Detroit travels to Cincinnati in Week 5 aiming for a fourth straight win as Jake Browning starts for the Bengals with Joe Burrow sidelined. Detroit’s offense has been prolific, while Cincinnati’s attack has stalled without Burrow. Five Free Press writers largely side with the Lions, betting on pressure on Browning and continued scoring surge from Detroit, with the Lions carrying momentum and the Bengals searching for a pulse.

Historical road woes against Cincinnati persist for Detroit, dating back to 1992, yet the prevailing sentiment is that Detroit should extend the trend and capitalize on Cincinnati’s instability. Fantasy angles favor Lions playmakers and any Bengals weapons who can adapt quickly to Browning’s tempo, making this a high-anticipation matchup for reporters and fantasy bettors alike.

Detroit and the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend kicked off in Canton with a Lions-Chargers showcase and a parade of legendary artifacts, including a Lou Creekmur helmet and a Barry Sanders jersey. The spotlight shifted to the Lions’ backfield, where Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery showcased high-ceiling potential and early chemistry, a key fantasy angle for 2025. Inductees like Antonio Gates added historical context to the day.

Fantasy managers should monitor Gibbs’s rookie ceiling alongside Montgomery’s steady floor, as the duo flashed a 2,000+ scrimmage yards and 20 TDs in their first 25 games together. The Hall of Fame ambiance underscored the game’s legacy while spotlighting Detroit’s offensive upside heading into the season.

ESPN faced a rapid-fire backlash after a First Take moment where Monica McNutt mistook Druski’s No. 20 jersey for a Shedeur Sanders reference, only for Druski to correct it as Barry Sanders. The viral clip ignited a broader debate about on-air accuracy, guest vetting, and the network’s approach to culture, DEI policy, and politics in sports coverage. The episode highlighted Lions lore and jersey-number lore—Sanders’ No. 20 versus Shedeur Sanders’ No. 12—and touched on Deion Sanders’ Cowboys legacy as a contrast. Fans called for changes in guest selection and stricter scripting, while some critics used the moment to question ESPN’s hiring philosophies. The fallout has sharpened focus on how national media shapes narratives around NFL teams like Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys, with fantasy-sports readers watching for any ripple effects on coverage and player chatter moving into the season.

Viral moment unfolds when Monica McNutt misidentified a jersey on First Take, linking it to Shedeur Sanders while the guest Druski corrected that it was Barry Sanders’ Lions number 20. The clip sparked a flood of chatter, with Stephen A. Smith quietly watching the chaos. The piece pivots to Shedeur Sanders’ preseason showing, but the viral sting lingers: a media stumble that bleeds into fan perception long after the segment ends. Fantasy readers can note the power of narratives to color optics, even as real-season relevance remains buried in box scores.

For fantasy enthusiasts, the takeaway isn’t about the commentators but about where emphasis lands when rosters and rotations finally unfold. The Browns’ rookie chatter anchors the story to a concrete team decision, while the Barry Sanders moment anchors Lions lore into the broader preseason chatter. Treat the viral moment as a reminder to separate hype from workload, and prioritize actual preseason production when projecting touches and targets for draft season.

Ashton Jeanty’s preseason burst with the Las Vegas Raiders is turning heads and fueling fantasy chatter. A Boise State star who thrived in a big-play role, Jeanty flashed contact balance, vision, and power that belies his Mountain West pedigree. The Raiders drafted him with 2025 in mind, and the early evidence suggests a real NFL ceiling if he wins a meaningful share of carries and occasional red-zone looks. The performance came against prominent competition, underscoring the potential for a versatile rookie heater in Las Vegas’ backfield.

On the first drive, Jeanty delivered a decisive push, shoving a linebacker aside and keeping his balance as tacklers swarmed. The next sequence showed his burst and grit, dragging defenders and finishing with a clean rushing touchdown. Yes, it’s preseason, but the clash with many of San Francisco’s starters and the presence of Robert Saleh on the opposing side amplified the takeaway: Jeanty’s film-grade traits translate to the NFL, and fantasy managers should monitor his role as 2025 approaches.

His loyalty to Boise State and the dramatic leap in production signal a player who isn’t scared of a big stage. If he sustains this level, Jeanty could become a late-round value in dynasty formats and a potential waiver-wire darling in standard leagues as the season unfolds. The Raiders clearly believe in a multi-faceted back with a potential red-zone presence, a profile that could push him into the fantasy spotlight sooner than expected.