It was a wild week for Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals. As they suffered a crushing defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, things only got worse; video evidence showed their star wideout spitting on Jalen Ramsey, who subsequently threw punches. That earned Chase a one-game suspension next week against the Patriots. With Chase out, can we elevate Tee Higgins to WR1 status against New England for next week’s game?
Analysis
Even with Chase in the lineup, Tee Higgins has been producing excellent results. The acquisition of Joe Flacco, a true gunslinger, has elevated his fantasy outlook. Just look at his production before and after Flacco’s arrival.
Before Flacco came, Higgins averaged just 5.4 targets and 2.6 catches for 31.6 yards per game with two total scores across five games. Mind you, that includes some action with Joe Burrow. Here are Higgins’ per-game averages since Flacco arrived: 7.4 targets, 5.4 catches, and 77.2 yards, to go with five touchdowns. Those are already sure-fire WR1 numbers. Without Ja’Marr Chase drawing targets, it’s a great spot for Higgins to be in.
But there are two important things to consider. First and foremost, Chase is trying to appeal his suspension. Whether or not that appeal has legs is anyone’s guess, and Ian Rapoport broke that down.
It’s also important to acknowledge that Higgins would be due for a showdown with the Patriots and lockdown corner Christian Gonzalez. If Chase was in the lineup, then he’d draw the Gonzalez assignment. Without Chase, that falls to Higgins.
You’d think that the absence of Cincy’s WR1 would improve the outlook of their WR2. But that’s not the case against the Patriots; Gonzalez is just that good. Higgins is still a worthy play because the sheer volume of targets in a negative game script gives him upside. But few are better at blanketing opposing receivers than Christian Gonzalez. If Chase’s suspension is upheld for next week, I’d downgrade Higgins to a low-end WR2.
