Squirrel’s Nuts & Bolts: Bengals - Broncos Showdown Strategy (Week 4 NFL DFS)

Sep 29, 2025

William Navarro-Imagn Images

Week 4 of the NFL season wraps up with an AFC showdown as the Bengals visit the Broncos in Denver. With Joe Burrow sidelined, Cincinnati enters as a 7.5-point road underdog in a game carrying a 44.5-point total. Despite the line, Denver owns the worse record at 1-2 after dropping its last two games – decided by a combined four points – to the Colts and Chargers.

The Broncos’ offense is led by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who has five touchdown passes through three games and adds a rushing element with 71 yards on the ground this year after scoring four rushing TDs last season. J.K. Dobbins handles most of the RB rushing workload, while rookie RJ Harvey has served in a complementary role. Wideouts Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin have combined for 40 of the team’s 90 targets, with most of the rest spread among the tight ends and running backs.

Cincinnati comes in with the better record at 2-1, but faces serious questions without Burrow. The defense was a concern coming into the season – allowing the eighth-most points and yards per game last year – and it’s been just as leaky in 2025, again ranking eighth in yards allowed and fifth in points allowed. The offense, expected to carry the team, has instead produced the second-fewest yards per game and looked particularly rough in last week’s 48-10 loss to Minnesota in Jake Browning’s first start of the year.

It’s tough to know what to expect from the Bengals. Even with the spread set at 7.5 points, Browning showed flashes in past seasons that he didn’t display last week, leaving everything from a close contest to a blowout on the table. For DFS single-game contests, we’ll keep the wide range of outcomes for this game in mind as we build our lineups. Let’s break down this interconference showdown, highlight the key plays, and uncover the strategies that could help you climb the leaderboards.