JoeBurrow

News: 1 day agoBurrow and other starters are scheduled to play in Thursday's preseason opener against Detroit, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Spin: WR Ja'Marr Chase, WR Tee Higgins and DT Dexter Lawrence are also expected to play, so it sounds like all healthy starters will get some action. Last year, Burrow played two drives in Cincinnati's preseason opener, completing nine of 10 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. In the 2024 preseason opener, he played a single 12-play drive, which also ended in a TD pass.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Burrow will attempt to bounce back after injuries limited him to eight games in 2025. The 29-year-old has now missed at least six games in three of his six pro seasons, including two of his past three. Burrow was still a starting-caliber fantasy quarterback when active last season (top-12 scorer in five of his final six games), but his ceiling was limited by a near complete lack of rushing (41 yards on 14 carries). Burrow was a top-five scoring quarterback in each of his past two full seasons, and coach Zac Taylor cut back a bit on his extreme pass-heavy playcalling last season, so Burrow is best valued as more of a midrange QB1 than an elite option.