Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Outlook After QB Injury: Should Managers Be Worried?

Bengals Player Performances in Week 2

Prior to the injury of Burrow, he had linked with Ja’Marr Chase on a 4-yard TD, a move that would give fantasy players some hope. When Burrow left, backup player Jake Browning came in and gave a patchy performance of 241 (passing) yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, which was punctuated by a game-winning 1-yard rushing play. Though there was some positivity in Browning, his accuracy and decision-making remained inconsistent, and therefore, the passing game of the Bengals became much less predictable.

• Ja’Marr Chase: 16/14 Tgt/Rec for 165 yds and 1 TD, but saw his target quality suffer after Burrow departed. He remains a strong play, but his ceiling is capped without Burrow.

• Tee Higgins: 8/3 Tgt/Rec 56 yds and 1 TD. Was targeted heavily by Browning, but the increased risk of turnovers and timing issues lowers his weekly outlook.

• Noah Fant: 4/3 Tgt/Rec 28 yds. Stepped up at tight end, catching multiple passes from Browning. He offers deeper league streaming value, but is touchdown-dependent.

• Chase Brown: Rushed 16 times for 47 yds. and 18 rec yds. He maintained steady volume with Browning under center, but expect opposing defenses to load the box, potentially dampening their output.

Should Managers Be Concerned?

Absolutely. The loss of Burrow has a trickle-down effect on the offense of the Bengals. Although Browning will drive the ball down the field, his tendency to take sacks and make turnovers will reduce the consistency and upside of Bengals fantasy assets in the coming few weeks. Wideouts such as Chase and Higgins can still be started, though the managers must be prepared to see inconsistent output. At the position of quarterback and tight end, streaming could be an option in deeper single-QB leagues.

Fantasy managers need to pay close attention to the recovery of Burrow. Bengals stars are not so safe a bet until he is healthy, and that is a hard pill to swallow for a fantasy team reliant on the high-powered air attack of Cincinnati.