The Bengals’ vanilla preseason defense drew a D, even as Burrow and Chase flashed their usual big-play chemistry. Cincinnati surrendered touchdowns to Eagles backups and Commanders starters and backups in short, 75-yard to 74-yard marches, underscoring the defense’s lingering warts. Coach Zac Taylor notes progress in practice as the staff teases a fuller playbook for the regular season, with Logan Wilson saying only a sliver of looks were used in August. The real test arrives next Sunday, and fantasy managers should lean on the explosive offense while eyeing matchup-driven defensive risk.

Fantasy takeaway: Burrow and Chase remain top-tier bets, but the defense’s fragility could cap overall upside if game scripts tilt shootouts. Target volume and efficiency on offense matter more than ever, while streaming Bengals defenders becomes a risk-reward proposition depending on opponent and pace.