Bengals vs. Titans Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins

Welcome to our Bengals vs. Titans fantasy football start 'em, sit' em matchups analysis article for Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans

Spread: Bengals -2.5
Implied Total: Bengals (21.75) vs. Titans (19.25)
Pace: Bengals (9th) vs. Titans (30th)
Bengals Off. DVOA: -13.0% Pass (26th), -7.7% Rush (15th)
Titans Off. DVOA: -30.0% Pass (31st), -12.6% Rush (24th)
Bengals Def. DVOA: 2.7% Pass (16th), 12.8% Rush (28th)
Titans Def. DVOA: 27.9% Pass (26th), -42.2% Rush (3rd)

Matchups We Love

Bengals WRs

After two stressful weeks for Ja'Marr Chase managers, he finally rewarded those who spent a top-five draft pick on him. He was back to his dominant ways, earning 15 targets and seemingly open at all times. It was reassuring for his value moving forward, securing him as a must-start. Tee Higgins has somehow caught only 36% of Joe Burrow's passes through three weeks.

CAREER HIGH 12 RECEPTIONS FOR JA’MARR CHASE🔥 pic.twitter.com/yYmxKtIkvF

— ShowMeNumbas (@showmenumbas) September 26, 2023

It's unfathomable that two players with their connection and capability cannot seem to get on the same page. It's made for a rough ride, but he's averaging over nine targets per game. Plus, he gets the Tennessee secondary this week. You have to go back to the well.

Matchups We Hate

Joe Mixon (RB, CIN)

Mixon's struggled as a runner for much of the past two seasons, but his receiving role and red zone opportunities kept him afloat. The targets weren't there on Monday, but he did find pay dirt. Against arguably the league's best run defense, it's going to be a long day. He'll need to either score or see a bump in targets to maintain his top-24 value.

Titans Passing Attack 

Cleveland is the No. 1 defense in the NFL right now, so blaming Ryan Tannehill for posting a dud last week is a bit unfair. That said, the passing attack hasn't been effective all season. The only player you can trust here is DeAndre Hopkins, and even he's riskier than ever. The ankle injury has caused him to miss a ton of practice, so he's likely played at less than 100 percent health. We'll monitor the injury report this week and proceed from there. He's a top-24 wideout at best, but more likely to be in the top 36.

UPDATE: Burks is out, while Hopkins is in. He practiced in full for the first time since the injury, which is great news for his potential to soak up targets.

Treylon Burks Ruled Out For Week 4 https://t.co/BLdtwnLqdM

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 29, 2023

Other Matchups

Joe Burrow (QB, CIN)

Burrow gutted out a win to save the Bengals' season. That might be a little hyperbolic, but it's not far from the truth. He was clearly laboring, and barely able to roll out or escape the pocket. His 5.3 yards per attempt is further evidence that he did not want to get hit. Thankfully, the Titans are a pass-funnel defense that shuts down the run. It doesn't mean Burrow immediately bounces back to top-10 numbers, but it's enough to look his way depending on your other options. He has practiced in full this week, which is a positive sign for his calf.

Derrick Henry (RB, TEN)

Whether because of the toe injury or just the talent of Tyjae Spears, this is more of a committee than we're used to. Henry still has more rushing attempts (51-15), but Spears has the edge in routes run (45-27), targets (10-5), and receptions (7-5). He also has the same number of forced tackles with a higher elusive rating and yards per carry.

It's possible some of this can be attributed to matchups. We know the Saints and Browns are tough against the run, and the Chargers are easier to attack through the air. It's also partially because the team has been trailing frequently. It's possible the decline of Henry is coming, but I wouldn't close the case on that just yet. The Bengals were gashed on the ground during the first two weeks, so Henry's performance this week will be telling. For now, he drops outside the top 10.

Notable Injuries

Treylon Burks (knee)
Irv Smith Jr. (hamstring)

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