Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) put in a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the final injury report. We’re not expecting the calf to be a factor in Sunday’s opener vs. the Browns.

The Bengals and QB Joe Burrow have agreed to a 5-year, $275 million extension with $219 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It makes Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history. The Bengals will now turn their attention to locking up Burrow's top two WRs. Tee Higgins is entering the final year of his deal, while Ja'Marr Chase becomes eligible for an extension next offseason.

Colts RB Zack Moss (forearm) put in a limited practice on Wednesday. He's expected to be ready for this weekend's game vs. the Jaguars, working in a 3-RB committee alongside Deon Jackson and Evan Hull.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. It's just more confirmation that he'll be ready to go for this weekend's opener vs. the Browns.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) is "trending toward playing" vs. the Browns this weekend. That's been the consensus reporting on the situation lately. More importantly, Rapoport adds that the Bengals "wanted to get to a point where there will be no issues going forward, and it seems that's where the Bengals are." So it sounds like the calf should not be a problem for Burrow going forward.

"All signs point to" Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) playing vs. the Browns this weekend, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says. "This has been heading in the right direction for a while," Rapoport adds. We'll get Cincinnati's first official practice report of the season on Wednesday, and we'll keep you updated on Burrow's status. But he can be penciled into Week 1 fantasy lineups.

Colts RB Zack Moss (arm) returned to practice on Monday, per HC Shane Steichen, putting him on track to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Jaguars. Moss had been sidelined since breaking his arm in late July, so it's unclear how much work he'll be ready for. RBs Deon Jackson and Evan Hull will also be dressed for the Jonathan Taylor-less Colts. “I think it’s running back-by-committee,” Steichen said. “Whoever’s got the hot hand, let ‘em ride a little bit.” This is a backfield to avoid in Week 1 fantasy lineups.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) had a "really good day" on Monday, HC Zac Taylor said. "It was encouraging to see." Taylor would not yet say that Burrow will be ready for this weekend's opener against the Browns, but it's clearly trending in that direction. "Continuing to take it day to day right now," Taylor added. We'll get Cincinnati's first official injury report of the season on Wednesday.

Colts HC Shane Steichen said Thursday that he "hopes" RB Zack Moss (arm) is available by Week 1. Moss broke his arm on July 31 and was expected to miss about six weeks. Indianapolis' season opener on September 10 is right at the six-week mark. We'll see if Moss gets on the practice field next week. The Athletic's James Boyd said last week that a healthy Moss is the "likely" starter as long as RB Jonathan Taylor is out. Evan Hull and Deon Jackson are the only other RBs on the active

Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) has been limited to 7-on-7 work since returning to practice on Wednesday. “He’s not doing a ton,” OC Brian Callahan admitted “We’re still being real cautious about having people around him and having him have to react with the burst and the suddenness that could come up in a team period. I think he wants (to do) as much as possible. We’re just trying to be smart about when and where those things occur until he’s fully good to go.” Callahan added, though, that Burrow remains on track to play in the season opener. “You can tell he’s in shape, and his arm’s in shape, and his timing is good ... I think he’s in a good place, and we’ve got a good plan in place for him to get ready for Week 1."

Bengals QB Joe Burrow was on the practice field on Wednesday for the first time since hurting his calf on July 27. Burrow has been expected to be ready for Week 1 all along, and all reports on his recovery has been positive. Burrow has about a week-and-a-half to get ready for Cincinnati's opener vs. the Browns. We're projecting him to be a full-go for that one.

The Athletic's James Boyd calls RB Zack Moss the Colts' "likely" starter once he's recovered from his broken arm. That's, of course, if RB Jonathan Taylor isn't in the picture. Boyd also writes that RB Evan Hull "could be poised for more snaps alongside [QB Anthony] Richardson" after a strong August. It was RB Deon Jackson who got the start in Indianapolis' final preseason game, so this remains a murky situation. Hull is the most intriguing target at the very end of fantasy drafts, although Moss is worth considering, too.

On Tuesday, the Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that he projects Bengals RB Chris Evans as the team's starting passing-downs back. Fellow Bengals RBs Chase Brown and Trayveon Williams appear on this list as backups. Dehner Jr. adds that Evans has "shown well in pass protection and improved running the ball downhill" compared to last preseason. Evans seizing this role would make him the replacement for Samaje Perine, now with the Broncos, and bring his fantasy appeal up to the level of a late-round PPR target in deeper leagues. We'll be sure to keep track of this RB2 battle as the preseason comes to an end. See where these Bengals' backs sit in our current RB rankings.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki (shoulder) returned to practice on Tuesday. He wore a red, non-contact jersey. The former Dolphin isn’t someone we’re counting on for anything close to TE1 production. Hunter Henry, who made our list of undervalued fantasy football players, is the TE target in New England.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday of QB Joe Burrow, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport: "He looks great. Physically walking around, he looks as good as he's ever looked." Rather than wonder why Burrow doesn't commonly look better walking around, we'll choose to take this as a big positive on his recovery from the calf strain. Burrow continues to trend toward being ready for Week 1. See where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner projects Bengals RB Chris Evans as the “passing-down starter.” He’s taken advantage of missed time from RB Trayveon Williams (ankle). Per Dehner: “The story of the third-down job has been dominated by the rise of Evans. He’s shown well in pass protection and improved running the ball downhill over last year’s disappointing preseason to become the frontrunner with Williams sidelined.” Current Bronco Samaje Perine ran 239 routes for the Bengals last year and turned them into 38 receptions. We’re not forecasting that type of role for Evans right now. But the third-year back -- with high-end athleticism — is a name to monitor in deep PPR setups.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki suffered a "mild" dislocated shoulder in Monday's practice, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "While nothing is given, the hope is he’s back for Week 1 despite the AC joint injury," Rapoport adds. We're not adjusting Gesicki's projections for now but will keep a close eye on his recovery from this injury.

Patriots “TE“ Mike Gesicki went down with an unspecified injury in one-on-one drills Monday, according to Zack Cox of NESN. Gesicki reportedly needed help off the field and did not return. We’ll watch for more specifics.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow had a throwing session prior to Friday night's preseason game for the first time since he strained his right calf July 27. "I think things are good and he's progressing as he should," HC Zac Taylor said. Burrow is expected to be ready for the Bengals' regular-season opener vs. the Browns on September 10.

It's been a "tough first two weeks of camp" for Patriots TE Mike Gesicki, The Athletic's Chad Graff writes. "He has not been frequently targeted in drills and has made little impact when targeted," Graff adds. He concludes point blankly that, "Hunter Henry is TE1 over Mike Gesicki." That's especially noteworthy considering Gesicki still sits ahead of Henry in most ADP data. That's not the case in our 2023 TE Rankings.