Cincinnati Bengals — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

The case for drafting him

The Cincinnati Bengals DST has posted real counting numbers across three seasons. The unit averaged 38 sacks, 15 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, and 8.7 fumble recoveries per year from 2023 through 2025. The 2023 season was the high-water mark: 44 sacks, 17 interceptions, and 9 fumble recoveries. Turnover production has been consistent enough that the unit generates fantasy-relevant plays in most weeks. If you are deep into your draft and need a DST to close out your roster, the Bengals have a track record of creating negative plays for opposing offenses.

What the model projects

The projection is 103.8 half-PPR fantasy points. The draft value is -42.0, placing the Bengals at DST25 and #187 overall in Tier 9. That is a below-replacement-level projection at the DST position in a 12-team half-PPR format. The numbers reflect a unit that has trended in the wrong direction in key areas: sacks fell from 44 in 2023 to 36 in 2024 to 34 in 2025, and points allowed climbed from 384 in 2023 to 434 in 2024 to 492 in 2025. Interceptions also declined from 17 in 2023 to 13 in 2025. The three-year aggregate tells a story of a unit that was stronger earlier in the window than it is now.

The range of outcomes

The Bengals' 2025 points-allowed distribution shows five games surrendering 35 or more points and five games in the 21-27 range, with only four games in the favorable 14-20 band and one game in the 7-13 band. That concentration of high-scoring opponent games is a meaningful drag on weekly fantasy output. The 2023 season, by contrast, had seven games in the 14-20 range and only four in the 28-34 band, with no 35-plus games recorded. The gap between those two seasons illustrates how wide the outcome range can be for this unit depending on schedule and defensive performance. A return toward 2023-level sack and interception totals would push the fantasy floor up; a continuation of the 2025 trend keeps the ceiling low.

How to draft him

The Bengals DST is not being drafted consistently enough across platforms to carry a market ADP. That means there is no pick cost to plan around. At DST25 and #187 overall in Tier 9, this is a late-round or waiver-wire consideration at best. The bye is Week 6, which is early enough that a streaming replacement will be needed. Given the negative draft value, the Bengals are best treated as a contingency option rather than a target, and only after your roster's higher-priority positions are filled.

The projection is 103.8 points with a draft value of -42.0, placing them at DST25 and #187 overall in Tier 9. That is a below-replacement-level projection, so the model does not see them as a value at any meaningful draft cost. They are a late-draft or streaming option, not a target.

Sacks declined from 44 in 2023 to 36 in 2024 to 34 in 2025. Interceptions fell from 17 in 2023 to 15 in 2024 to 13 in 2025. Points allowed rose from 384 in 2023 to 434 in 2024 to 492 in 2025. The three-year averages are 38 sacks, 15 interceptions, and 436.7 points allowed per season.

Their bye is Week 6. That is an early bye, so if you draft them you will need a streaming replacement for that week. Given their Tier 9 ranking, most drafters will treat them as a late add rather than a drafted asset, which makes the bye week less of a planning concern.

Forced fumbles improved from 11 in 2023 to 14 in 2024, and fumble recoveries held at 10 in 2024 before dropping to 7 in 2025. The unit also recorded a safety in 2024 and three defensive touchdowns across 2024 and 2025 combined. Those are modest positives against a backdrop of rising points allowed and declining sack and interception totals.