Joe Burrow
vs Jameson Williams

“Bengals Bengals QB Joe Burrow had 58 passing attempts in the loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, but feels that the team can throw it even more going forward.”

“Burrow had an underwhelming opener, but he’s tallied 489 passing yards (244.5 per game), 7.45 adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A), five passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions in two subsequent contests, scoring 19.88 DraftKings points per game and 19.88 FanDuel points per game in the last two weeks. The Bengals lost a shootout last week, and the Jaguars have the firepower to push Burrow into a ceiling performance through the air. His top passing-game weapon will be featured in the core studs.”

“Joe Burrow may not be a must-start this week, but Chase Brown , Ja’Marr Chase , and Tee Higgins are all auto-starts.”

“According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite 2.0, among 33 quarterbacks with at least 20 dropbacks, Burrow ranks: 13th in passing yards per game (230.5) 19th in adjusted net yards per pass attempt (6.14 ANY/A) Tied for 14th in passing touchdowns (three) 10th in expected passing touchdowns (3.5) 21st in rushing yards per game (9.5) Interestingly, the Bengals are just fifth in pass rate over expected (6.3% PROE) this year. That’s still pass-happy, but Cincinnati tied for first in PROE (7.9%) from 2023 through 2025. Their defense is better, and the washed-up, Aaron Rodgers -led Steelers are unlikely to push Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense into a shootout.”

“Joe Burrow nearly gifted Tampa Bay a pick-six, the Buccaneers heavily guarded Chase, and Burrow simply could not connect with his WR1. That extra attention also opened things up elsewhere: TE Mike Gesicki finished with five catches for 78 yards and a TD as Tampa Bay focused on containing Chase and Tee Higgins . Look, that does not completely let Chase off the hook.”

“Joe Burrow’s health has been a concern in recent years, but I’ll bank on him playing a full season with one of the easiest schedules in football. I believe 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns are more than doable.”

“But if Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who missed nine games last season, enjoys a season of good health, McPherson should have his fair share of FG and PAT opportunities.”

“When Joe Burrow was healthy, he was a top-three quarterback last season”

“The pivot to more under-center passing won’t be as natural and certainly might not be anywhere near as successful for the Bengals, because Burrow clearly isn’t as comfortable and doesn’t perform as well. In fact, if we go back the last three years, Burrow’s under-center dropbacks average just 3.6 air yards, which ranked dead last: #69 out of 69 qualifying QBs. His time to throw of 2.81 seconds was the #5 fastest out of 69 QBs, and he threw just 17% of passes 10+ yards downfield, also ranking dead last.”

“Zac Taylor wants the Bengals to play more from under center in 2026. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow under center is precisely where this offense struggles most, which is why the Bengals haven't used it often of late. How much the Bengals choose to pivot to under-center passing and how much Burrow can improve on these dropbacks might have a large impact on their fortunes in 2026.”

“Overvalued: Joe Burrow, Quarterback (QB4, Pick 59 OVR) Now, this isn’t to say that I don’t like Joe Burrow, or that I don’t think that Joe Burrow is a talented player; I just think that Joe Burrow is capped insofar as he doesn’t rush at all, and the Bengals’ offensive line isn’t strong enough for him to be a consistent top-four player without the rushing.”

“Of the top-10 quarterbacks based on LTV, Burrow is the one quarterback with little to no rushing upside, making him the quarterback I would want to trade away.”

“According to the Fantasy Points Data Suite, Williams ranks fourth on the team in target share at just 14.7%. He hasn’t shown the same explosiveness we are used to seeing. Last year, he created 6.75 yards after catch per reception; this year, through three games, it’s virtually nonexistent at 0.30.”

“Jameson Williams has reminded fantasy managers that he is a boom/bust play, but he faces the Jets, Panthers, and Cardinals and could bounce back.”

““I’m not sure why Jameson Williams is off to a slow start (I know he’s had a few drops), but the reasons I like him haven’t changed. He’s still a very talented player on a team whose defense is expected to struggle. Because of that, the Lions will have to pass plenty in the fourth quarter.”

“You don’t have to look hard to find fantasy enthusiasts who, using these two weeks and some splits from last season, argue that Williams is straight-up useless with Sam LaPorta healthy. But Williams’ usage — 92% route rate, 16% target share, 31% air yards share — is still excellent, especially given the Lions’ overall offensive efficiency. He’s scored just 10.8 half-PPR points on 26.8 expected points, per the Fantasy Points Data Suite.”

“Williams had a 23.1% target share and a fantastic 36% first-read share, but he had two drops and secured only one of his three contested targets. He also had one red zone target and two deep targets. The big takeaway is that his utilization was WONDERFUL, but Williams produced a wet-fart stat line with 45 scoreless receiving yards because of a bad game.”

“Williams had 23.1% of the team's targets (WR25) with 54.2% of the air yards (WR6). He did have the big drop, but 33.3% of his targets were also uncatchable. Although he did have the shot play that he put down, Williams still got access to a favorable part of the target tree, rather than solely living downfield.”

“Jameson Williams has incredible speed and can turn a five-yard screen pass into a 40-yard gain. Williams ranked 10th in the NFL with 441 yards after the catch (YAC) last season.”

“However, the former Alabama star can also be a weekly winner. Last season, Williams scored 17.3 or more fantasy points in 41.2% of his games, including over 26.2 twice during the final six weeks, but both contests came with Sam LaPorta sidelined.”

“Jameson Williams (WR – DET) “ Jameson Williams has probably been my most frequently drafted player. Don’t write off Williams’ late-season surge in 2025 as a byproduct of TE Sam LaPorta ‘s back injury.”

“Jameson Williams (WR – DET) | Over 1,028 Receiving Yards + Over 208.4 Fantasy Points We close out our recommendations with a player who’s sure to be completely overlooked because of his name rather than his production. Jameson Williams finished last season with 65 receptions and turned that into 1,100 yards.”