Evan Silva’s Matchups: Bengals at Browns

Cincinnati @ Cleveland

Team Totals: Bengals 25, Browns 22.5

Joe Burrow (calf) is going to start Week 1, although his mobility may be compromised by a conservative game plan designed to limit his movement in and out of the pocket. The Browns’ defense is absolutely loaded up front with Za’Darius Smith bookending Myles Garrett on the edge and physical DTs Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris in the middle. And top Cleveland CB Denzel Ward (concussion) looks on track to go. I’m starting Burrow where I drafted him, but I’m keeping box-score expectations slightly reserved. … Having avoided suspension and with Samaje Perine gone to Denver, Joe Mixon’s workload projection is massive to open the year. Trayveon Williams (55 touches in 34 career games), fifth-round rookie Chase Brown, and theoretical passing-down specialist Chris Evans (35 touches in 26 career games) round out Cincinnati’s tailback depth chart. Mixon leading the entire league in Week 1 touches would not surprise.

Ja’Marr Chase cleaned Cleveland’s clock for 10/119/1 receiving on 15 targets with Ward on the field last Week 14. Chase is a top-three WR1 play on Sunday. … Tee Higgins did miss almost all of that game and is healthy now. At age 24, Higgins enters his contract year with three consecutive 900-yard seasons under his belt. He’s a rock-solid WR2 bet here. … Slot man/glue guy Tyler Boyd enters his age-28/29 campaign having finished below 850 yards in three straight years. Boyd is a possession-slot receiver with capped upside whenever Chase and Higgins are both healthy. … Irv Smith Jr. and Drew Sample figure to share tight end snaps, Smith being the superior pass catcher and Sample the better blocker. The Bengals run a decidedly three-wide receiver offense, so generally, there will only be one tight end on the field at a time.