Cincinnati

Bengals

The Bengals rookie return man will now miss at least the next four games with a thumb injury he suffered in Week 3’s win over the Rams. Jones has just one catch for six yards on the season, but has also returned eight punts for 150 yards and one touchdown. Jones scored on an 81-yard return touchdown in Week 2 against the Ravens and is averaging a blistering 18.1 yards per return. He’ll be eligible to return in Week 8.

Burrow was a full participant in practice throughout the week. Though he’s likely playing at less than full strength, things do appear to be trending in the right direction for Burrow. He remains in the QB1 mix in a great matchup versus a weak Tennessee second.

Smith will miss his second straight game. Tanner Hudson led Bengals tight ends in tight end routes and caught two of four targets for 30 yards in Week 3 with Smith sidelined. Hudson is a desperation streamer in Week 4.

That’s two-straight missed practices for Smith, who was injured last week and ultimately missed the team’s Week 3 win over the Rams on Monday. The veteran tight end has caught just five passes for 27 yards this season, and wouldn’t be on the fantasy radar in Week 4 even if he were active. Drew Sample would draw the start in Week 4 against the Titans if Smith is unable to go.

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.