Cincinnati Bengals 2026 Fantasy Football Preview: Joe Burrow Is Back, Ja’Marr Chase Is Unmissable, and the Bye Week Is a Disaster
Here is the pitch on the Cincinnati Bengals in three sentences. Joe Burrow, when healthy, is one of the five best quarterbacks in football. Ja’Marr Chase is the safest wide receiver in fantasy football regardless of anything else happening around him. And Tee Higgins has scored 24 touchdowns in his last 30 games. The problem and there’s always a problem with Cincinnati is that Burrow has missed significant time in three of the last four seasons, the team has missed the playoffs three consecutive years, and their 2026 bye week falls in Week 6 after just five games, creating a brutal 12-game stretch to close the season with no break. If you can live with those caveats, this offense is fantasy gold. Here is everything you need to know. Yahoo Sports
Continuity in Cincinnati: Taylor and Pitcher Return for 2026 Season
Zac Taylor remains the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, a role he’s held since being hired in 2019. Heading into the 2026 season, Cincinnati is sticking with continuity. There’s no change at offensive coordinator, with Dan Pitcher still leading the offense after taking over the position in 2024.
Taylor, now entering his eighth season, helped guide the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2021 campaign and continues to lead the team alongside key front office leadership. With Pitcher still in place, the Bengals’ offense will maintain the same system and direction this season.
The Bengals play home games at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The philosophy remains: keep Burrow healthy, hope the defense does not ruin everything.
Joe Burrow: The Money Printer
A toe injury in Week 2 limited Burrow to just eight games last season. He finished with 1,809 passing yards, 17 TDs, and 5 INTs. Remove the partial game, and he averaged 247.6 yards and 2.3 TDs per game in seven full outings — a full-season pace of 4,209 yards and 38.9 touchdowns, marks that would have ranked fifth and second league-wide. If Burrow, Chase, and Higgins could all stay healthy for 17 games, Cincinnati has the offensive weapons to lead the NFL in scoring, with a 5,000-yard passing season within reach. SubstackFantasyLife
Fantasy verdict: Burrow goes as the third QB off the board at current ADP. That is fair value. In even-numbered years he has historically outperformed expectations. Draft him and pray for health.
Ja’Marr Chase: The Only Lock in Fantasy Football
Chase trails only Puka Nacua in career PPR points per game among all wide receivers ever. He is coming off back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons. He has been sidelined for just two total games over the past three years. His 185 targets led the NFL last season even though he was suspended for Week 12 after spitting on a Steelers cornerback. Chase is 26 years old and entering his prime. There is no legitimate debate about whether to draft him. The only debate is whether he is the 1.01 overall pick in your league. YouTubeFantasyLife
Fantasy verdict: Top-3 overall pick in all formats. Chase is the safest WR1 in fantasy football. Take him.
Tee Higgins: The Best WR2 Nobody Talks About Enough
Higgins has missed 12 games over the past three seasons due to injury, which is the only thing preventing him from being universally recognized as a top-10 fantasy WR. When healthy, he is in an offense that runs near the top of the league in plays when Burrow starts, and he has scored 24 touchdowns in his last 30 games. The injury concern is real. The upside when healthy is elite. SubstackYahoo Sports
Fantasy verdict: WR2 with injury risk. Draft him a round later than his talent warrants given the health history and roster a backup plan.
Chase Brown: The Undervalued RB
Chase Brown scored as the PPR RB5 in Burrow’s seven full games last season. He handles all three downs and is the clear lead back with no significant competition after Keaton Mitchell left for Los Angeles. Brown is 26 years old, not coming off any injury, and plays in an offense that has ranked 6th, 7th, and 7th in points per game in the three seasons Burrow has been healthy enough to start more than 10 games. He is projected to go in the third round at current ADP. Genuine value for a player with this profile. SubstackYouTube
Fantasy verdict: RB1 with a third-round price. Chase Brown is one of the best values in this draft class.
2026 Cincinnati Bengals Schedule
The Bengals’ schedule includes three primetime games, an international trip, and a tough finish with two AFC North matchups. Their Week 6 bye comes after just five games, which is about as difficult a setup as Cincinnati could have asked for. From Week 7 on, the Bengals play 12 straight games to end the season without another break.
The schedule also features a Week 9 trip to Madrid, Spain, where Cincinnati will face the Atlanta Falcons at 9:30 a.m. ET. The Bengals then return home for Sunday Night Football in Week 10 without any extra rest.
| Week | Opponent | Location | Day/Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Home | Sun 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 2 | Houston Texans | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 4 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Home | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 5 | Miami Dolphins | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 6 | BYE WEEK | — | — | — |
| 7 | Baltimore Ravens | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | Home | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 9 | Atlanta Falcons | Madrid, Spain | 9:30 AM ET | NFL Network |
| 10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Home | Sun 8:20 PM | NBC |
| 11 | Washington Commanders | Away | Mon 8:15 PM | ESPN |
| 12 | New Orleans Saints | Home | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 13 | Cleveland Browns | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | CBS |
| 14 | Kansas City Chiefs | Home | Sun 4:25 PM | FOX |
| 15 | Carolina Panthers | Away | Sun 1:00 PM | FOX |
| 16 | Indianapolis Colts | Away | TBD | — |
| 17 | Baltimore Ravens | Home | Thu 8:15 PM 🎆 | Prime |
| 18 | Cleveland Browns | Home | TBD | — |
Fantasy note: The Week 6 bye is catastrophic for anyone heavily invested in Bengals players. Five games in, then done and then 12 straight games to close. The Madrid trip in Week 9 (9:30 AM Eastern) followed immediately by Sunday Night Football in Week 10 is an unusually grueling back-to-back stretch. The New Year’s Eve Thursday Night Football game against Baltimore in Week 17 is must-watch football, and a potential flex start if you are still in contention.
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FAQ
Is Joe Burrow worth drafting in fantasy football in 2026?
Yes. Burrow goes as the third QB off the board at current ADP. When healthy, he projects to 4,000-plus passing yards and 35-plus touchdowns in an offense built around Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The risk is injury. He has missed significant time in three of the last four seasons.
Is Ja’Marr Chase the best WR in fantasy football?
He is certainly in the conversation. Chase was the fourth wide receiver in PPR in 2025 and is coming off back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons and has played all but two games over the last three years. He is a top-3 overall pick.
Is Tee Higgins worth drafting?
Yes, with injury caveats. Higgins has scored 24 touchdowns in his last 30 games but has missed 12 games over the past three seasons. Draft him a round after his talent suggests and roster a backup.
Is Chase Brown a good fantasy running back?
Yes. Brown is one of the best values in this draft at his third-round ADP. He handles all three downs, has no significant backfield competition, and scored at RB5 pace in Burrow’s healthy games last season.
Does Cincinnati have an international game in 2026?
Yes — Week 9 in Madrid, Spain against the Atlanta Falcons at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on November 8 at 9:30 AM ET.
What is the Cincinnati Bengals’ bye week in 2026?
Week 6 — the worst possible outcome for fantasy managers. After just five games, the Bengals have 12 straight weeks to close the season with no additional rest.
What is the most anticipated Bengals game of 2026?
Week 14 features Joe Burrow vs. Patrick Mahomes at Paycor Stadium on FOX — one of the most anticipated regular-season matchups on the entire NFL schedule.
What stadium do the Bengals play in?
Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
How long has Commish Kit been making fantasy football draft boards?
Since 2002, Commish Kit fantasy football has been serving customers. It started in Daly City, California, and moved to Austin, Texas, in 2012, making 2026 its 24th season in business.
