The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are both 6-2 and tied for the AFC North lead. Both are riding four-game winning streaks, but have taken different paths. Pittsburgh is 4-0 at home while Cincinnati is 4-1 on the road. The Bengals are led by the offense, which has scored the second-most points (240) in the AFC. The Steelers have done it with defense, allowing 144 points, the third-fewest in the AFC.
Joe Burrow leads the NFL with a 74 completion percentage and 23 touchdowns while the 8.1 yards per attempt are fifth-best and the 2,386 yards are fourth-most. The 114.8 passer rating is tops in the league and the 119 first downs are fourth-most. The target triumvirate is concentrated between Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. They have garnered 73, 67 and 45 targets respectively.
The rushing attack has been almost non-existent, as the 177 carries are the fewest while the 685 yards are the third-fewest.
Defensively, Cincinnati blitzes at the second-lowest rate but is eighth in pressure rate. The 23 sacks are fifth-most while the 12 turnovers are sixth-most. The -14.88 expected points by the pass defense are 13th-best while the unit has allowed a 63.7 completion percentage and an 88.9 passer rating. The nine passing touchdowns allowed are the fourth-fewest.
The rush defense has been a different story. The -15.81 expected points are third-worst while the unit has allowed 5.0 yards per carry and 126.6 yards per game. Eight rushing touchdowns have been allowed.
Staying with defense, Pittsburgh is only 19th in blitz rate and 27th in pressure rate, but the 26 sacks are third-most. The 13 turnovers are fifth-most, with seven of those being interceptions. The 3.98 expected points by the pass defense are the fourth-most while the seven touchdowns are the second-fewest and the 83.3 passer rating is the eighth-lowest. The rush defense has allowed 3.6 yards per carry and 83.9 yards per game, the third-fewest. Only four rushing touchdowns have been allowed, the second-fewest.
Offensively, the rushing attack is averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry, but the 193 attempts are the fourth-fewest. Aaron Rodgers is completing 60.8% of his 288 attempts for 1,871 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. He’s been sacked 23 times and the 6.4 yards per attempt are tied for the fifth-lowest.
DK Metcalf leads the team with 64 targets, but he only has three double-digit FPTS games on the season. Germie Bernard is second with 42 targets while Jaylen Warren is third with 36.
Looking at the odds for Sunday Night Football, the Bengals are 3.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Steelers are +150 underdogs, with the game total set at 49.5 points.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $1M Sunday Night Showdown [$250K to 1st] (PIT @ CIN)
NFL DFS Value Picks for Steelers at Bengals Week 10
WR Dohnte Meyers, Cincinnati Bengals ($3,000)
Over the last three weeks, Meyers has played around 40% of the snaps, garnering two, three and three targets. It ain’t much, but it’s something, especially when you consider two of those were red zone looks. He also rushed once for 16 yards last week.
TE Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,600)
It’s an egalitarian offense that Rodgers is leading, with four to five receivers all receiving around five targets a game. Last week, Washington received five targets, but he only garnered one the week before, so there is some volatility, especially since he’s splitting time with Pat Freiermuth. That said, he has seven red zone looks on the season and has put up double-digit FPTS in three of the last five games. Rodgers wants to throw, and he may have to more than he wants due to the potency of the Bengals offense.
RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers ($5,600)
For fantasy, it’s annoying that Dowdle is playing 40% to 50% of the snaps because Jaylen Warren is so, so good. But it is what it is and Dowdle is involved. In a blowout last week, Dowdle rushed 15 times for 56 yards and a touchdown. The prior week, he carried nine times for 41 yards while catching all six targets for 45 yards in a close game. Most importantly, he garnered three and four red zone looks, the same number as Warren.
