The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Bengals-Steelers Week 3 matchup.
Find a breakdown of every Week 3 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| Cincinnati | Rank | @ | Pittsburgh | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -3.5 | Spread | 3.5 | ||
| 23.0 | Implied Total | 19.5 | ||
| 26.5 | 10 | Points/Gm | 11.5 | 31 |
| 16.5 | 8 | Points All./Gm | 16.5 | 8 |
| 61.0 | 13 | Plays/Gm | 65.5 | 8 |
| 65.0 | 23 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 55.0 | 4 |
| 5.1 | 21 | Off. Yards/Play | 3.8 | 32 |
| 5.0 | 10 | Def. Yards/Play | 6.0 | 13 |
| 41.0% | 23 | Rush% | 33.6% | 30 |
| 59.0% | 10 | Pass% | 66.4% | 3 |
| 29.2% | 1 | Opp. Rush % | 53.6% | 31 |
| 70.8% | 32 | Opp. Pass % | 46.4% | 2 |
- The Steelers are 31st in the league in offensive EPA through two weeks (-42.9), ahead of only Atlanta (-53.1).
- The Steelers lead the league in defensive EPA through two weeks (28.2).
- Pittsburgh has converted 20% (5 of 25) of their third downs, 31st in the league.
- Through two weeks, the Bengals are allowing 1.18 points per drive (7th). In 2025, they allowed 2.44 points per drive (27th).
- The Bengals lead the league in 12 personnel rate (35.2%).
- Cincinnati has an 80% dropback rate out of shotgun snaps (18th), compared to 21.4% under center (29th).
Trust = spike production for that player
Bengals vs. Steelers Fantasy Quarterback Preview
Joe Burrow
Burrow has started out the season as the QB19 (14.2 points) and QB14 (16.2 points) against the Bucs and Texans.
I expect Burrow to be in that fringe QB1 range again this week.
Against two strong pass rushes, the Bengals have run a quick-hitting passing game.
63% of Burrow's throws have come out within 2.5 seconds of the snap, second in the NFL through two games.
Only 29.5% of Burrow's throws have gone 10 or more yards downfield, which is 25th in the league.
I expect things to look similar here against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers defense has done its part to open it up this year.
They have a 41.5% pressure rate (4th) and a league-high 13.7% sack rate.
They have converted a league-high 33.3% of their pressures into sacks.
Yes, they had the luxury of facing Cooper Rush in Week 1, but they also held up against Drake Maye (8.0 fantasy points), allowing 208 yards without a passing touchdown last week.
When they pressured Maye, he was 5 of 10 for 62 yards and an interception, but they allowed Maye to go 9 of 12 for 129 yards (10.8 Y/A) without pressure.
Burrow has better weapons than Maye, so there is more upside than the outcome that Maye had.
Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has had a rough start, opening the season as the QB24 (12.5 points) and QB31 (4.0 points).
Rodgers has completed just 59.5% of his passes (26th) for 5.2 yards per pass attempt (31st) with 1 touchdown and an interception.
12.8% of his dropbacks have produced 1.0 EPA or more, the lowest rate in the league.
24.4% of his dropbacks have lost 1.0 EPA or worse, ahead of only Cooper Rush (28.3%).
The Steelers have been willing to throw more to open the season, passing 6.6% over expectations, but the offensive line has not held up while no pass catcher has stepped up.
Rodgers is a QB2 in Week 3.
The Bengals have not allowed a touchdown pass in two games, allowing a 63.1% completion rate (12th) and 6.8 Y/A (12th) to Baker Mayfield and C.J. Stroud.
They rank eighth in the league in pressure rate (39.2%) and seventh in sack rate (8.7%).
When Rodgers has been pressured through two weeks, he has completed 10 of 25 passes (40%) for 112 yards (4.5 Y/A) with 6 sacks.
Bengals vs. Steelers Fantasy Running Back Preview
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LEARN ABOUT FANTASYMore Week 3 Fantasy Breakdowns From The Worksheet:
| Week 3 NFL Games | Time |
|---|---|
| Falcons @ Packers | Thursday Night Football |
| Chargers @ Bills | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Panthers @ Browns | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Jets @ Lions | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Texans @ Colts | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Chiefs @ Dolphins | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Titans @ Giants | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Bengals @ Steelers | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Seahawks @ Commanders | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Patriots @ Jaguars | Sunday -- 1 p.m. ET |
| Cardinals @ 49ers | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Vikings @ Bucs | Sunday -- 4:05 p.m. ET |
| Ravens vs. Cowboys | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Raiders @ Saints | Sunday -- 4:25 p.m. ET |
| Rams @ Broncos | Sunday Night Football |
| Eagles @ Bears | Monday Night Football |