Joe Burrow
vs Jaylen Warren

“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.”

“Jaylen Warren Has a Ceiling Warren entered Sunday with 150 scrimmage yards through two games, then delivered 176 against CIN. His 49 receiving yards remind us he has multiple ways to produce when PIT cooperates. Even ole’ A A Ron looked like a HOF QB.”

“Jaylen Warren, who was limited in practice, is listed as questionable but is expected to play. With Dowdle out, Warren is set to be a bell cow in the Steelers offense. He has only seen a 56.4% opportunity share thus far, which likely climbs toward the 75% threshold with Dowdle out.”

“Warren’s matchup this week is against an improved Cincy run defense that, at best, is a neutral matchup, but I’m more worried about the matchup. Warren will need volume to overcome it, and he’ll likely get the touch count to do so. Cincy has allowed the 13th-lowest explosive run rate while having the second-highest rate of contacting backs at or behind the line of scrimmage.”

“The Pittsburgh offense has been dysfunctional this season, but Warren could be a frequent checkdown option for immobile 42-year-old QB Aaron Rodgers . Warren would also get the vast majority of Pittsburgh’s rushing attempts, and he’s been an efficient, underrated runner throughout his career. Quinshon Judkins has had 12 carries in each of his first two games and hasn’t had a run of 10 or more yards.”

““ Jaylen Warren has potential to be a full-on bust this upcoming Sunday. The Steelers offense looks horrendous, and the Bengals look like the real deal with a much improved defensive front line with the addition of Dexter Lawrence this offseason.”

“Meanwhile, Warren was far more efficient with his limited time on the field, leading the backfield in carries (10 to 8), rushing yards (46 to 15), and total opportunities (16 to 13). However, the broader concern here is the environment. Pittsburgh looks poised to remain a low-scoring offense.”

“I don’t know if Jaylen Warren is the handcuff in Pittsburgh, but he is a better fit for the offense than Rico Dowdle . He earned more touches, and until the Steelers get their offensive line issues straightened out, they won’t be able to run inside. Warren gives Pittsburgh more in the passing game, and his outside runs are where the Steelers need to attack at the moment.”

“Warren played 36.8% of the snaps, got 55.2% of the backfield opportunities, and had a 15% target share, scoring 10.3 PPR points with a lost fumble.”

“Warren already has three seasons under his belt with 300+ receiving yards, a threshold Dowdle has never touched. The Verdict: In Full PPR, fire up Jaylen Warren for the pass-catching floor. In Half-PPR / Standard fantasy leagues, I lean Rico Dowdle for the early-down volume and TD potential.”

“Jaylen Warren is my pick to be a league-winning running back in 2026. He finished as the RB18 in fantasy points per game last season while ranking sixth in missed-tackle rate, ninth in yards after contact per attempt, and third among running backs in yards per route run.”