2026 Team Previews: Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Preview
All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
** = target in drafts at this ADP
Drafted Everywhere
Ja’Marr Chase, WR (ADP: 3, WR1): Chase’s stats took a step back from an otherworldly 2024 performance, but it’s forgivable when you have the context that Joe Burrow missed roughly half the season and Jake Browning replaced him for several games before Joe Flacco came and rescued the fantasy value of his pass catchers, if not the Bengals’ playoff hopes. Despite a half season’s worth of passes from the Browning/Flacco duo, Chase’s “down” year was 125 receptions, 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns.
For the most part, Chase continued to be himself. He posted seven games of 105+ yards and two games with more than 160 yards. He only fell below 50 yards four times, and three of them came with Browning under center. Seeing his downturn with Browning proved that even Chase isn’t fully “QB-proof,” but he still managed some good production while making lemonade out of the Browning lemon, and then he was dominant once Flacco entered the picture. With Burrow, we’ve seen Chase be basically unstoppable. I couldn’t get too worked up about managers who prefer Puka’s high-volume role in the Rams’ offense, or Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s complete ownership of the Seahawks’ target share, but I’ll take Chase as my WR1.
Chase Brown, RB (ADP: 15, RB9): Brown has completely silenced any doubts about his durability or size as the Bengals’ lead back, and has proven himself an elite dual threat RB in the NFL. 2025 marked Brown’s first 1,000-yard rushing season, and he turned in a 1,456-total yard campaign with 11 total touchdowns. It was his second consecutive season with 11 trips to the end zone. In many ways, the Bengals are arguably fantasy football’s ideal offense. The premier talent is insane, and it’s all very clearly centralized among a few reliable players. Brown has absolutely entered that group. It’s hard to call him underrated when he’s inside the Top 15 players, so I won’t, but I will highlight how integral he became to the passing game in 2025.
Brown has always been a RB who could catch the ball as well as be dynamic on the ground, but he drew 88 targets last season, fourth-most among RBs behind only Christian McCaffery, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. That could dip a little with Burrow probably checking down less than Browning and Flacco did, but he’ll still be elite in that area which truly is more valuable than a much larger share of rushing attempts. I really like this ADP and hope it doesn’t climb any higher. If you go WR in Round 1, Brown is still a very strong RB1.
Tee Higgins, WR (ADP: 38, WR17): Higgins had some injuries cost him games last year – stop me if you’ve heard that before – but the way he played once Joe Flacco took over from Browning was all the proof needed that he’s truly one of the best X receivers in the game and a top fantasy WR even as the Bengals’ No. 2 option. From Weeks 6-18 Higgins averaged 4.6 receptions and 66.8 yards while scoring nearly a touchdown per game. He finished 2025 with 11 touchdowns, the most of his career and his second straight season crossing the double digit threshold. His reception total fell, which is to be expected when one of the best QBs in football misses half the year, but he made up for it with efficiency. His 14.3 yards per catch was the third-best mark of his career and a two-yard increase from 2024, while his touchdowns are becoming sticky. Higgins is a prototype outside X receiver, and he could be the WR1 on a lot of teams. Here though, he’s able to put up WR1 numbers as the second banana with an elite QB and a teammate who will always be the defense’s focus.
Joe Burrow, QB (ADP: 56, QB4): Burrow is at an ADP where I’m just unlikely to pull the trigger on a QB. With that said, Burrow is the obvious first choice among pass-first QBs. No other QB has a duo as filthy as Chase and Higgins, and then you have an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield lending further support. Injuries have to be factored in with Burrow, who has missed significant time in two of the past three seasons, but when he makes it through a whole year you’re locking in 4,400+ passing yards and a touchdown total in the mid-30s as a floor. The benchmarks for a passer of his ilk being a QB1 are 4,000 yards and 35+ touchdowns, and if a healthy season has those benchmarks as a floor, it does make sense that you’ve got to pay a premium for his services.
I don’t hate this value, especially since it’s dropped from previous years. Still, I believe you can get similar production from much later options like Dak Prescott or Baker Mayfield, and while their ceilings are lower, they cost significantly less. I won’t call this a value, but it’s not crazy to draft him at this price.
Deep Cuts
Samaje Perine, RB (ADP: 300, RB87): Perine likely becomes a Kenneth Gainwell-esque fantasy option in the event of a Chase Brown injury. Perine’s shown that he doesn’t have lead back chops, but the backfield behind Brown is Perine and an unproven second-year RB. In the event of a Brown injury, we’re seeing a time share and in that scenario it’s Perine handling passing downs. I would not handcuff Brown though, because neither he nore Tahj Brooks possesses major impact potential in 2026.
Mike Gesicki, TE (ADP: 305, TE38): Burrow pretty much concludes the fantasy-relevant portion of this preview, although Gesicki tends to have his moments throughout each season. Gesicki certainly has the talent to have a blowup season, but it hasn’t really happened or come close since 2020. He’s been in the NFL for eight seasons and been on three teams, so he is what he is and that’s a spot start TE. But in the event of an injury to Chase or Higgins, we might see him step up. Unlikely, but it’s a non-zero chance.
Andrei Iosivas, WR (ADP: 307, WR98): Iosivas seems like a player whose ceiling has been hit. In 2024 he popped for six touchdowns on 36 catches and 479 yards. Last season he put up 33 catches for 435 yards, but it only came with two touchdowns. Maybe he’s just a rotational receiver who provides quality depth for an NFL receiver room but just isn’t a fantasy difference maker? It seems that way, and with Chase and Higgins in front of him we’d need a big injury to figure it out.
Tahj Brooks, RB (ADP: N/A): Brooks had a little bit of buzz last season as a late-round rookie because there were lingering doubts about Brown’s ability to withstand a bell cow workload. Brown answered the bell again, and now Brooks is just a speculative handcuff. I can’t say I know much about him because he logged 16 carries last year, but we do know that Perine’s capped as a committee back, whereas we know next to nothing about Brooks.
Mitchell Tinsley, WR (ADP: N/A): Tinsley is another player who could benefit from an absence from Chase or Higgins, and would be right in the mix along with Iosivas if that were to happen. This isn’t a recommendation to draft the guy, just be aware of him, because if he pops Burrow can support many fantasy options.