The Cincinnati Bengals have not gotten off to the start they desired this season. An injury to Joe Burrow and their notable defensive issues have been enough to sink their outlook on the season as they enter Week 12 with a 3-7 record. Burrow is working his way back from his turf toe injury as quickly as possible, but the outlook for when he returns has looked increasingly bleak. The Bengals will be facing off with the New England Patriots in Week 12 as they attempt to change this.
However, the outlook has further shifted from the news that Ja’Marr Chase will miss this week due to a suspension. This is a huge hit to the Bengals’ overall offense, but it opens the door for under-the-radar contributors and creates some opportunities for value on the DFS slates. One player who should especially be in line for an increase in opportunities is Andrei Iosivas.
Ja’Marr Chase Suspended
Plenty of headlines were made from Jalen Ramsey’s ejection from Week 11 for punching Bengals’ wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. But the Steelers’ star was not ready to drop the topic postgame and claimed the Bengals’ star spit on him to cause the incident. Video footage surfaced backing up Ramsey’s claim shortly after.
This led the NFL to get involved and they have handed Chase a one-game suspension due to the action. The four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver is coming off a season in which he led the NFL in receptions, reception yards, and touchdowns just last year. Through the opening 10 games of this season, Chase is leading the league with 79 receptions once again, while adding 861 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
Chase will appeal the suspension and is awaiting the final ruling. It is worth noting that Eagles DL Jalen Carter was ejected from the opening week matchup against the Cowboys for spitting on Dak Prescott without ever recording a snap. Chase will likely make the case that Carter was not suspended, but the official terms of the suspension is for “unsportsmanlike conduct” at this time.
Andrei Iosivas Fantasy Football Outlook
Cincinnati has a high-powered offense that is dependent on plenty of production through the air. They rank third in passing attempts, third in passing touchdowns, and 14th in passing yards on the season, even while Burrow has been sidelined since Week 2. The offense almost entirely stalled with Jake Browning taking the reins under center, but the organization traded for Joe Flacco to give them a chance to remain in the playoff mix.
Even more notably, their defense has not been able to generate stops against just about anyone. Cincinnati ranks dead last in points and yards allowed on the season. They have not held an opponent to below 27 points since Week 1 against the Browns. The Bengals will be taking on the 9-2 New England Patriots who are clicking on all cylinders and rank seventh in scoring on the year.
All signs point toward the game script commanding the Bengals needing to land on a pass-heavy approach in this game. While Chase headlines the production, Tee Higgins also remains a must start in any form of DFS or fantasy football conversation. Higgins has 35 receptions for 544 yards and seven touchdowns on the year. Andrei Iosivas has also carved out a nice niche for himself with 19 receptions for 256 yards and a touchdown on the year.
The Princeton product grew into a reliable red zone threat last season, pulling in six touchdowns and adding 479 yards through the air. He is averaging 5.2 fantasy points per game this season based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 96th among all wide receivers. If Cincinnati is to have any chance in this game, it is going to require plenty of production through the air with all pass catchers involved. Iosivas has been targeted at least three times in each of the past five weeks and has seen his importance in the offense grow. Expect him to play a notable role this week, even if some of the production comes with the game out of reach.
Looking at the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] contest, Iosivas is a bargain flier at $4,100. Expect the Princeton product to outperform his price point in a major way and have a clear pathway to his best output of the season with Chase such a seismic loss in the Bengals’ offense.
