Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is coming off a rookie campaign in which he suffered a horrific left knee injury. The injury included a torn ACL and MCL, which ended his impressive rookie season and thwarted his fantasy football possibilities. Burrow was playing great before going down and will look to recover as we head into the 2021 season.

In the offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals went out and improved the roster. They had a great draft and made some solid additions in free agency as well. In the first round of the draft, the Bengals took wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase out of LSU. Chase was Burrow's teammate in college, and they should be a great combo this season.

In the second round, the Bengals took offensive tackle Jackson Carman. Carman could be a solid tackle for the Bengals in the coming years, which is a necessity to keep Burrow healthy.

The Bengals improvements to the roster should help Burrow have a productive 2021 campaign.

2020 Fantasy Statistics with Bengals

Burrow was looking great in his rookie season before going down with an injury. He threw for 2,688 yards on a 65.3 percent completion percentage. Burrow also threw for 13 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. He is bound to improve in his second season, especially after getting more weapons to throw to.

The Bengals look like a dark horse team to make the playoffs this season. Not many people are picking them to make a run, but with the new additions, the team has the potential to get there.

While it may not be predicted, look for the Bengals to make a run at making the playoffs.

2021 Fantasy Projections

ESPN projects Burrow to improve in fantasy production this season. That was a given as Burrow didn't have a complete season in 2020. They project him to throw for 4,169 yards on a 65 percent completion percentage. ESPN also projects Burrow to throw for 26 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.

Burrow is also a solid rushing quarterback, and they project him to rush for 248 yards and 4 touchdowns. While these projected numbers aren't elite, they are solid, and he has potential upside.

When deciding what quarterback to draft, it is important to note the weapons the quarterback has to throw to. The Bengals receivers include Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins. They also have an elite running back in Joe Mixon, who is a great rusher and receiver. The offensive line is also upgraded, which should help Burrow's production increase in 2021.

Burrow projects to be in the 3rd or 4th tier of quarterbacks. The top tier includes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Kyler Murray, who had great 2020 fantasy seasons. Their second tier of quarterbacks is Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, and Justin Herbert.

Rank at Position

Burrow looks to be a top 15 quarterback in fantasy this season. ESPN projects him to be the 13th ranked quarterback in fantasy this year, making him a top quarterback 2 for fantasy owners. He could be a low-end starter in some leagues with potential upside to be more.

Everything points to Mahomes, Allen, and Murray being the top 3 quarterbacks in fantasy. Murray is in a hybrid passing and rushing offense that fits his playstyle perfectly. Mahones and Allen on the other hand are in pass-heavy offenses, which allow them to get a ton of passing yards and touchdowns.

The second tier of quarterbacks is a harder decision for fantasy owners to make. Prescott is coming off of a horrific injury, while Jackson had a disappointing 2020 fantasy campaign. Herbert is an intriguing player in this tier but is the riskiest because he is boom or bust. The safest choices in this tier are Rodgers, Wilson, and Brady.

That leaves the 3rd or 4th tier of quarterbacks where Burrow stands. This tier includes Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts, and Burrow. Tannehill and Stafford are the safest players to take in this tier, as they have great offenses around them.

Hurts is the riskiest player to take in this tier as he didn't get much playing time in his rookie season. That leaves Burrow, who has the potential to get the most points in this tier. He is very talented, but he is another risky option at quarterback. With his new weapons, Burrow could become an elite fantasy quarterback, but it will depend on his offensive line.

Burrow will be a great quarterback 2 but would be a risk at quarterback 1. Getting a quarterback in the top 2 tiers would be ideal, but if you can get Burrow as a backup, you are in a great spot.