Over the past four years, the Cincinnati Bengals have undergone a complete culture shift from the Marvin Lewis/Andy Dalton era of mediocre expectations. Joe Burrow took the NCAA by storm during his Senior year at LSU in 2019 and did the same when he entered the NFL in 2020 until he tore his ACL midway through his rookie campaign.
After having some playoff success the following two years, including a Super Bowl appearance to end the 2021 season, 2023 was basically a disaster that the franchise would like to put behind them. What should we expect from this exciting offense in 2024? I’ll dive into the fantasy football prospects in Cincinnati while focusing on the Bengals’ second-round rookie pick from 2020, Tee Higgins.
Tee Higgins 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Early Career Review
Tee Higgins was one of the top WR prospects in a loaded 2020 rookie class. After an up-and-down rookie season from Higgins, the Bengals went on to draft Ja’Marr Chase as a Top 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. This struck fear into the hearts of Higgins dynasty managers, who assumed this would be a major blow to his fantasy potential. Fortunately, we learned that Joe Burrow is good enough to support two high-end fantasy producers. Despite Chase exploding as a rookie with 1,455 receiving yards, Higgins elevated his game as well and finished as the WR13 in points per game. The WR duo quickly established themselves as one of the best tandems in the league.
Tee Higgins has recorded +16.3 receptions over expected on targets of 10+ air yards since entering the NFL in 2020, 4th-most over that span and +0.8 receptions ahead of current teammate Ja’Marr Chase. https://t.co/Ero4NZiBk1 pic.twitter.com/0Nl1qNeauP
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 11, 2024
After making a Super Bowl run in 2021, the Bengals were a team on the rise going into 2022. Higgins turned in another fine season, finishing as a Top 20 fantasy WR, although his inconsistencies were frustrating at times. As I mentioned in the intro, 2023 was a major disappointment for both Higgins and the team. They finished last in the AFC North after Burrow’s season ended in Week 11 due to a wrist injury. Higgins dealt with his own lower-body injuries early in the season. By the time he was healthy, it was the Jake Browning show, and the offense didn’t have the same juice.
2024 Outlook
Many are wondering how to view Tee Higgins in fantasy football for this upcoming season. His rookie contract ended after 2023, and there has been speculation of trade talks since he has not been able to agree on a long-term contract extension with the team. Since he has now signed his franchise tag tender and reportedly plans to attend training camp this Summer, I will operate under the assumption that he’ll be a Bengal for at least the 2024 season.
We didn’t see much of Burrow and Higgins on the field together last season, but they still showed us that they have an explosive connection. Outside of his strange “goose egg” game in Week 1, where he didn’t record a single catch, Higgins played a full snap share (70%+ snaps) in just three games with Burrow last season. His finishes in those weeks were WR4, WR83, and WR8. He even put up two Top 10 finishes with Browning under center, so that shows us that all hope might not be lost if Burrow has to miss time again.
Cincinnati is bringing some new pieces to the offense this season, along with newly appointed offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher, who previously served as the Bengals’ quarterbacks coach. The main trio of Burrow-Chase-Higgins remains consistent but both Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon are no longer on the team. Over the past two seasons, that adds up to an average of 160 targets per year vacated by those two. That will be a major opportunity for a production boost from Higgins, even as Chase continues to dominate target share.
Should we be drafting Higgins?
Higgins’s ADP (average draft position) is the lowest that it’s been since his rookie season, currently sitting at WR29. The decision on whether to draft him or not comes down to the type of fantasy manager that you are. Do you prefer for your WR3/flex players to have consistent production, even if there aren’t many boom games? If that’s the case, then you should probably pass on Higgins.
When it comes to fantasy, I prefer to live by the philosophy of the great Ricky Bobby: “If you’re not first, you’re last.” There will certainly be some weeks when Higgins sinks your team with a dud, but not many players offer his upside beyond rounds 4-5, which is when you will likely be able to draft him. Grabbing him as your third WR could easily end up being a league-winning move if Joe Burrow and the Bengals can return to their 2021-22 form.
Tee Higgins put his strong hands on display in all of 2023 🙌@teehiggins5 | @Bengals pic.twitter.com/XjVrBKwyYa
— NFL (@NFL) June 7, 2024
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A Look Inside the Cincinnati Bengals
Editor’s Note: While Drew focused on Tee Higgins in fantasy football, we don’t want to leave you hanging on the rest of the team. Here is a quick look at the other fantasy-relevant Bengals from Ryan Weisse.
Joe Burrow
When healthy, he’s one of the best QBs in the NFL and helps fantasy managers win games. When. Healthy. He also hasn’t played a full 17-game season in his career, though he played 16 in 2021 and 2022. The long and short is that the Bengals seem to struggle to keep him upright, so Burrow has a risk/reward tag normally reserved for more mobile QBs.
Zack Moss
After unceremoniously leaving Buffalo and another mediocre season in Indianapolis in 2022, it seemed Moss was riding off into the sunset. Then Jonathan Taylor got hurt, and all of a sudden, Moss looked like a real NFL back. He certainly convinced the Bengals, who brought him in at $4 million a year. They immediately traded Joe Mixon and did not draft a rookie RB, so it appears Moss is in for a big workload. His ADP makes him interesting, but keep an eye on Samaje Perine leaving Denver, which could make this a 3-headed backfield.
Chase Brown
Brown did not play much as a rookie but looked good on a few plays and got the fantasy world excited. If he remains the primary backup, he is better for this team as a 3rd-down back but will cede the lion’s share of carries to Moss. If Perine or another back is added, his value will plummet.
Ja’Marr Chase
What really needs to be said here? He is a top-4 WR in fantasy, at the very least. You’re probably taking CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill ahead of him and then debating on Justin Jefferson because of the QB situation. There is no wrong answer.
The Other WRs
The Bengals have an interesting group looking to fill the void left by Tyler Boyd. If they all split the work, there is no fantasy value, but if one wins the job, they could be an excellent Flex option. Most will bet on rookie Jermaine Burton because he was a 3rd-round selection. He’s a good prospect but still needs time to develop. My eyes will be on last year’s rookies: Charlie Jones and Andrei Iosivas. Jones did not play much but made an impact in the return game (SFB Alert). At 6 feet tall and 183 pounds, he is built to take over the slot role. Iosivas is bigger and might be the replacement for Higgins in 2025. In 2023, on just 25 targets, Yoshi found the endzone four times. You have to love that efficiency.
Mike Gesicki
The fantasy world is quite jaded by Gesicki, so he is basically free in fantasy drafts. However, he is a solid receiving option on a team that lost their slot WR. He could slide into a role that feeds him 70-90 targets this season. The last time he saw that volume was 2020, and he finished as a top-10 fantasy option. You’re not drafting him, but expect to see his name on my Stream of the Week list often.
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