Inactives update: Chase is active. Worth a fantasy football start if you need him.
Game day update: There is “optimism” Chase will be able to play on Sunday, per Adam Schefter, be he “plans to test it pregame to see how it feels.”
The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs meet in a Week 17 matchup on New Years Eve this Sunday, December 31. The Bengals are looking to regroup after suffering a 34-11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and may welcome a return from lead wideout Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase was a DNP for the Bengals Wednesday practice, but was upgraded to limited participation for Thursday and Friday. His official designation for Sunday’s contest is questionable, but he is trending toward playing, per Mike Petraglia.
Here’s the final injury report for the Chiefs and Bengals. pic.twitter.com/tOzdbTX08M
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) December 29, 2023
This is a crucial game for Cincinnati who will need to win their final two games for a potential playoff berth.
Ja’Marr Chase injury
Fantasy football analysis
Even without primary QB Joe Burrow, Chase is a must-start type of talent every week. He currently leads the team in targets (132), receptions (92), yards (1,156) and touchdowns (7). That combined with some of the pregame trash talk he’s exhibited assures that the LSU product will try to give it a go this week.
Chiefs lead DB L’Jarius Sneed is also questionable to play, an advantage toward the Bengals offense. The Bengals need wins for a shot at the playoffs and it all starts with their All-Pro pass catcher in Chase. If he doesn’t play, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Andrei Iosivas are likely to see an increase in reps.
Betting analysis
Cincinnati is +6.5 on the spread and a +240 underdog on the moneyline, per Draftkings Sportsbook. Given the Chiefs are at home and with Burrow being out, this line is favorable. Chase historically plays well versus Kansas City and if he does suit up, his odds for anytime TD scorer are +155. The Chiefs do allow only 173.8 passing yards per game, good enough for second in the league, but Chase has the break away speed to score six.