CB Trae Waynes (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Bears.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense bent but didn't break in Week 1, allowing 336 passing yards and 403 total yards but just 24 points. It even provided some fantasy utility with a fumble recovery and three sacks. There's some upside against the Bears in Week 2 regardless of who's under center, as their already putrid offensive line is banged up now. There's certainly risk without Waynes in the fold, but Bengals D/ST could be a contrarian DFS play.

CB Trae Waynes (hamstring) has been ruled out for the season opener against the Vikings.

Analysis: Waynes is the team's best cornerback, and his absence could be tough to overcome with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen coming to town. Eli Apple -- who has been up and down since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2016 -- is expected to start in Waynes' place. Even if their stout defensive line holds its own against RB Dalvin Cook, the Bengals D/ST simply doesn't have the juice to be counted on in Week 1.

The Bengals are expected to start DEs Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson and DTs D.J. Reader and Larry Ogunjobi on the defensive line in 2021.

Analysis: The Bengals have invested significant cash in their defensive line to help compete in the trenches of the rugged AFC North. While Hubbard and Hendrickson should both give a strong push on the edges, it remains to be seen how the Bengals' secondary shapes up. CBs Trae Waynes, Chidobe Awuzie, Eli Apple and Mike Hilton are all considered sturdy, but only Waynes has shutdown upside. There could be some growing pains; fantasy managers should avoid the headache here.

The Bengals finished 32nd in the league last year with 17 sacks.

Analysis: Nothing went right for the Bengals last year. CB Trae Waynes didn't play a snap due to a pectoral injury. Sam Hubbard produced just two sacks -- a career-worst. Trading away Carlos Dunlap midseason certainly didn't do the Bengals any favors, though, and now they let DE Carl Lawson walk in free agency. While they brought in Trey Hendrickson -- who registered 13.5 sacks last year -- on a four-year, $60 million deal, there's no guarantee he's the upgrade they need. After all, he posted just 6.5…read more

The Bengals signed CBs Chidobe Awuzie, Eli Apple and Mike Hilton ahead of the 2021 season.

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The Bengals let up 488 total yards and forced a turnover in the 37-31 win over the Texans in Week 17.

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The Bengals allowed 244 total yards and forced three turnovers in the 27-17 win over the Steelers.

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The Bengals allowed 272 total yards and didn't force a turnover in the 30-7 loss to the Cowboys in Week 14.

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The Bengals allowed 401 total yards and forced a turnover in the 34-17 loss to the Ravens in Week 13.

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The Bengals let up 386 total yards and forced a turnover in the 19-17 loss to the Giants in Week 12.

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The Bengals allowed 325 total yards and forced a turnover in the 20-9 loss to Washington in Week 11.

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The Bengals allowed 377 total yards and didn't record a turnover in the 36-10 loss to the Steelers in Week 10.

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The Bengals allowed 441 total yards and forced a turnover in the 31-20 win over Tennessee in Week 9.

Analysis: The Bengals surprisingly kept the Titans in check and got a signature win out of the deal while extending their turnover streak to seven games. Still, they have no business as a fantasy defense against the Steelers, who are undefeated and average 29.4 points per game. However, Ben Roethlisberger is on the reserve/COVID-19 list and is in danger of missing Week 10 if he tests positive. And if that happens, all bets are off with Mason Rudolph under center. Rudolph tossed nine interceptions in 10…read more

The Bengals allowed 398 total yards and forced a turnover in a 37-34 loss to the Browns in Week 7.

Analysis: It was another brutal outing for the Bengals' defense, as it failed to take down Baker Mayfield and is now ranked 24th in the league with just 10 sacks through seven games. The team now traded away Carlos Dunlap, who had just one sack but it a constant threat for opposing quarterbacks. The unit's Week 8 matchup against Tennessee isn't one fantasy managers want to target, as the Titans average 31.3 points per game and have turned the ball over just three times this year.

The Bengals allowed 430 total yards and forced two turnovers in a 31-27 loss to the Colts in Week 6.

Analysis: The Bengals defense has been recorded seven turnovers and 11 sacks this season, which barely keeps it as a positive fantasy contributor. A Week 7 matchup against the Browns is intriguing, though, as QB Baker Mayfield didn't look like himself last week as he battled through a rib injury that isn't going away anytime soon. RB Nick Chubb (knee) is still out of the picture, too, while RB Kareem Hunt has averaged just 3.4 yards per carry over the last two contests. There's some upside for Bengals…read more

The Bengals let up 332 yards and forced a turnover in a 27-3 win over the Ravens in Week 5.

Analysis: The Bengals predictably struggled against the Ravens, and one turnover and one sack weren't enough to salvage their fantasy day. They lost more than just a game, too, as DT D.J. Reader (quadriceps) was placed on IR and is expected to be out for the season. It's encouraging that they got Geno Atkins back, but it's just another knock on a run defense that has allowed 5.2 yards per carry this year -- the third most in the league. Their Week 6 opponent -- the Colts -- run the ball a ton despite not…read more

The Bengals allowed 429 total yards and forced a turnover in a 33-25 win over the Jaguars in Week 4.

Analysis: The Bengals would benefit greatly if DT Geno Atkins (shoulder) returns to action in Week 5, but that's still up in the air. If he does, it'll help contain the Ravens' third-ranked rushing offense (161 rushing yards per game). However, there are still pressing issues in the Bengals' pass defense, and the defensive group as a whole has a low upside with just four turnovers this season. QB Lamar Jackson is generally safe with the ball, and although he gets sacked quite a bit, his arms and legs can…read more

The Bengals allowed 381 total yards and forced two turnovers in Week 3's 23-23 tie with the Eagles.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense has been decent so far this season, allowing an average of 24.6 points per game and forcing three turnovers, but the competition has been underwhelming. The Jaguars aren't necessarily a threatening offense, but they did beat the Colts to start the season while putting up 30 points against the Titans in Week 2. It's possible that their downfall in Week 3 against the Dolphins is attributed to the Thursday night game and the absence of D.J. Chark (chest), but Chark may be back…read more

The Bengals allowed 434 total yards and forced a turnover in Week 2's 35-30 loss to the Browns.

Analysis: QB Baker Mayfield looked pretty good against the Bengals, throwing for 219 yards, two TDs and an INT. However, the Browns' ground game fueled their success, as the RB tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined 234 total yards. Eagles RB Miles Sanders has a similar skill set to Chubb, and he could be in for a big day if DT Geno Atkins (shoulder) can't play again. DT Mike Daniels could patch up Atkins' absence, but it's not a favorable matchup regardless. Leaves Bengals D/ST off your roster in…read more

The Bengals allowed 16 points and 363 total yards to the Chargers in Week 1.

Analysis: The Bengals kept opponents to 16 or fewer points just twice in 2019, but they held their own against the Chargers, who had an uninspiring Tyrod Taylor under center. The team was decent against the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry to running backs, and they were able to sack Taylor three times. Meanwhile, Browns QB Baker Mayfield was dropped just twice on 41 dropbacks by a much tougher Ravens' pass rush in Week 1. Thursday's game is expected to favor the Browns, though, so they may lean heavily…read more

The Bengals will host the Chargers in Week 1.

Analysis: The Bengals invested in their defense this offseason by signing CB Trae Waynes, CB Mackensie Alexander and S Vonn Bell, but Waynes is on IR with a pectoral injury while Alexander missed a good chunk of training camp for personal reasons. There are question marks on the defense, but those are matched by the Chargers' offense, as QB Tyrod Taylor will be under center for the first time in two years. Taylor is a running QB who may not check down to RB Austin Ekeler as much as Philip Rivers, did,…read more

The Bengals allowed 26.3 points per game (25th) and posted 31 sacks (26th) in 2019.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense suffered from the offense's turnover issues -- it turned the ball over 30 times -- but this unit had plenty of issues in both pass coverage and by allowing 149 rushing yards per contest. The addition of QB Joe Burrow should help in the turnover department since he threw just 11 interceptions over his last 28 games at LSU, but their defense made modest improvements as well. They signed CB Trae Waynes -- who will miss most of the season with a torn pectoral muscle -- to a…read more

The Bengals allowed 38 points and 502 total yards to the Dolphins in Week 16's overtime loss.

Analysis: The Bengals couldn't pick up any fantasy viability, as they forced just one turnover and sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick twice. The Browns' offense has been flaky lately, but it has also been turnover prone with seven over the past four games while Baker Mayfield has been sacked eight times in that stretch, but five came against the Steelers. It's a high-risk unit with two teams that have nothing to play for, and it doesn't appear worth a DFS stream.

The Bengals allowed 34 points and 291 total yards to the Patriots in Week 15's loss.

Analysis: The Bengals' defense wasn't entirely to blame, as Andy Dalton threw a pick-six as well. In fact, the Bengals have shown some potential lately, holding the Raiders, Steelers and Jets under 17 points each, combining for 10 sacks and three turnovers in that stretch. The Dolphins are on par with that trio, as Ryan Fitzpatrick is sacked on 8.1 percent of dropbacks and throws a pick on 2.9 percent of attempts -- both are the eighth-most in the league. Let's be clear, this is a high-risk unit, and…read more

The Bengals allowed 27 points and 333 total yards to the Browns in Week 14's loss.

Analysis: They also forced two turnovers -- their third multi-turnover performance of the year. However, any upside is essentially extinguished against the Patriots, as Tom Brady is sacked on just 4.4 percent of dropbacks (fifth) while throwing a pick on 1.3 percent of passes (seventh). The Patriots still have struggled offensively lately, but without a reward on the other side, it's not worth taking on this risk.

The Bengals held the Jets to six points and 271 total yards in Week 13's win,

Analysis: The Bengals' defense has featured some semblance of life lately by holding the Raiders, Steelers and Jets below 20 points each. There's not much of fantasy upside, as the unit ranks 30th in both sacks (20) and turnovers (10). The Browns, on the other hand, don't offer a favorable matchup with their considerable amount of weapons and just three turnovers over the past five weeks. Sure, they would've been a reasonable pickup over the past three contests, but this is the playoffs. Don't go…read more

The Bengals allowed 16 points and forced a turnover in Week 11's loss to the Steelers.

Analysis: Keeping Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges to just 16 points is nothing to hang your hat on, and the Bengals will now host the red-hot Jets. QB Sam Darnold has led the charge with 9.4 YPA and a 7:1 TD:INT ratio over the last four games, as the Jets have put up 34 points in each effort. Darnold was sacked five times during that stretch, and the Jets coughed up the football just three times. The Jets actually looks legit after a horrid start, and the Bengals lack upside to make them a worthy stream,…read more

The Bengals forced two turnovers and held the Raiders to 17 points in Week 11's loss.

Analysis: This was Cincinnati's best defensive performance of the year, as it held an opponent under 20 points for the first time while posting its first multi-turnover outing since Week 3. Steelers QB Mason Rudolph has struggled lately, and now he'll be without center Maurkice Pouncey (suspension) while top receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion/knee) and Diontae Johnson (concussion) have uncertain statuses for this contest. Rudolph has been irresponsible with the ball this year, throwing eight…read more

The Bengals forced a turnover in Week 10's 49-13 loss to the Ravens.

Analysis: The Bengals have let up at least 21 points in every game this season, and there ceiling provides little to no reward for taking this risk, as they've made 10 sacks and forced seven turnovers over nine games. It doesn't help that they're rolling out rookie QB Ryan Finley under center, and he accounted for two of three turnovers during the loss to the Ravens. There's no sign of this unit getting better, and it's allowed a league-high 173.0 YPG on the ground. That won't cut it against Raiders' RB…read more