Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 15th, 2024, 4:25 ET
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Network: CBS
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: Start, QB1
After a tumultuous Week 1 and ensuing questions about water bottle gate, Joe Burrow just barely cracks our QB1 range, sliding in at QB12 for Week 2. There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Burrow’s Week 1 performance, but it’s worth noting that he both faced an elite Patriots defense and was given only a rusty Ja’Marr Chase to throw the ball to with Tee Higgins sidelined. Burrow has played some of his best ball in Arrowhead and could rebound in a big way in one of Sunday’s premier matchups. I won’t blame you for looking elsewhere in Week 2, but Burrow deserves the benefit of the doubt for at least one more week.
Running Back
Zack Moss: Sit, RB4
Chase Brown: Sit, RB4
One prominent backfield debate of the offseason was who the Bengals RB to own would be: would it be the veteran Zack Moss or the rising second-year option in Chase Brown? As it turns out, the answer for the time is… neither. Moss appeared to “win” the backfield in Week 1, logging 9 carries to Brown’s 3 and dominating the goal line work, but the situation as a whole is still too murky to draw any reasonable conclusions. Moss’ value as a starter is volume-based, and that volume is less likely to be there in what should be a negative game script on the road. These backs should be held, not started, while the backfield split (and the Bengals offense as a whole) figures itself out.
Wide Receiver
Ja’Marr Chase: Start, WR1
Tee Higgins: FLEX Option
Andrei Iosivas: Sit
After a saga of contract disputes, fantasy managers breathed a collective sigh of relief as Ja’Marr Chase took the field in Week 1. Chase seemed understandably rusty after not practicing all summer but still profiles as a clear-cut Top-10 option thanks to his talent and prolific role in the offense. While Tee Higgins‘ status is up in the air for Week 2, it seems less likely he’ll suit up for this game after missing practice on Wednesday. If he plays, he’d be an iffy FLEX option in his first game action of the year. Whether Higgins plays or not, Andre Iosivas should remain on your benches in all but deep leagues, and even then should only be started in Higgins’ absence. There are simply too many other options at the position.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki: Sit
Mike Gesicki is must-see TV every time he scores a touchdown thanks to his despicably corny touchdown dances. He is not a must-start option at the tight end position.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes: Start, QB1
Patrick Mahomes rounds out our top tier of QBs as our QB5 this week. Mahomes won’t often finish as the weekly QB1 due to his lower rushing ceiling, but he’s as reliable an option as we’ve ever seen at the position. If you have Mahomes, you’re starting him — some decisions don’t need much thought.
Running Back
Isiah Pacheco: Start, RB1
Samaje Perine: Sit
Carson Steele: Sit
The Ravens managed to stifle Isiah Pacheco from an efficiency standpoint in Week 1, but the world’s angriest runner still managed to find the end zone and displayed a complete command of the Chiefs’ backfield. Pacheco had 15 carries, while no other Chiefs player had more than 2, and he also had the most targets of all Kansas City backs with 3. Samaje Perine figures to chip into that number as he learns the offense, but Pacheco is the only start-worthy player in this backfield. This week, he gets a Bengals front seven that was just eviscerated by Rhamondre Stevenson. Start Pacheco with confidence.
Wide Receiver
Rashee Rice: Start, WR1
Xavier Worthy: Start, WR3/FLEX
Hollywood Brown: Sit
Both Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy displayed their fantasy value in Week 1, but they did so in completely different ways. While Rice functioned as the target hog, absorbing balls over the middle of the field, Worthy functioned as the big-play threat that so many believed he could be in this offense. Rice is undoubtedly the more reliable play and possesses high upside, as there’s no way that Worthy can maintain the scoring efficiency he did in Week 1. Worthy’s boom-bust profile and big-play ability in the offense he plays in makes him a fine FLEX, even if the floor is low on a weekly basis. There’s a strong chance Hollywood Brown still misses this one as he works back from a shoulder injury, but even if he suits up, he should remain on your benches as he likely handles a limited workload.
Tight End
Travis Kelce: Start, TE1
It’s no secret that we’re no longer dealing with the Travis Kelce of yesteryear, as Father Time appears to be catching up to one of the best positional cheat codes of the past decade. Still, Kelce’s track record and chemistry with Mahomes means he’s a no-brainer TE1 until we see a sustained trend of a (very) diminished role.