The Bengals head to Cleveland as 3.5 road favorites. Ja’Marr Chase has already been ruled out and is expected to miss four to six weeks with a hip injury. Expect an uptick in usage from the remaining Bengals’ offensive weapons. The Bengals will pose a difficult obstacle as the Browns try to break a four-game losing streak. Without further ado, this is the Week 8 MNF Showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns!
Bengals vs Browns Odds:
Bengals -3.5 (-105)
Over/Under 45.5 (-108/112)
Moneyline Bengals -178/Browns +150
The Bengals
Albeit with a completely healthy receiving corps, Burrow has recorded back-to-back weeks as fantasy’s best quarterback. The loss of stud wideout Ja’Marr Chase will undoubtedly limit Joe Burrow‘s ceiling but shouldn’t scare off fantasy gamers. Burrow remains a strong option against a Browns team with whom he’s had past success. Last season, Burrow eclipsed 300 Passing Yards and three Passing Touchdowns in each meeting with the team. Burrow remains a quality option even without his best weapon.
Rushing and Receiving
Joe Mixon Advanced Stats & Metrics
The best spot to consider lies in the Bengals rushing attack, led by Joe Mixon. The Browns have hemorrhaged fantasy points to enemy running backs this season. Their 23.9 Fantasy Points Allowed per game average is No. 4 most in the league. They rank No. 6 in Rushing Yards Allowed (115 rushing yards per game average) and last in Rushing Touchdowns Allowed (10). Mixon owns a team-high 74-percent Rushing Share and a league-high Red Zone Opportunity Share. Mixon’s expected usage bump and plus matchup solidify him as a top-notch RB1.
Tee Higgins Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Tee Higgins will be the alpha receiver fill-in with Chase out. He’ll have big shoes to fill though, as Chase has impressed with back-to-back weeks as fantasy’s overall WR1. Higgins profiles as a strong volume-driven WR2 play in a game that may be more easily won on the ground. Tyler Boyd will work as the team’s No. 2 receiver but remains in the WR3/4 range for fantasy purposes. Hayden Hurst is the only tight end on the team to record more than two Targets in a game, so if you’re in a pinch, he’s a fine TE2 play but temper expectations.
The Browns
Jacoby Brissett continues to get starts while Deshaun Watson serves his 11-game suspension. While Brissett hasn’t tanked the offensive completely, he’s done little to ignite it. His light rushing chops and average Passing Yards (No. 13 most) puts him in play as a one-game DFS flex or super-flex league option.
Rushing and Receiving
Nick Chubb isn't human 👽 pic.twitter.com/riTr5Pvmza
— PFF (@PFF) October 26, 2022
While Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt continue to split snaps, the former is the running back to target out of this backfield. Chubb has dominated in both Rushing Share (61-percent) and Rushing Yards (740 yards). Hunt’s middling 8.8-percent Target Share makes him an easy fade despite the Browns being expected to play catch-up.
The Browns’ receiving corps faces a better-than-advertised Bengals pass defense. The Bengals’ stout secondary ranks No. 3 best in Wide Receiver Receptions allowed (10 per game) and No. 5 best in Wide Receiver Receiving Yards allowed (131 yards per game average). Of the bunch, Amari Cooper stands out with a respectable 26.5-percent Target Share. Cooper has notched top-10 WR1 weeks twice to start the season but is no more than a WR3 in this spot. Donovan Peoples-Jones has yet to eclipse 74 Receiving Yards and is yet to find the end zone. Harrison Bryant will fill in for the injured David Njoku (ankle) but I have minimal interest in him as a replacement-level tight end.
