Fantasy football impact of Bengals starters getting preseason reps

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is changing his team’s approach to the preseason and that includes giving his more prominent players a taste of the action early.

Taylor confirmed on Tuesday that starters like quarterback Joe Burrow will play “several” series in the team’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. He did not specify exactly how much playing time his starters would get, but indicated that they would have a heavier workload in their second preseason contest against the Washington Commanders on August 18. He did note that a handful of starters like tight end Mike Gesicki will not suit up on Thursday due to injury.

This is a significant shift in preseason philosophy for the Bengals as they are trying to prevent yet another slow regular-season start by having their front-line guys ready for Week 1. In recent years, the staff has taken a cautionary approach with stars like Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase by limiting their involvement in these exhibitions. While they have understandably tried to limit the risk of severe injuries in August, the decision to put these players on ice can be partially attributed to their sluggish play when the games begin to count.

A 2-3 start to the 2022 campaign was followed by a 1-3 start in 2023. The team once again dug itself into a hole with a 1-4 start last season, ultimately resulting in them missing the playoffs despite winning their last five games. With a manageable schedule in 2025 that includes the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars in the first two weeks, Taylor and staff want to make sure that their stars are in a rhythm immediately.

If the decision to give their starters more reps in the preseason has the desired effect that Taylor and company are looking for, then it only increases the fantasy value of their skill-position players. A fantasy manager with Burrow manning the helm at QB theoretically won’t have to wait until Week 4 or 5 for him to start heating up and could see big returns almost immediately.

The same goes for running back Chase Brown, who is coming off a breakout 2024 season where he finished just 10 yards shy of 1,000 yards. He is currently the 12th-ranked running back at Fantasy Pros heading into fantasy draft season and could very easily creep into the top 10 with a strong start to the campaign.