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Friday update: Chase is officially OUT for Week 9.
Thursday update: Chase remains a non-participant in practice and is likely to miss the team’s Week 9 game. He wasn’t put on IR because the Bengals believe his hip will recover but the initial diagnosis was suggesting he’d miss 4-6 weeks.
The Cincinnati Bengals will take on the Carolina Panthers in a non-conference matchup in week 9. They are coming off a bad loss to the Cleveland Browns and need to bounce back. Last week, they got the news that star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may miss 4-6 weeks due to a hip injury and there were talks of his going to IR. Throughout the week it was revealed that he was going to avoid IR and may end up returning as soon as Week 9. Chase didn’t practice on Wednesday, so keep an eye out for his practice status for the rest of the week.
Fantasy football implications for Week 9
If Chase is active you are going to play him. We saw the impact that he can have on the offense from his absence this week. He is a touchdown waiting to happen and is nearly matchup-proof from his high ceiling. Chase is going to catch the defense's eye where he is on the field, but he still is the best playmaker Cincinnati has. If he is active, play him.
If Chase misses another game, you would be looking at starting Tee Higgins or Tyler Boyd. Higgins had three receptions on six targets for 49 yards and a touchdown last week. Boyd finished with three receptions on five targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. Both players would see an uptick in work if Chase misses the game and should be started in Week 9.