Cincinnati Bengals News

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Tee Higgins • WR • Bengals

Tee Higgins Has Top-12 Upside if Healthy for a Full Season

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has top-12 upside in fantasy football, but injuries to either him or quarterback Joe Burrow have prevented him from reaching his ceiling so far. Through six NFL seasons, Higgins' best fantasy finish is WR15, a mark that he achieved in 2025 despite missing two games. Unfortunately, Burrow also missed plenty of time last year, leaving Higgins with subpar quarterback play for a large portion of the season. Nevertheless, he managed to score 11 touchdowns, marking the second consecutive year in which he made double-digit trips to the end zone. Ironically, as his touchdown total went up, his receptions and yards went down, and he finished last year with a modest 59 catches for 846 yards. If Higgins and Burrow can both stay healthy this year, the 27-year-old receiver should finally push for 1,000+ yards, 10+ touchdowns, and a top-12 fantasy finish. He has proven that he and Ja'Marr Chase can coexist, and we know this offense is capable of supporting numerous big fantasy performances at once. As it stands, Higgins ranks as the WR15 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.

Yesterday

Colbie Young • WR • Bengals

Colbie Young Keeps Making Big Plays at Bengals Camp

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Colbie Young continues to make noise in training camp. Dan Hoard noted Sunday that the rookie seems to come down with at least one catch of 20-plus yards in every practice, and wide receivers coach Troy Walters pointed to Young's size, strength, speed and hands as the reason. More importantly, Walters said Cincinnati's quarterbacks are starting to trust him enough to give him chances downfield. Young, a fourth-round pick out of Georgia, showed some of that in Thursday's preseason opener with two catches for 28 yards, including a 20-yard grab on third-and-16. He has even mixed in for a rep with Joe Burrow, though Andrei Iosivas still has a major experience edge in the No. 3 receiver battle. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins aren't going anywhere at the top of the depth chart, but Young keeps giving the Bengals reasons to get him on the field. He's turning into one of the more interesting rookie receivers to watch in Cincinnati.

3 days ago

Ceyair Wright • CB • Bengals

Ceyair Wright Stepping Away to Star as Lead Role in Major Film

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ceyair Wright has accepted a lead role in a major film, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Wright decided the opportunity was too important to pass up, and he has stepped away from the team for the time being. Wilson notes that Wright plans to resume his football career after filming concludes in October. In the meantime, he has been placed on the exempt/left-squad list, which means he won't count towards the Bengals' 90-man roster. This is one of the most bizarre NFL headlines we've seen in a while, but it isn't exactly foreign territory for Wright. The 23-year-old has appeared in several shows and films, with his most notable role so far being Darius James in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Wright also played college football at USC and Nebraska. He tallied 68 tackles, two interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble over his final two seasons with the Cornhuskers, leading to an undrafted free agent deal with the Bengals in May 2026.

3 days ago

Ja'Marr Chase • WR • Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase Catches One Pass In Preseason Win

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase caught his only target on a crossing route for 16 yards in the 16-14 win against the Detroit Lions in the team's preseason opener on Friday night. Chase saw a huge dip in production last season with fewer than 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he should easily surpass those numbers with his quarterback Joe Burrow back throwing the rock. Chase had a historic season the last time the duo was healthy, racking up over 1,700 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024. The 26-year-old has let it be known that his personal goal for the season is to score 23 touchdowns, so fantasy managers could be in for another monster season as the star receiver is firmly in his prime. Chase may get more reps next week against the Chicago Bears, but he certainly does not need them to be a dominant fantasy star. Chase should be viewed as one of the best options to finish as the overall WR1 this season.

4 days ago

Chase Brown • RB • Bengals

Chase Brown Locked In As Bengals' RB1 In Preseason Opener

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown handled five carries for 16 yards in the 16-14 victory over the Detroit Lions in the preseason opener on Friday night. Brown didn't catch a pass in this game, but it's well established that his pass-catching ability is a key part of the Bengals' offense. Backup running back Samaje Perine mixed in for one carry and two catches, but he only played about 30.8% of the snaps compared to Brown's 69.2%. The 26-year-old back is fresh off a season with over 1,000 rushing yards and six touchdowns, along with 69 receptions and five receiving scores. Brown is one of the most dynamic running backs in one of the league's most friendly offensive environments and should be considered a strong RB1 for the 2026 season. Brown will look to keep his momentum going in next week's preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

4 days ago

Joe Burrow • QB • Bengals

Joe Burrow Efficient In First Preseason Appearance

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed five of six passes (83.3%) for 39 yards and took one sack in the 16-14 win against the Detroit Lions in the team's preseason opener on Friday night. Burrow only played the first two drives of the game, then handed over the reins to backup quarterback Joe Flacco. The 29-year-old QB is coming off a season in which he was limited to just eight games due to injury, but he was once again a top-end fantasy contributor when healthy. Burrow's modest stat line is expected for a preseason game. The most important takeaway from this contest was that Burrow came away from it without any injuries. It remains to be seen how much he will play in next week's contest against the Chicago Bears, but whether he plays or not, he will be a locked-in fantasy QB1 for the 2026 season.

4 days ago

Tahj Brooks • RB • Bengals

Tahj Brooks Drops Two Passes in Preseason Opener

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks had a rough showing as a receiver in Thursday's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic noted that Brooks dropped two passes from Joe Flacco, including one that hit him between the numbers on a slant with room to run. That's worth noting for a player trying to hold onto the No. 3 job in a Bengals offense that asks its backs to contribute in the passing game. Brooks played only 47 offensive snaps as a rookie, finishing with 16 carries for 45 yards and one catch for nine yards. He had been showing progress as a receiver in camp, even catching a touchdown from Flacco earlier this week after spending the offseason working on that part of his game. Chase Brown and Samaje Perine remain ahead of him on the depth chart, so Brooks doesn't have much margin for mistakes. Two drops won't decide the competition, but Thursday wasn't the start he wanted.

5 days ago

Andrei Iosivas • WR • Bengals

Andrei Iosivas Not on the Fantasy Radar in Any Draft Formats

Cincinnati Bengals 26-year-old wide receiver Andrei Iosivas enters his fourth NFL season as the projected No. 3 receiver in this lethal Bengals passing attack. Over his first three seasons with the Bengals, he has earned 144 targets, hauled in 84 of them for 1,030 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Over a three-year span, that is nothing to write home about, and he is clearly an afterthought when you are behind guys like Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. 2025 was his lowest touchdown production since entering the league, with only two, after he had six in 2024 and four in 2023. The only real path for Iosivas to be fantasy relevant is if one of those receivers were to get hurt, and even then, he would be viewed as a low-end WR3 at best. RotoBaller currently ranks him as the WR90, and that's after he finished the 2025 season as the WR58.

5 days ago

Ja'Marr Chase • WR • Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase to Suit Up for Preseason Opener

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that both wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will play against the Detroit Lions on Thursday in the team's preseason opener, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway. Chase and Higgins will most likely work a few offensive series with quarterback Joe Burrow. Even though Burrow missed half of last season due to a turf-toe injury, Chase managed his fifth straight 1,000-yard season, found the end zone eight times, and led the NFL with 185 targets in 16 starts. The 26-year-old five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro is still the best receiver in the NFL and could approach his career high of 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns from the 2024 season if Burrow stays healthy again in 2026. There's a reason why Chase is the consensus top overall fantasy wideout. He's had at least 1,046 receiving yards, 81 catches, and seven touchdowns in his five years in the NFL with the Bengals.

Aug 11

Joe Burrow • QB • Bengals

Joe Burrow to Play in Preseason Opener on Thursday Against Detroit

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that quarterback Joe Burrow will play against the Detroit Lions in the team's preseason opener on Thursday, per Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Burrow will also be out there with his top two receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, although they will probably only stay in the game for a couple of offensive series, at the most. The 29-year-old Burrow and the Bengals offense got off to a bit of a slow start in training camp, but they have been coming alive of late and figure to be in good shape for the 2026 season as long as Burrow stays healthy. The three-time Pro Bowler played in a career-low eight games last year due to turf toe, throwing for 1,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions a year after leading the NFL in passing yards (4,918), touchdown passes (43), completions (460), and pass attempts (652). He's an obvious bounce-back candidate in 2026 with top-five QB upside in fantasy football, even though most of his production comes solely from his arm.

Aug 11

Joe Burrow • QB • Bengals

Bengals Offense, Joe Burrow "Showing Their Teeth" in Camp

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals offense bounced back in training camp practice on Sunday by posting two scores, and quarterback Joe Burrow "still looked like himself with touchdowns to receivers Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas." The Bengals' offense has "started to show their teeth" with more unscripted periods in practice, which began on Friday in the new stadium with a bomb from Burrow to All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Big moments like that for the Bengals' offense have "become increasingly more frequent" after the defense had mostly dominated early in camp. Burrow looks to be at full health this summer and set for another big year leading Cincy's offense in his seventh year in the NFL. The 29-year-old former first overall pick from LSU is the highest-ranked fantasy QB who doesn't have a high-end rushing skill set. Burrow makes up for it with a strong arm, precision passing, and one of the best WR duos in the league in Chase and Higgins. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 5 fantasy signal-caller for the 2026 campaign.

Aug 10

Samaje Perine • RB • Bengals

Samaje Perine Offers Little Standalone Redraft Value

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine still has a clear job in this backfield, but most of his fantasy appeal starts with Chase Brown. Perine played 15 games last season and ran 84 times for 382 yards and three touchdowns, adding 17 catches for 87 yards. He flashed when Cincinnati gave him a little more room, ripping off 94 yards and a score on only nine carries against the Jets. The Bengals haven't forgotten that. Their own offseason preview has Perine set to lead the group behind Brown again in 2026. Brown, however, played all 17 games last year and topped 1,000 rushing yards, and Cincinnati expects him to remain the lead back. Perine was on the field for just over 31% of the offensive snaps in 2025. RotoBaller ranks him 196th overall and RB58. There is still a place for the 240-pound veteran on a fantasy bench, especially for Brown managers, but weekly value will be hard to find unless his workload grows.

Aug 9

Ja'Marr Chase • WR • Bengals

Ja'Marr Chase Still Deserves a Top-Three Redraft Pick

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase already produced 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and there is still room for more in 2026. Chase led the NFL with 185 targets despite Joe Burrow playing only eight games, and he has now drawn at least 175 targets in consecutive seasons. The Bengals have talked this offseason about getting more explosive on offense, something Chase himself discussed during OTAs. Friday night's stadium practice offered a reminder of what that can look like when Burrow hit him on a 50-yard bomb. Tee Higgins remains a major part of the passing game, but that hasn't stopped Cincinnati from feeding Chase at an elite rate. RotoBaller has him third overall and WR1 in its latest half-PPR rankings. There isn't much mystery with Chase at this point. A healthy Burrow gives one of the NFL's highest-volume receivers another shot at pairing that workload with more big plays and touchdowns. Chase still belongs among the first three players selected in redraft leagues.

Aug 9

Tee Higgins • WR • Bengals

Tee Higgins Returns to Practice on Sunday

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (rest) returned to practice on Sunday after a "rest day" during the team's stadium practice on Friday. Higgins has stayed healthy throughout training camp and, despite not dressing for Friday's practice at Paycor Stadium, is fine. The Pro Bowl wideout has dealt with a number of lower-body injuries throughout his career, including several hamstring strains. It's understandable that the team is being cautious with him. Over the past two seasons, Higgins has totaled 1,751 yards and 21 touchdowns in just 27 games, averaging 13.7 half-PPR fantasy points per game. Despite the risk posed by both his and quarterback Joe Burrow's injury histories, Higgins remains a strong WR2 candidate in 2026.

Aug 9

Mike Gesicki • TE • Bengals

Mike Gesicki Faces Uncertain Role Entering 2026

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki enters his ninth NFL season facing more competition for targets than in any previous year. In 2025, Gesicki had just 28 receptions for 307 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, finishing as the TE40 in half-PPR formats. Now, with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins set to dominate the target share, and other playmakers, including running back Chase Brown and wideout Andrei Iosivas, handling secondary roles, Gesicki is facing limited targets despite an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow. However, he's unlikely to have a high snap count in 2026, as tight ends Drew Sample (58%) and former Bengal Noah Fant (38%) each played more snaps than Gesicki in 2025. With young player Erick All Jr. standing out in training camp as well, Gesicki could be a much smaller factor than he's been in his first two seasons in Cincinnati.

Aug 7

Chase Brown • RB • Bengals

Chase Brown Being Used Across the Formation

Through the early stages of training camp, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher has already dug into the deepest corners of the team's playbook, and a player seemingly at the center of everything has been running back Chase Brown. The fourth-year back has been moved all across the formation, with The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. pointing out, "Brown lines up in the slot and runs a slant one play, then takes a jet sweep the next. He's part of 20 personnel with two running backs, motions into the backfield, behind a fullback and almost any other spot imaginable." While the inclusion of some lesser-used plays has led to expected inconsistencies from the offense as a whole, Brown's usage has been one of the most encouraging signs to come out of Bengals camp, and he could be in line for a massive workload in 2026.

Aug 5

Andrei Iosivas • WR • Bengals

Andrei Iosivas Projects as the Bengals No. 3 Wide Receiver

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas has spent his three-year career with the Bengals and, through three seasons, has yet to top 500 yards in a single season. Iosivas was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and while he has 12 touchdowns over the past three years, he simply isn't involved in the offensive game plan behind superstar Ja'Marr Chase, standout receiver Tee Higgins, and running back Chase Brown in this Joe Burrow-led offense. In 2025, he had a 9.6 percent target share (89th among WRs), a 77.7 percent route participation (50th among WRs), and 40 first-read targets (65th among WRs). Because of that, his productivity and efficiency followed suit, ranking 96th in targets per route run and 93rd in first downs per route run. The only value Iosivas has is if Chase or Higgins were to miss any time. Fantasy managers will want to fade the 26-year-old receiver in their upcoming drafts in both dynasty and redraft formats.

Aug 4

Chase Brown • RB • Bengals

Chase Brown Continues to Grow as a Receiver

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown continues to show growth as a receiver. Joe Burrow said Brown has taken another leap catching the ball this offseason, while Charlie Clifford noted that the fourth-year back lined up wide for a couple of reps during Monday's 11-on-11 work. Brown already set a franchise record for a running back, halfback, or fullback with 69 receptions last season, turning them into 437 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,019 yards and six scores, giving him 1,456 yards from scrimmage in his first full season as Cincinnati's lead back. A few snaps split out wide do not guarantee a major change in how the Bengals use him, but the look fits Brown's growing role as an all-around weapon. His receiving work remains a major part of his fantasy value, and any further expansion would make him even harder to take off the field.

Aug 4

Joe Burrow • QB • Bengals

Joe Burrow Still Makes Sense for Win-Now Superflex Teams

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow carries more injury risk than most players in his tier, but that should not scare off a Superflex contender. He missed nine games after undergoing surgery for a Grade 3 turf toe injury in 2025, then came back in Week 13 and threw for 1,620 yards and 15 touchdowns over the final six games. There were a few rough moments, including a scoreless loss to Baltimore, but the arm talent was still obvious. Burrow had led the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdown passes the year before, and Cincinnati has kept the offense around him intact. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are back, Chase Brown caught 69 passes last season, and all five starting offensive linemen return. Burrow does not offer the rushing floor of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Jayden Daniels, so another injury would be especially costly at his price. That is the tradeoff. RotoBaller ranks him QB6 in dynasty, and he still belongs in that tier. Contenders searching for a quarterback who can win weeks through passing volume should be willing to pay, provided the deal does not leave the rest of the roster too thin.

Aug 3

Shemar Stewart • DE • Bengals

Shemar Stewart to Miss Several Weeks With Hyperextended Knee

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart (knee) will miss several weeks after hyperextending his left knee during Wednesday's practice, according to Charlie Goldsmith. Head coach Zac Taylor said Stewart avoided a major injury, welcome news after the 2025 first-round pick was carted off and initially unable to put weight on the leg. Injuries already cost Stewart a large part of his rookie season. He played eight games with five starts, spent five games on injured reserve with a knee injury, and missed four earlier contests because of an ankle issue. Stewart finished with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass deflection. Cincinnati will now be without him for another chunk of valuable development time, although the diagnosis is far better than it first appeared. For fantasy purposes, Stewart remains a wait-and-see option in deeper IDP leagues.

Jul 30

Cincinnati Bengals News

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