Cincinnati

Bengals

Gesicki ran the most routes of anyone in the Bengals’ four tight end rotation and out-targeted Drew Sample, the only other tight end to be targeted, 4-3. The crusher for Gesicki was that he dropped a pass in the end zone as he went to the ground. While Gesicki carries the most fantasy value of any tight end on the Bengals, he simply isn’t going to be viable in fantasy leagues while playing just 35 percent of the offensive snaps. He’s merely a touchdown-dependent desperation play in Week 2 against the Chiefs on the road.

Iosivas was a popular start for fantasy managers that were in a pinch on Sunday. While he played all 51 snaps for the Bengals according to PFF, he failed to have a major impact on the game. Iosivas drew a defensive pass interference penalty, though his long catch was for 13 yards. He’s probably not a starting fantasy option in any scenario next week, but he certainly played a lot with Tee Higgins out. It would be interesting to see how much he might play with Higgins in the lineup and if Iosivas would be more effective with the defense having to pay attention to Higgins and potentially more snaps coming from the slot. Iosivas is probably going to be dropped by fantasy managers facing a roster crunch this week, but he’s fine to keep as a bench stash for Week 2’s matchup against the Chiefs on the road.

Chase nearly played a full complement of snaps as he was on the field for 43 of 51 total plays after being listed as questionable with an illness. He caught all of his targets, but couldn’t seem to get loose against the Patriots defense. His long catch for 28 yards came deep into the second half. There will be better days ahead for the locked-in WR1. That could come as soon as Week 2 against the Chiefs on the road.

Brown took a backseat to Zack Moss in Week 1 playing 17 snaps to Moss’s 33, according to PFF. Moss more than doubled up Brown in carries and even out-targeted the second-year back 4-3. The Bengals offense gained a mere 224 yards on the day as there weren’t many big plays with Tee Higgins sidelined against a stifling Patriots defense. It’s likely the Bengals will look to set up Brown for explosive plays sooner rather than later, but fantasy managers looking for an even split in work among the running backs out of the gate have to be disappointed. Brown is no better than an RB3 for Cincinnati’s Week 2 matchup against the Chiefs on the road.

Moss operated as the Bengals’ lead back in this one playing 33 snaps to Chase Brown’s 17, according to PFF. He had nine carries to Brown’s four carries and out-targeted Brown 4-3 in the receiving game. His long run of 16 yards bested Brown’s long of eight yards and he was the first option in the red zone as he scored the lone touchdown for Cincinnati. It’s only one game and the Bengals offense was bottled up for most of the game, but Moss certainly looked the part in his first game with his new team. He’ll head into the Bengals’ Week 2 matchup at Kansas City as a solid RB2.

It’s not what you want. The Bengals struggled in all phases, but on offense it starts with Burrow. Cincinnati never challenged the Patriots downfield as Burrow finished the afternoon with a paltry 5.7 yards per attempt. Ja’Marr Chase caught all six of his targets, but with Tee Higgins sidelined the offense lacked a second legitimate option. Andrei Iosivas caught 3-of-6 targets, Mike Gesicki dropped a pass in the end zone and Tanner Hudson fumbled as he was approaching the goal line. Higgins’ return will be key for Burrow, who has a tough matchup against the Chiefs on the road in Week 2.

Higgins was a long shot to suit up this week after missing multiple practices. His absence puts Andrei Iosivas on the fantasy radar as a flex play. WR Kendric Pryor, Edge Cedric Johnson, OT Amarius Mims (pec), TE Tanner McLachlan, and DT Kris Jenkins Jr. (thumb) round out the rest of the Bengals inactives.

Chase and the Bengals were unable to agree on a new contract before the start of the regular season. Despite a questionable designation, Chase was a full participant in practice this week and went through his normal warmup routine prior to Sunday’s game. It’s possible that his snaps are somewhat limited, though he is still a must-start WR1 when active.

Chase was already listed as questionable due to his offseason hold-in as he sought a new contract, with an update placed on that designation today that added an illness. It certainly appears as if Chase is legitimately questionable for the team’s Week 1 contest against the Patriots. Head coach Zac Taylor has already stated that the alpha wide receiver would be limited even if he suited up, which could place the team in uncomfortable territory considering Tee Higgins is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury that popped up on Thursday. Slot wide receiver Andre Iosivas is unlikely to see his role grow in the absence of the top two wide receivers, but he could see an increase to targets per route run.

Chase gets the questionable tag while Tee Higgins (hamstring) is listed as doubtful. It’s worth noting that the 6-foot wideout was a full participant in practice. Chase called himself a “game-time” decision for the opener after his hold-in while confirming he will play out the season even without a new contract, and the questionable designation confirms that 50/50 proposition. Even if Chase goes, his snap count is likely to be (comparatively) limited against New England, but his talent could allow for a big day even if that’s the case. There’s just a lot of risk that comes with the potential reward.