The Bengals allowed 34 points and 291 total yards to the Patriots in Week 15's loss.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense wasn't entirely to blame, as Andy Dalton threw a pick-six as well. In fact, the Bengals have shown some potential lately, holding the Raiders, Steelers and Jets under 17 points each, combining for 10 sacks and three turnovers in that stretch. The Dolphins are on par with that trio, as Ryan Fitzpatrick is sacked on 8.1 percent of dropbacks and throws a pick on 2.9 percent of attempts -- both are the eighth-most in the league. Let's be clear, this is a high-risk unit, and…read more

The Bengals allowed 27 points and 333 total yards to the Browns in Week 14's loss.

Analysis: They also forced two turnovers -- their third multi-turnover performance of the year. However, any upside is essentially extinguished against the Patriots, as Tom Brady is sacked on just 4.4 percent of dropbacks (fifth) while throwing a pick on 1.3 percent of passes (seventh). The Patriots still have struggled offensively lately, but without a reward on the other side, it's not worth taking on this risk.

The Bengals held the Jets to six points and 271 total yards in Week 13's win,

Analysis: The Bengals' defense has featured some semblance of life lately by holding the Raiders, Steelers and Jets below 20 points each. There's not much of fantasy upside, as the unit ranks 30th in both sacks (20) and turnovers (10). The Browns, on the other hand, don't offer a favorable matchup with their considerable amount of weapons and just three turnovers over the past five weeks. Sure, they would've been a reasonable pickup over the past three contests, but this is the playoffs. Don't go…read more

The Bengals allowed 16 points and forced a turnover in Week 11's loss to the Steelers.

Analysis: Keeping Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges to just 16 points is nothing to hang your hat on, and the Bengals will now host the red-hot Jets. QB Sam Darnold has led the charge with 9.4 YPA and a 7:1 TD:INT ratio over the last four games, as the Jets have put up 34 points in each effort. Darnold was sacked five times during that stretch, and the Jets coughed up the football just three times. The Jets actually looks legit after a horrid start, and the Bengals lack upside to make them a worthy stream,…read more

The Bengals forced two turnovers and held the Raiders to 17 points in Week 11's loss.

Analysis: This was Cincinnati's best defensive performance of the year, as it held an opponent under 20 points for the first time while posting its first multi-turnover outing since Week 3. Steelers QB Mason Rudolph has struggled lately, and now he'll be without center Maurkice Pouncey (suspension) while top receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee) and Diontae Johnson (concussion) have uncertain statuses for this contest. Rudolph has been irresponsible with the ball this year, throwing eight…read more

The Bengals forced a turnover in Week 10's 49-13 loss to the Ravens.

Analysis: The Bengals have let up at least 21 points in every game this season, and there ceiling provides little to no reward for taking this risk, as they've made 10 sacks and forced seven turnovers over nine games. It doesn't help that they're rolling out rookie QB Ryan Finley under center, and he accounted for two of three turnovers during the loss to the Ravens. There's no sign of this unit getting better, and it's allowed a league-high 173.0 YPG on the ground. That won't cut it against Raiders' RB…read more

The Bengals yielded 24 points and didn't force a turnover in Week 8's loss to the Rams.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense is keeping them in games, as they haven't allowed more than 27 points since Week 2's loss to the 49ers. It's not an impressive number by any means, but it means they can hang with the Ravens in Week 10 as they did in a 23-17 Week 6 loss. The Ravens -- and Lamar Jackson -- have only gotten better since then, however, as they racked up four touchdowns against the previously-invincible Patriots' defense in Week 9. Jackson's allowing his feet to do the heavy lifting as well, so…read more

The Bengals have allowed at least 21 points in every game this year.

Analysis: The Bengals are brutal against the run, allowing league highs 5.2 YPC and 189 rushing yards per game. Although a lot of that damage comes from the likes of QBs Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray, RBs Leonard Fournette and David Johnson combined for 291 scrimmage yards in each of their matchups with the Bengals. The Rams have well-documented injury concerns in their backfield, but RB Todd Gurley looks healthy and RB Darrell Henderson is a solid complement. This could be a long game in the trenches…read more

Cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) and William Jackson (shoulder) aren't expected to play in Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Analysis: Considering the Bengals have allowed 8.4 YPA this year -- fifth-most in the league -- their pass defense can't get much worse, but losing their top two cornerbacks definitely won't help. QB Gardner Minshew finally had a hiccup in Week 6, but he's proven talented enough to thrive in the league and has the weapons to help him do it. Wideouts D.J. Chark and Chris Conley can stretch the field while Dede Westbrook fills in on the slot, and all three will cause trouble for the Bengals. That's not to…read more

The Bengals have allowed at least 21 points in every game this season.

Analysis: The Bengals just allowed Cardinals QB Kyler Murray to run wild for 93 yards while throwing for 253 yards in Week 5, and QB Lamar Jackson presents an even tougher task. Jackson has averaged 236.6 passing yards and 75.5 rushing yards per game over the last four weeks, and RB Mark Ingram can exploit weak run defenses as well. The Ravens have been careless with the ball at times with six turnovers over the last two games, but the Bengals have little upside in that category with just five turnovers…read more

The Bengals have forced five turnovers through four games, ranking 19th in the league.

Analysis: It's tough to generate fantasy points without turnovers and sacks, and the Bengals struggle in both categories with just five of each through four games. The Cardinals present an intriguing floor by averaging just 18.5 points per game, and there's a chance they'll be without WR Christian Kirk (ankle), who is tied for the team lead in targets (36) with WR Larry Fitzgerald. That would definitely take pressure off the Bengals' secondary, which has allowed 8.9 YPA this year -- the fourth-worst mark…read more

The Bengals have allowed the sixth-most points (27.7 PPG) in the league.

Analysis: The Bengals have allowed at least 21 points in every game this year, which hampers any fantasy upside they have. But there's not much in this outing, as the Bengals have just five sacks this season and Steelers QB Mason Rudolph was only sacked twice by a fierce 49ers' pass rush in Week 3. Rudolph is no Big Ben, but he has enough weapons around him led by WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and RB James Conner to manage the game. Even with a couple turnovers, the Steelers could push 30 points and wipe out…read more

The Bengals' have allowed 165.5 rushing yards per game through Week 2.

Analysis: The Bengals struggled to keep the Seahawks' and 49ers' backfields under wraps, and their matchup won't get any easier in Week 3. The Bills have a unique tandem of the rookie RB Devin Singletary, who has averaged 12.7 YPC, and veteran RB Frank Gore, who takes the bulk of the carries but marks just 2.9 YPC. That's not to mention QB Josh Allen's running abilities, as he leads the team in rushing touchdowns (two). The Bills should be able to get the ground game going, and Allen's arm has been…read more

The Bengals held Seattle's running backs to 3.1 YPC in Week 1.

Analysis: The Seahawks averaged 4.8 YPC in 2018, so the Bengals made a significant effort to stymie their run-heavy offense in the season opener. They also sacked QB Russell Wilson four times and forced a Chris Carson fumble, shaping up for a solid fantasy day. A Week 2 matchup against a similar 49ers offense awaits, so this is a solid opportunity for another fantasy-viable outing. RB Tevin Coleman (ankle) isn't expected to play, leaving Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert to man the backfield. Both are…read more

The Bengals will enter Week 1's game versus the Seahawks at full strength.

Analysis: The Seahawks were a notoriously run-heavy team last season, ranking second in the league with 33.4 rushing attempts per game. They were quite efficient with the three-man backfield of Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and Mike Davis, but now they've swapped out Davis for a currently-healthy C.J. Prosise. The Seahawks' versatility spells trouble for the Bengals, who ranked 29th with 137.8 rushing yards allowed per game last year. Although the Seahawks passing game has tons of question marks behind top…read more

The Bengals had the 32nd-ranked overall defense (413.6 YPG) and the 30th-ranked scoring defense (28.4 PPG) in 2018.

Analysis: Cincinnati featured one of the worst defenses in the league last season and didn't significantly address the unit during the offseason, so it's tough to imagine a drastically different result in 2019. Kansas City racked up 38 points in the preseason opener, totaling 400 yards of offense. The Bengals will look for an improved effort in Thursday's preseason contest against the Redskins.

The Bengals feature the worst scoring (29.3 PPG) and total defense (418.3 YPG) in the NFL heading into their season finale against the Steelers.

Analysis: Cincinnati also ranks in the bottom half of the league in sacks (33) and takeaways (17), as the injury-ravaged unit has exhibited few strengths in 2018. Meanwhile, the Steelers possess one of the top offenses in the league, ranking in the top four in scoring (27.5 PPG) and total offense (407.3 YPG). QB Ben Roethlisberger is mistake-prone at times, as Pittsburgh has turned the ball over 25 times, but that hardly diminishes their strengths. The Bengals have proven to be one of the poorer…read more

The Bengals rank last in the NFL in total defense (413.0 YPG) and second-to-last in scoring defense (29.5 PPG) as they travel to Cleveland for a Week 16 matchup.

Analysis: Cincinnati had one of their better defensive outings of the season in last Sunday's win against Oakland, as they allowed 16 points and 297 yards of offense while forcing two turnovers. It only took facing one of the worst and most depleted offenses in the league to garner such a performance, but still, progress in progress. The last meeting with the Browns came Week 12 and Cleveland scored 35 points through the first three quarters to hand Cincinnati a lopsided defeat. The Browns rank in the…read more

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is nursing a concussion as Sunday's game against Oakland inches closer.

Analysis: Burfict's presence would certainly give the Bengals a boost, but probably to no avail. Cincinnati draws an Oakland offense in Week 15 that has endured its struggles. Yet, it seems more stars would have to align for the Bengals to begin warranting our serious attention. Cincinnati currently sits on a throne of disappointment as the league's worst-ranked total and scoring defense (421.9 YPG, 30.5 PPG). Some teams warrant matchup plays depending on the opposition. Cincinnati is one of the few…read more

Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is nursing a foot injury ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers.

Analysis: Regardless if Kirkpatrick plays, the Bengals are another defense to avoid in Week 14. Much of the season has been a struggle in Cincinnati, and while injuries are certainly responsible for the backwards slide, the defense has been (nicely put) lackluster in 2018. The Chargers have been somewhat overshadowed by their LA counterpart this year, but they're not a team to sleep on this week. Even without Melvin Gordon (knee) the Chargers hung 33 points on the Steelers during last week's 33-30…read more

The Bengals boast the league's worst-ranked total defense (439.6 YPG) entering Week 13 action.

Analysis: It's been a struggled to say the least for Cincinnati in 2018 and perhaps rock bottom was met following last week's 35-20 home loss to the Browns. The defeat marked the fourth time in the last five games in which the Bengals allowed 34-plus points. At 5-6, Marvin Lewis' squad is not out of contention for a wild card berth, but things appear to trending in the wrong direction...fast. Sunday's pivotal draw against Denver will featurew a pair of 5-6 teams with everything to lose. Although not…read more

The Bengals enter their Week 12 game against the Browns allowing a league-worst 449.2 yards per game.

Analysis: The Bengals managed to break a string of three straight games allowing 500-plus yards of offense in last week's 24-21 loss to the Ravens, but still managed to allow 265 yards rushing, including 117 to rookie QB Lamar Jackson in his first career start. Middle linebacker Preston Brown (knee) has now been placed on injured reserve while Nick Vigil continues to nurse a knee issue, as the injuries have debilitated the group of linebackers. The Browns offense has been inconsistent this season with…read more

The Bengals surrendered 509 total yards of offense during last week's 51-14 loss to the Saints. Cincinnati takes on the Ravens in Week 11.

Analysis: On one hand, it seems as though nobody has discovered the formula for slowing the Saints' offense. Even so, Cincinnati's Swiss-cheese defensive efforts have been a recurring bug. The poor defensive showing marked the third consecutive game in which the Bengals have conceded 500-plus yards of offense. Likewise, Marvin Lewis' squad has yielded at least 28 points in each of its last four contests. The only way for Cincinnati to win is apparently to score on each possession, otherwise it's a lost…read more