past two years, following an uptick in action in 2022.

Chase Brown, CIN

In the rookie season, the Bengals barely used Brown over their first 11 games (13 combined yards with three catches) while missing some time with a hamstring injury. He flashed in Week 13 (9/61) and Week 14 (105 combined yards with one touchdown and three catches), with a step back in play over the final three games (18/64 and five catches for 41 yards).

Over the first three games last season, Cincinnati gave Zack Moss their lead running back opportunity. As a result, Brown gained only 123 combined yards with five catches on 19 touches. He flashed in Week 4 (15/80/2 with two catches for 12 yards). From Week 9 to Week 17, over eight games, he averaged 23.6 touches, leading to 930 combined yards with six touchdowns and 38 catches (20.88 FPPG). Unfortunately, Brown missed Week 18 with an ankle injury.

His three-down ability sets a higher floor, and Cincinnati will give him more chances in 2025. Brown was a top 10 running back in PPR formats last season. He scored more than 11.00 fantasy points in 12 of his final 13 weeks.

Fantasy Outlook: A healthy second back could get in the way for Brown this year, but he showed the ability to handle 20+ touches (seven of his final eight starts). He ranks 12th at running back in late May while playing in a potentially high-scoring offense. His consistency factor also grades well. Next Step: 1,500 combined yards with a floor of 12 scores and 60 catches.

Zack Moss, CIN

Surprisingly, Moss was the Colts’ best running back over their first eight games (125/589/5 plus 16 catches for 123 yards and one score) in 2023 despite sitting out Week 1 with a forearm injury. Over the final nine weeks, he missed two games due to another forearm issue, which led to a decline in his playable fantasy value (274 combined yards, one touchdown, and 11 catches). His best production came in three games (20.70, 22.50, and 33.50 fantasy points).

Over his first four games with the Bengals, Cincinnati had Moss on the field for over 70% of their plays. He gained 283 combined yards with three touchdowns and 12 catches on 60 touches. An ankle issue led to a downgrade in play over the following four weeks (26/55 – 2.1 yards per rush with 11 catches for 91 yards). His season ended after Week 8 due to a neck issue.

Fantasy Outlook: Six years into his NFL career, Moss played 61 games, leading to 3,016 combined yards with 21 touchdowns and 98 catches on 656 touches. He has a handcuff feel who will be found in the free agent pool in most 12-team redraft leagues. The high-stakes fantasy market has drafted Tahj Brooks ahead of Moss in many drafts in the early draft season.

Tahj Brooks, CIN

After two successful seasons (575/3,047/27 with 57 catches for 268 yards and one touchdown) at Texas Tech, the Bengals drafted Brooks in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He brings league-average running back speed while relying on more power than quickness to make winning plays. His vision is a plus, and Brooks can make defenders miss in tight quarters. Even with 102 catches on his college resume, he gained only 5.3 yards per catch.

Fantasy Outlook: A volume opportunity helped his college stats in 2023 and 2024, but his overall explosiveness caps his ability to steal a starting job in the NFL. Player to watch over the summer, just in case Brooks plays his way into a backup role.

Other Options: Samaje Perine, Gary Brightwell, Kendall Milton

Wide Receivers

The Bengals’ wide receivers led the NFL in receiving touchdowns (33), but they had almost the same opportunity over the past three seasons (370, 387, and 371 targets). They accounted for 53.3% of Cincinnati’s passing yards while setting a three-year high in yards per catch (13.20).

Ja’Marr Chase, CIN

In his third season with Cincinnati, Chase set a career-best in catches (100) and targets (145) while gaining 1,216 yards (third consecutive year over 1,000 yards). His touchdown production (7) declined in back-to-back seasons. He had five impact games (12/141, 15/192/3, 10/100/1, 5/124/1, and 11/149/1), accounting for 53% of his catches and 58% of his receiving yards over 31.2% of his games.

After the injury to Joe Burrow, Chase had five dull showings (4/81, 3/29, 4/64, 3/41, and 4/19) over the final seven weeks while missing Week 16 with a shoulder issue (AC Joint). He finished 11th in wide receiver scoring in PPR formats (263.80 fantasy points).

The rise of Chase hit a new ceiling in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17), and targets (175) last season, making him a difference-maker in fantasy leagues. He outscored the second-highest wide receiver (Justin Jefferson) by 85.30 fantasy points in PPR formats.

Chase shined in Week 3 (6/118/2) and Week 5 (10/193/2) while turning into a beast over his final eight starts (72/991/10 on 105 targets). His other two highlight games came in Week 10 (11/264/3) and Week 14 (14/191/2). He had a floor of seven catches in nine of his 17 starts.

Fantasy Outlook: After his electric season, Chase draws the top fantasy ranking in PPR formats in 2025. Repeatability tends to be a challenge for players after great seasons.

· 2019 Michael Thomas (149/1,725/9 – 40/438 in 2020)

· 2021 Cooper Kupp (145/1,947/16 – 75/812/6 in 2022)

· 2022 Justin Jefferson (128/1,809/8 – 68/1074/5 in 2023)

· 2023 Tyreek Hill (119/1,799/13 – 81/959/8 in 2024)

· 2023 CeeDee Lamb (135/1,749/12 – 101/1,1194/6 in 2024)

The Bengals have a top-tier passing attack that will rank highly in completions and attempts, giving Chase another elite opportunity. His ability to earn short catches, make big plays (19 catches of 20 yards or more – eight reached the 40-yard mark), and score touchdowns set a high floor each game while showing explosiveness in multiple weeks. Let’s go with 120 catches for 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns as his starting outlook in 2025, while understanding Chase has the talent to post the best season in the history of the NFL if the Bengals’ offense clicks on all cylinders.

Cincinnati signed him to a four-year extension in March for $161 million, with $112 million guaranteed.

Tee Higgins, CIN

Higgins continues to be a trick-or-treat player. Over the past two seasons, he missed 10 games, making him a challenging player to trust on the fantasy market. In four of his five seasons, the Bengals gave him between 108 and 110 targets, leading to him averaging 4.7 catches for 66 yards and 0.49 touchdowns on 7.3 targets per game (14.24 FPPG in PPR formats – between a top 10 and top 15 wide receiver in production despite missing 16.7% of his career opportunity to injuries.

In 2023, Higgins was a frustrating and disappointing ride. After not catching any of his eight targets in Week 1, he posted a winning day (8/89/2) against the Ravens in the following matchup. Over his next nine games, Higgins came up short three times (2/21, 2/19, and 2/20) while missing four starts (ribs and hamstring).

When he returned to game action, Joe Burrow was out for the season. In Week 15 (4/61/2) and Week 16 (5/140/1), Higgins played well with Jake Browning behind center. His season ended in Week 18 with another battle with a hamstring injury. He scored fewer than 10.0 fantasy points in seven of his 12 contests.

Last season, Higgins sat out the first two games with a hamstring issue. He had one elite game (9/83/2) over the next five weeks (29/341/3 on 45 targets), highlighted by double-digit targets in two matchups (10 and 14). A quad issue pushed him to the sidelines again for another three contests midseason.

From Week 11 to Week 17, Higgins showed his potential on the opposite side of Ja’Marr Chase. He caught 40 of his 59 targets for 517 yards and seven touchdowns, with a high floor in five games (9/148/1, 5/69/1, 5/88/1, 8/58/1, and 11/131/3). His three-week run in the fantasy postseason (24/277/5 – 81.70 fantasy points) helped win league and overall championships.

Over the last three games, Higgins battled knee and ankle issues with no missed time, but he did end the year on a down note in Week 18 (4/53 on five targets).

Fantasy Outlook: To keep their Super Bowl hopes on a winning path, Cincinnati locked up Higgins for four more seasons for $115 million (two years guaranteed). A WR2 opportunity behind a stud wideout invites favorable coverage on many plays, and he has the size (6’4” and 220 lbs.) and skill set to be a much better player with a full season of games.

Higgins is the 14th wide receiver off the board in 2025, which aligns with the profile I have described in his career path. The fantasy drafter must decide if his injury risk outweighs his ceiling. If Higgins played 17 games last year, he was on pace to catch 103 passes for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns on 154 targets.

In this fantastic game of fantasy football, if it’s too easy, it tends to be the losing path, especially when adding the percentage of combination ownership. Many “wise guys” will try to pair Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, and Tee Higgins, looking for a difference-maker fantasy stack, especially in BestBall formats.

In 2024, the combination of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Tua Tagovailoa didn’t have the same buzz as the Cincinnati star combo, but it was too easy to execute, making it a fade for me.

In the end, Higgins is worthy of some fantasy share, but I would tread carefully if his ADP rises. A drafter should hope for an 80/1,200/8 season while also understanding that his opportunity should be much higher if on the field for 17 games.

Andrei Iosivas, CIN

Iosivas checked the speed (4.43 40-yard dash) and strength (19 bench press reps) boxes at the 2023 NFL Combine. His edge in size (6’3” and 205 lbs.) gave the Bengals another vertical threat with the ability to win some 50/50 balls in the end zone. Iosivas can create wins close to the line of scrimmage against press coverage, which may lead to some quick slant chances in four-wide receiver sets. However, he must refine his route running and demonstrate that his hands can handle the velocity of NFL passes to earn snaps.

Iosivas improved each season for Princeton. His career started with 18 catches for 263 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. He set out the following season due to no football games in the Ivy League. Iosivas gained 15.3 yards per catch in college while upping his output in 2021 (41/703/5) and 2022 (66/943/7).

In his rookie season, Iosivas caught 15 of his 25 targets for 116 yards and four touchdowns. All his scores came inside the 10-yard line (three, two, three, and seven yards), showcasing his potential future role for Cincinnati. His best output (5/36/2) came in Week 18.

Last season, Iosivas emerged as the Bengals’ WR3, leading to 36 catches for 479 yards and six touchdowns on 61 targets. He gained 20 yards or more on seven catches. His drops (6) resulted in a lower catch rate (59.0%). Cincinnati gave Iosivas five targets or fewer in all but two games (6 and 7). He scored over 10.00 fantasy points (PPR) in four matchups (2/7/2, 5/52/1, 3/35/1, and 3/53/1).

Fantasy Outlook: The injuries to Tee Higgins led to Iosivas having WR2 snaps (892). He was on the field for 78.4% of the Bengals’ plays. His targets won’t stand out in many games, but Joe Burrow will look for him in the end zone. A third year in this offense suggests another baby step in his production, while also making him a sneaky BestBall and DFS play in some matchups.

Jermaine Burton, CIN

The Bengals selected Burton with the 16th pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The sum of his foundation skill set should translate well to the NFL, especially with more development in his route running. He gets off the ball with fire vs. press coverage and has the hands to snatch highly contested passes. His lack of opportunity and a limited passing ceiling quarterback compromised his potential development in college.

Over four seasons between Georgia and Alabama, Burton caught 132 passes for 2,376 yards and 22 touchdowns. His best success came over the last two years (40/677/7 and 39/798/8), highlighted by two impact showings (7/128/2 and 9/197/2). In 2023, he had more than four catches in one game due to working as a big-play threat (20.5 yards per reception).

Burton doesn’t bring difference-maker speed (4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL combine) to the NFL, so his catch windows will be smaller with Cincinnati until his route running shows more growth. He’ll have a low-volume opportunity in the Bengals' offense until he proves his worth on the field.

The Bengals had Burton on the field for 131 plays (WR4) in his rookie season. He caught only four of his 14 targets for 107 yards while gaining an impressive 26.8 yards per catch.

Fantasy Outlook: Last year, Burton showed that he had work to do on his game, pushing him into a one-dimensional speed threat box. As a result, he will be undrafted in the fantasy market this year. If his summer reports are positive, Burton could offer injury cover value for Tee Higgins.

Charlie Jones, CIN

The Bengals added Jones in 2024 to help their ability to move the chains on quick-hitting plays over the short areas of the field. He has excellent quickness and a feel for getting open after the snap. Jones also possesses the speed to beat defenders over the top, along with the open-field talent to make them miss. However, he does need to get stronger to win vs. press coverage.

In a way, Cincinnati attempted to add a player from the New England Patriots' playbook (Wes Welker/Julian Edelman). Jones will need some time to develop, but he will return kicks (two touchdowns over his first two seasons with the Bengals).

After a sluggish start to his college career over 33 games (39/718/6 on 74 targets), Jones turned into a beast for Purdue in 2022. He caught 110 of his 159 targets for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns, highlighted by eight games (12/153/1, 9/133/3, 11/188/1, 12/132/12, 10/105, 11/104, 4/143, and 13/162).

In his rookie season, Jones only had seven catches for 64 yards on nine targets while missing development time with a thumb injury. His highlight moment came in Week 2 when he had an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown. His best game (3/62) came in Week 18.

Last year, Jones was only on the field for eight games due to a groin issue that cost him the final nine weeks.

Fantasy Outlook: The fantasy market won’t have Jones on their radar this season due to his injury path in the NFL. He falls into the watch category until his game shows a spark on the field.

Tight Ends

The tight end position was a big winner in the Bengals’ offense last season, highlighted by their three-year highs in catches (129), receiving yards (1,114), and targets (155). On the downside, Joe Burrow continues to use his tight ends close to the line of scrimmage (8.6 yards per catch). They accounted for 28.0% of their team’s catches.

Mike Gesicki, CIN

In 2021, I listed Gesicki as an upside TE2. He rewarded my beliefs with career-highs in catches (73), receiving yards (780), and targets (112), but Gesicki managed only a pair of scores. Despite his growth, he delivered two weeks with no fantasy catches, with regression in his stats over his final 10 contests (36/353/0) on 61 targets. From Week 3 to Week 7, Gesicki offered starting fantasy value (34/386/2). In the end, he ranked ninth in fantasy scoring (165.00) in PPR formats.

The change in coaching staff in Miami in 2022, combined with his questionable blocking, led to Gesicki being phased out of the Dolphins’ offense. He finished with a sharp decline in production (32/362/5) and opportunity (52 targets – 112 in 2021). Gesicki only had one game with more than 50 yards receiving (6/69/2).

The move to New England in 2023 further eroded Gesicki’s stats (29/244/2) while working as their TE2. Poor quarterback play and a subpar offense were also contributing factors to his decline. He failed to score more than 10.00 fantasy points in any game in PPR formats, making him a worthless fantasy option.

Last season, Gesicki returned to the fantasy map by catching 65 of his 83 targets for 665 yards and two touchdowns. Three (7/91, 7/73, and 5/100/2) of his best five games came with Tee Higgins out of the lineup. He had eight targets or more in five matchups (9, 8, 9, 12, and 10), with the latter two coming over the final two weeks (10/86 and 8/68). Gesicki was the 13th-best tight end in PPR formats (143.40).

Fantasy Outlook: When the Bengals are trailing, Gesicki tends to have an increased opportunity, but Joe Burrow rarely looked for him at the goal line. Cincinnati will rotate in multiple tight ends, inviting some empty days by their top pass-catching tight end. Gesicki is a better backup tight end, offering injury or bye-week value due to his inconsistent output. I expect another 60-catch season with a couple of more scores.

Other Options: Drew Sample, Erick ALL, Tanner Hudson

Kicker

Evan McPherson, CIN

In 2022, McPherson built on his success from 50 yards or more (5-for-5), but he missed five of his other 24 field goal attempts while also getting sloppy in his extra-point tries (40-for-44). McPherson had a stretch from Week 5 to Week 9, over five games, where he made only two of his four field goals, leading to him ranking 13th in fantasy points (147.10).

Cincinnati continued to give McPherson chances from 50 yards or more (7-for-12) in 2023, and he didn’t miss any of his other 19 field goal opportunities or extra points (40). A weaker offense, due to injuries to Joe Burrow, led to fewer scoring chances and a lower ranking in fantasy points (147.50 – 15th).

A groin issue led to McPherson missing five games last season, resulting in a step back in his success rate (72.7%). Four of his six failed attempts came from 50 yards or more (3-for-7). He made 37 of 38 extra point tries.

Fantasy Outlook: Twice over his four seasons with the Bengals, McPherson had double-digit kicks from long range, and he was on pace for that level in 2024. Cincinnati will score points, but their field goal attempts have ranked below the best kickers in the league over the past three seasons, making McPherson a backup kicking option with matchup value until he starts showing fantasy success on the field.

Defense

Cincinnati ranked 19th in rushing yards allowed (2,122) while giving up 4.4 yards per carry and 20 scores on the ground. They were just below the league average in pass defense (4,016 yards – 20th), with quarterbacks tossing 30 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. They finished with 36 sacks.