Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Zac Taylor admitted on Monday that Hurst is "doubtful" to play vs. the Browns this weekend. That'll leave Mitchell Wilcox as Cincinnati's lead TE -- and mean more targets for WRs Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) is "doubtful" to play vs. the Browns this weekend, HC Zac Taylor said Monday. We'll look for further details on Hurst's injury and how long he'll be out. TE Mitchell Wilcox replaced Hurst as Cincinnati's lead TE against the Chiefs but drew just 1 target. Hurst's absence just figures to mean more targets for WRs Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw for 270 yards and 1 TD on 59.5% completions in Sunday's win at Tennessee. WR Tee Higgins snagged that lone TD, en route to easily leading the team with 7 catches for 114 yards. TE Hayden Hurst tied Higgins for the target lead (9) and caught 6 for 57 yards. WR Tyler Boyd added just 2 catches for 16 yards. WR Ja'Marr Chase seems to be trending toward a Week 13 return against Kansas City. That would likely push Boyd out of fantasy-starter consideration.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirms that Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (hip) is not expected to play vs. the Titans today. He's seemingly making good progress with his rehab and should tentatively be expected back for Week 13. His absence today boosts the target projections for WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins set season highs in targets (13), receptions (9) and receiving yards (148) in Sunday's win over the Steelers. He accounted for 33.3% of QB Joe Burrow's pass attempts, 37.5% of the completions and 41.7% of the receiving yardage. RB Samaje Perine was the only other Bengal to catch more than 3 passes. WR Tyler Boyd finished 2nd on the team with 7 targets but caught only 2 for 42 yards. TE Hayden Hurst caught 2 of 3 targets for 28 yards. Week 12 presents a Titans matchup that should further motivate the Bengals to go pass-heavy -- especially if RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is out. The team reportedly hopes to have WR Ja'Marr Chase (hip) back for that game. His return would hurt the fantasy outlook for Boyd more than Higgins.

Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks with a hip injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Chase reportedly suffered the initial injury against the Saints and then aggravated it in the win over the Falcons. The return timeline makes him likely to hit IR. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports, however, that he's only expected to need rest and rehab to come back from it. His absence makes Tyler Boyd a strong fantasy football option for this weekend and beyond.

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd erupted for 8 grabs, 155 yards and 1 score against the Falcons in Week 7. The Bengals talked about getting Boyd more involved — and they delivered. Joe Burrow fed him 9 targets (21.4%) — 2nd most on the team behind Ja’Marr Chase. Boyd scored on a deep ball with help from a defender that tripped and fell. Still, the Bengals’ shift to a more pass-happy approach should provide a boost to him going forward. He's still more WR4 than WR3 when this offense is healthy. But Boyd certainly belongs on rosters in all 10+ team leagues. Next up is a road matchup with Cleveland.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow managed just 217 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT in Sunday night's meeting with a Ravens defense he slaughtered last year. Granted, this Baltimore D is healthier and Tee Higgins left early after aggravating his sprained ankle. But Burrow can't blame the protection this time. According to Pro Football Focus, no QB faced a lower rate of pressure in Week 5. Burrow took only 2 sacks among 38 dropbacks. He targeted WR Ja'Marr Chase a team-high 12 times but connected on just 7 for 50 yards. TE Hayden Hurst ranked 2nd in targets (7) and receptions (6), led the team with 53 receiving yards and caught Cincinnati's only TD pass. Burrow added a 1-yard TD on the ground. Week 6 brings a decent matchup with New Orleans, and Burrow sits a nice 7th among QBs in fantasy points per game for the year so far.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow rebounded from a pair of shaky outings to post his best fantasy outing so far this season in Sunday's win over the Jets. Burrow tallied 275 yards and 3 TDs, hitting Samaje Perine, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd for scores. Chase led the team with 10 targets but managed only 29 yards on his 6 receptions. Boyd checked in 4th with 5 targets but caught 4 of them for 105 yards. His big strike was a 56-yard catch-and-run TD. Higgins proved steadiest, catching 5 balls for 93 yards among 7 looks. Cincinnati gets a home date with the Dolphins this Thursday night, then visits to Baltimore and New Orleans.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor confirmed Monday that WR Tee Higgins is in the concussion protocol. Taylor said "the conversations are encouraging" -- whatever that means. Consider Higgins no better than 50/50 to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Cowboys. His absence would be a boost to WR Tyler Boyd and TE Hayden Hurst.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow told reporters that he won't play in Sunday's regular-season finale. He said it's to "rest up," but it's also worth remembering that Burrow tweaked his right knee at the end of last week's win over the Chiefs. Cincinnati has a 1st-round home playoff game locked up and would need the Titans to lose to the Texans and the Chiefs to lose to the Broncos to get the #1 seed. RB Joe Mixon (COVID) is already out for Week 18, and we're not expecting WRs Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to play much, if at all, vs. Cleveland. QB Brandon Allen will get the start.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (shoulder) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Jaguars. We still don't have a timetable for Higgins' return. Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd will again operate as Cincinnati's clear top 2 WRs in tomorrow's plus matchup.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (shoulder) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Steelers. Auden Tate figures step in as Cincinnati’s #3 WR but would be a desperation fantasy play. Higgins’ absence frees up a bunch of targets for WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Bengals WR Tee Higgins (shoulder) is not expected to play vs. the Steelers today. Higgins is listed as doubtful, so no surprise there. Auden Tate is the favorite to move into Cincinnati's 3-WR sets but isn't a viable fantasy play. WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd should pick up extra targets with Higgins out.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins (shoulder) is listed as doubtful for this weekend’s game vs. the Steelers. HC Zac Taylor said Friday that he wants to wait to see how Higgins feels on Sunday before ruling him out -- but he’s obviously a long shot. Higgins’ absence would elevate WR Auden Tate to the #3 WR spot and free up a bunch of targets for WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.

The Bengals offense has struggled early in training camp, according to The Athletic. QB Joe Burrow, in particular, has struggled with turnovers and accuracy. "It’s just not good right now," insiders Jay Morrison and Paul Dehner write. "Throws that felt like layups last year are dropping harmlessly away from receivers or easily broken up by multiple defenders." It's early August. And Burrow, of course, is returning from last year's multi-ligament injury. So we're not hitting the panic button yet. But this has certainly become a situation to monitor over the next month.

The Bengals added LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase with the 5th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chase opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns but had nothing left to prove after a massive 2019. He set single-season SEC records with 1,780 yards and 20 TDs. And he did it as a true sophomore battling for targets with Justin Jefferson, who just set the record for receiving yards by a rookie, and Terrace Marshall, who is expected to be a 1st- or 2nd-rounder this year. Chase goes 6’0, 201 pounds but plays bigger. He’s physical through his routes, at the catch point and after the catch. And he’s excellent going deep, leading the nation with 24 catches 20+ yards downfield in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. Chase blew up his Pro Day, blazing a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and registering a huge 41-inch vertical to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. “Chase is one of the best wide receivers in the last 10 years,” a longtime scout told The Athletic’s Bob McGinn. “He can take an underneath ball and go 80 yards. He can just run right by you and catch it 60 yards downfield. He’s built like a fullback almost, but can run like a wide receiver. He’s as good as it gets.” Chase reunites with QB Joe Burrow in Cincinnati as part of a loaded WR corps alongside Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. Any of those 3 could lead the team in targets this season.

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd (concussion) has been cleared to play in this weekend's finale vs. the Ravens, HC Zac Taylor Friday. Boyd has played just 2 full games without QB Joe Burrow, totaling 15 targets, 8 catches and 58 scoreless yards. He's a low-upside Week 17 fantasy play.

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Wednesday, giving him a shot to play vs. the Ravens this weekend. We'll monitor his progress over the next couple of days.

The Bengals have ruled WR Tyler Boyd (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Texans. That positions Tee Higgins as the clear #1 WR against a bad Houston secondary. Cincinnati will also get QB Brandon Allen back. The Bengals left him off the final injury report for the week after Allen missed Week 15 with a knee injury. Allen is nothing special but raises the passing-volume ceiling. Higgins looks like a decent WR3 for Week 16.