CINCINNATI (vs. Min.)
Minnesota's defense was a disaster last year, ranking in the bottom 5 in both yards and points allowed. But the Bengals might be getting them a year too late. The Vikings have re-worked their roster ...

... and Mike Zimmer is very good on that side of the ball. Each of his previous six teams ranked in the top 11 in scoring defense, and two thirds of those teams ranked in the top half dozen. Unlikely, we think, that a flawed Cincinnati offense opens with average numbers. ... Joe Burrow should eventually develop into an above-average quarterback, but unlikely it happens right away. He's still trying to get his confidence and timing back, and this looks like the kind of defense that could fluster him, with plenty of interior blitzes. Burrow averaged 269 passing yards in his 10 starts last year, but with him getting hit too much and trying to get his rhythm back, unlikely they rely heavily on that

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kind of offense, with him operating as a point guard in spread formations. For now, we're viewing him as a second quarterbacking option (ideally a player who's on the bench rather than in the starting lineup). The Vikings allowed an average of 267 passing yards last year, with 30 TD passes, but they'll be better than that; they allowed 15 and 23 TD passes the previous two seasons. ... JaMarr Chase was probably the first Cincinnati receiver selected in most fantasy drafts, and maybe he gets to that point before long. But we're ranking him as their No. 3 guy for now. He was a disaster in the preseason, dropping 4 of the 5 passes thrown his way. He's seemingly pressing, and they've got to figure out how best to use him. They've got a pair of other wide receivers who are both really good, so reasonable to expect they'll be better than Chase in September. Tyler Boyd has averaged 82 catches in his last three seasons; he's very good in the slot. And Tee Higgins was very good at times as a rookie, averaging 5 catches for 93 yards in his last six games with Joe Burrow at quarterback. At 6-foot-4, Higgins is 4 inches taller than Chase, perhaps making him more effective at coming down with contested balls downfield. Chase was good on those throws in college, but NFL defensive backs are bigger and faster. ... In his two years as a starter for Zac Taylor, Joe Mixon has averaged 71 rushing and 19 receiving yards in 22 games, with 12 TDs. Decent production, but the hope is that they'll feed him more carries, making life easier for Burrow. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. Minnesota had a bad run defense last year (only five teams allowed more rushing yards) but it ranked 13th and 15th the previous two seasons, which is probably more in line with what the Bengals will see on Sunday. ... Tight end C.J. Uzomah probably isn't rostered in most fantasy leagues, and that's fair, with him being a modest talent coming off reconstructive knee surgery. But Uzomah caught 4 passes in both of his games last year, including a touchdown. If he comes out performing at something close to that level, it won't be long before he's being considered a top-25 player at his position. ... We're putting a modest grade on Evan McPherson. He's a rookie, so he's got to show he can handle the pressure of kicking on the big stage. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but many first-year kickers before him have flamed out less than a month into the season, with teams getting nervous after a couple of early misses. And this matchup isn't necessarily great. The Vikings allowed 147 points to opposing kickers last year (2nd-most in the league) but their defense looks improved, while the Bengals look like they might struggle early on offense. ... The Bengals Defense should be at least somewhat better this year. It could hardly be worse (it had only 17 sacks all of last year). So expectations should be modest. But this matchup looks slightly above average. Kirk Cousins is a veteran quarterback, but he's working behind a lesser offensive line. He took 39 sacks last year, with 13 interceptions.