Bengals vs. Broncos Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Monday Night - Ja'Marr Chase, Courtland Sutton, Chase Brown, J.K. Dobbins, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix, Evan Engram

Fantasy football start em, sit em MNF lineups advice for Bengals vs. Broncos on Monday Night Football in Week 4 (2025). NFL matchups analysis and MNF starts/sits.

The final game of the Week 4 NFL slate looked like an incredible matchup on paper before the season began, but the Broncos' early-season struggles and the injury to Joe Burrow have negatively affected the fantasy upside of this AFC clash. That said, this game will decide plenty of fantasy matchups, and we're here to help you nail those lineup calls.

Below, read about the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Ja'Marr Chase, Courtland Sutton, Chase Brown, J.K. Dobbins, Tee Higgins, Bo Nix, Evan Engram, and more. Which Bengals and Broncos players should you start or sit in Week 4?

We will bring you Monday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Good luck in Week 4, RotoBallers!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos

Monday, September 28th, 8:15 PM ET

Key Injuries:

• Joe Burrow (toe) - OUT
• Marvin Mims Jr. (hip) - QUESTIONABLE
• Noah Fant (concussion) - OUT

Matchups We Love

RB J.K. Dobbins

Dobbins has operated as the clear RB1 in Denver's backfield. He played a season-high 67% of the team's offensive snaps last week and scored a rushing touchdown for the third straight week. Now, he has a favorable matchup against a Bengals defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season.

One-handed catch
Stiff arm
Touchdown

JK Dobbins doing it all!

DENvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/dSd93bhN9K

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Therefore, Dobbins will be a strong RB2, while RJ Harvey should be left on the bench due to his limited workload. Harvey only totaled two carries in last week's loss.

Matchups We Hate

QB Jake Browning

After watching Jake Browning last week against the Vikings, it's safe to say that he should be sat in most cases in Week 4. The Broncos secondary is one of the best in the NFL and has only allowed two passing touchdowns through three weeks. That makes Browning a lower-end QB2 in a tough matchup on the road.

WR Ja'Marr Chase

Ja'Marr Chase was held to just five catches for 50 yards in his first game without Joe Burrow last week. Unfortunately, things will not be easier for him in Week 4. Chase will likely draw the Surtain shadow in this contest, and that's not great news for the Bengals playmaker. Even though Chase had the upper hand against him in last year's matchup, we should temper expectations. So, he'll be a lower WR1 this weekend.

Other Notable Matchups

QB Bo Nix

It might be hard to trust Nix as your QB1 right now. He has scored under 14 fantasy points in two of his three games and is averaging just 178 pass yards per game so far. The good news, though, is that Nix has thrown at least one passing touchdown in every game while increasing his rushing yards in all three weeks. Therefore, he'll be a low-end QB1 in a solid matchup.

RB Chase Brown

Chase Brown has arguably been the worst runner in the NFL to start the season. While his opportunity share (84.1%) is an encouraging sign for his fantasy value moving forward, his 1.98 yards per carry across 47 attempts is not. However, Brown will still be a top-20 play this week against the Broncos. Denver has allowed a top-4 RB finish in back-to-back weeks.

WR Tee Higgins

With Surtain shadowing Chase in this game, Higgins will avoid one of the best corners in the NFL. Instead, he'll be matched up against Riley Moss, who ranks 99th in PFF grade (55.5) among all corners. Still, that's not enough to push Higgins into the WR3 territory. He only saw two targets last week and will be a risky flex play on Monday night.

Broncos WRs

The fantasy community was very adamant that Troy Franklin was set to overtake Courtland Sutton as the team's WR1 following Week 2. Well, that didn't happen. Sutton totaled 23.8 PPR fantasy points, and Franklin was held to just two catches for eight yards last week.

As a result, Sutton will continue to operate as a solid WR2 for managers, while Franklin should only be started in 14-plus team leagues. The Bengals have allowed at least five catches to five different WRs this year, meaning both Denver playmakers could have solid fantasy days.

TE Evan Engram

It appears Evan Engram will play in Week 4 after missing last week's contest due to a back injury. However, you should look elsewhere for a TE this week. Engram caught just three passes for 33 yards combined in his first two games, and there's a chance the Broncos TE is limited in his return from a back injury.

More Bengals vs. Broncos Fantasy Football Outlooks

RB RJ Harvey

Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said that the team would like to get running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey 20 carries per game if that were realistic because the team "likes each of them that much." The Broncos have had nothing but good things to say about Harvey, whom they drafted in the second round for a reason this year. However, despite the Broncos continuing to say they want a bigger role for Harvey, he's been stuck behind the veteran Dobbins in the RB pecking order through three weeks.

The rookie's snap share has not gone over 33%, either, with Dobbins seeing a season-high 67% of the offensive snaps in the Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Harvey was an afterthought last week, carrying the ball twice for two yards, although he did catch a season-high three passes for 14 yards. Until further notice, the 24-year-old can't be considered anything more than a low-volume, low-upside RB3/flex in deeper fantasy leagues.

K Evan McPherson

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson hasn't missed this season. However, it's mostly due to a lack of opportunities, with the 26-year-old attempting only three kicks through the first three weeks of the 2025 campaign while draining all seven extra-point attempts. The Bengals' offense has struggled so far this season. Many aren't optimistic that things will change on that side of the ball anytime soon, especially with Joe Burrow (foot) out for the foreseeable future. Until McPherson starts getting more chances to produce, he's not worth starting in all fantasy formats, including in Week 4 versus the Denver Broncos.

DST Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos' defense/special teams has a prime chance for fantasy production on Monday against the struggling Cincinnati Bengals and backup quarterback Jake Browning. The Bengals, while unlikely to commit five turnovers every game like they did last week at Minnesota, once again have major issues on the offensive line, and now a replacement quarterback who is less likely to overcome them. The Bengals are dead last in the NFL in yards per rush, dead last in turnover percentage, 29th in scoring percentage, and 28th in first downs. Despite Cincinnati's obvious talent at receiver, the rest of the offense has been awful, which makes for a great matchup for Denver.

WR Troy Franklin

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has certainly taken a step forward during his second pro season, but he still isn't a very reliable fantasy option heading into Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Franklin broke out with eight catches and a touchdown in Week 2, but in his two other games, he averaged just three catches, 26 yards, and zero touchdowns. Without consistent production, the Oregon product ranks as a low-end WR4 and is a bit too risky to insert into lineups.

That's especially true this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. While Cincinnati is limping right now with Joe Burrow (toe) sidelined, they've been solid against the pass, whether it's due to good defensive play or Cincinnati's opponents routinely running the ball with a sizable lead. The Bengals have allowed the 13th-fewest receiving yards and fifth-fewest touchdowns to wide receivers in 2025. Franklin can be left on the bench in most leagues.

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