Cincinnati

Bengals

Smith picked up the injury last week in practice and is now off to a slow start for this week. However, Wednesday’s practice is just a walkthrough after their Monday night game, so this is more of an estimation than anything. If Smith were to continue to miss time, the Bengals would lean more on Drew Sample.

Now, Wednesday was a walkthrough for the Bengals after their Monday night game, so take this with a grain of salt. However, this is the first time Burrow has been listed as a full participant since the week before the Ravens game. It’s also a good sign that he didn’t suffer any sort of setback with his calf during the win over the Rams, and is great news for the Cincinnati offense heading into a crucial game against the Titans.

Boyd started the game with three catches on the first two possessions but ultimately could not keep the momentum going throughout the game, routinely appearing to be on a different page than quarterback Joe Burrow on a night when the Bengals desperately needed a secondary option alongside Ja’Marr Chase due to a case of the yips from Tee Higgins. Boyd is simply not able to generate the same amount of separation that he once ways over the middle of the field and has largely been confined to contested catches to this point in the season.

The Bengals started the game by peppering Chase on the opening drive and Burrow continued looking his way for easy completions. Chase was largely confined to short area work on a night where Burrow’s mobility was affected by a nagging calf strain, but head coach Zac Taylor was able to move him around the formation enough to get him one-on-one coverage for most of the evening. Fantasy managers have to be happy with the Week 3 production after the electric wide receiver failed to provide solid counting stats during the first two games of the season. Next up is a more forgiving matchup with the pass-funnel defense of the Titans in Week 4.

Mixon continued to play heavy snaps for the Bengals and handled all but two running back opportunities in Week 3. His first touchdown of the year masked his continued low efficiency but salvaged his fantasy day, providing the first starter-worthy fantasy week this season. Mixon’s efficiency and upside could improve as the offense improves, after the Bengals have managed just 46 points scored through three weeks. That said, fantasy managers might want to make alternate plans with a matchup with the stout run defense of the Titans on deck for Week 4.

Burrow’s limited mobility showed through in Week 3 but he managed to gut it out through a troubling calf strain to lead his team to their first victory of the season. He keyed in on alpha wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, feeding his top target 15 looks in a primarily short area attack. The inefficiency and low yards per attempt were largely to be expected considering his inability to extend plays with his legs, but fantasy managers that invested a pick in the top six rounds of fantasy drafts will surely want more than what they’ve seen to this point in the season from Burrow. Burrow was also hurt by numerous drops from Tee Higgins which could have padded his stats on the night. Next up for the Bengals is a more forgiving matchup through the air when they travel to Tennessee to face the Titans in Week 4.

The reason for the departure has yet to be disclosed, but Higgins went with the training staff to the locker room in the third quarter of the team’s Week 3 game against the Rams. Further update will come following the game. Higgin’s night ends with just two catches on eight targets for 21 yards, a line that includes three drops.

Burrow was notably absent from the team’s inactives list for their Week 3 meeting with the Rams. He’ll give it a go at less than 100 percent while dealing with an aggravated calf injury. Inactive for the Bengals are WR Trenton Irwin, RB Chris Evans, CB DJ Ivey, C Trey Hill, OT Jackson Carman, TE Irv Smith, and DT Jay Tufele. Expect tight end Drew Smaple to step into a more prominent role in the offense with Smith out.

We are still awaiting official word from the team, who are expected to release their Week 3 inactives in the next 30 minutes, but it certainly sounds like Burrow will be under center for the Bengals despite being at less than 100 percent health. Burrow aggravated a calf injury sustained in camp last week and was reportedly a true game-time decision for the Bengals in Week 3. The 0-2 start might be playing a factor in the decision-making process here, so let’s hope Burrow is able to make it through the game unscathed.

The Bengals don’t have to make an official decision on Burrow until they announce Week 3 inactives before kickoff. It sounds like Taylor and the team are ready to take things up until the final minute to decide whether or not Burrow will play in what feels like a near must-win game for the 0-2 Bengals. If Burrow is unable to go, Jake Browning is expected to start in a prime time matchup against the Rams.