Ja’Marr Chase stands as the fulcrum of a bold, high-upside draft plan for 10-team, single-QB, PPR leagues. With Cincinnati keeping its offensive core intact, Chase’s top-3 floor and elite ceiling feel safe enough to lock him as the opening pick, while the blueprint stresses loading elite quarterback and tight end early to maximize weekly upside. The strategy then pivots to stacking running backs and wide receivers in the mid-to-late rounds, chasing high-upside darts at receiver and back half of the draft to balance risk and reward.

The guide traverses round-by-round targets, highlighting Chase, then naming top QB/TE pairs to secure in early picks before the slate tightens. It emphasizes sustained pass-friendly environments, injury risk considerations, and the importance of environment when projecting rookie or second-year talents. It also frames late-round lottery tickets—think explosive WRs and RBs with clear paths to volume—as essential ballast for a competitive roster in redraft, PPR settings.

Dalton Risner is weighing a Steelers offer after visits with the Bengals and Seahawks, with a potential stop in Pittsburgh on the table before a decision. Risner brings 81 starts in 87 games and significant interior versatility, a big boost if his evaluation tilts toward the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s interior line has been shuffling, especially with Isaac Seumalo's back issues keeping him limited. If Seumalo can’t go Week 1, Max Scharping or Andrus Peat would be the likely Week 1 starters, heightening the importance of Risner’s decision.

RISNER’s choice could hinge on contract terms and the fit with PIT’s blocking scheme, especially as the team monitors Seumalo’s true availability. The situation tightens the Steelers’ depth at guard/center and could impact run-blocking and pass protection early in the season. The market remains fluid as Risner evaluates offers and PIT weighs health, cap, and long-term plan for a line that could push Pittsburgh toward a more stable, productive offense in 2025.

Dalton Risner is weighing NFL suitors after working out for Cincinnati and planning visits to Seattle and possibly Pittsburgh. At 30, Risner has started 62 games for Denver and spent the last two seasons with Minnesota, drawing interest from the Vikings again. Cincinnati’s interior line has been hit by injuries this preseason, spotlighting Risner as a potential upgrade at guard. The Bengals, Seahawks, and Steelers are among teams in play, while Denver was mentioned only as Risner’s original landing place in his draft year.

For fantasy players, Risner’s signing would likely stabilize Burrow’s pocket and improve the Bengals’ ground game, especially if Cordell Volson remains limited by injury. If Risner signs elsewhere, the impact shifts to the recruiting team’s depth chart and run-blocking schemes. Risner’s versatility—guard by trade—gives teams a flexible upgrade and could alter snap shares among Bengals guards, with immediate ripple effects across fantasy lines for surrounding skill players.

Additionally, Risner’s public openness to multiple visits signals a patient FA process, keeping the Bengals’ offense in a holding pattern until a decision lands. A Risner-Bengals union would also squeeze Jalen Rivers’s rookie opportunities, while a Seahawks or Steelers move could reframe those offenses’ interior protection expectations. The Denver Broncos drafted Risner in 2019, a reminder of the guard’s proven durability and consistency across the position.

Cincinnati’s preseason run defense has fans and fantasy managers buzzing. A woeful six carries for chunks of yardage on a single first-quarter drive, plus a nose-dive in the run game against Washington and Philadelphia, spotlight talent gaps after Jessie Bates III’s exit and a shift away from top defensive free agents. The front office’s plan to build the line through the draft is getting questioned, and Al Golden’s praise can’t mask a talent deficit that looks clear in the run game.

With Trey Hendrickson expected to bolster the pass rush, the Bengals’ defense still isn’t cured of the run-attack headaches. Opponents from the Browns to Detroit and beyond could lean on the ground, especially early in the season. The must-win opener in Cleveland looms as a real test, and fantasy managers should rethink streaming defenses against Cincinnati until the unit proves it can stop the run consistently.

In fantasy terms, this isn’t a slam-dunk defense play until the run defense shows improvement. Hendrickson remains a solid sack source, but the run defense remains the Achilles’ heel that could put a dent in regulatory week-to-week upside. The piece flags a season where the offense may have to carry more weight in winning games, and the defense’s ability to limit opponents on the ground could dictate the Bengals’ ceiling this year.