Young, Iosivas still battling for Bengals’ WR3 gig

Baby’s practice notes indicate that incumbent No. 3 WR Andrei Iosivas and No. 1 TE Mike Gesicki are the other two competitors for the role, and both players “had productive springs.” Pitcher also said RB Chase Brown “can sometimes be viewed as a slot receiver,” but those types of comments are common in the summer and rarely pan out in the fall. Iosivas and Gesicki have been helpful contributors, but the fact that the team is searching for an answer at the No. 3 receiving role is indicative of their ceilings. Pitcher believes Young is “going to fight and battle” this summer, and thinks there are things Young “can do quickly and help us.” If he can actually become the team’s third-most voluminous target earner, he could pay off as a late-round best ball pick.

Young is a towering X-receiver (6’5/218) who The Athletic’s Dane Brugler compared “stylistically” to Broncos WR Courtland Sutton. Young, 23, spent one season at Lackawanna College before transferring to Miami in 2022 and Georgia in 2024. He was suspended for nine games and served 12 months of probation following a 2024 and missed six games in 2025 after undergoing surgery in-season for a fractured left fibula and torn ligament. Young averaged 14.7 yards per reception in his final college season. He will likely begin as an NFL backup entering a Bengals wide receiver room led by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

This isn’t a front-page headline or anything, but OC Dan Pitcher did say that Iosivas “would probably tell you that there were points last year that he was happy with his play and points where he felt he needed to be better.” Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Iosivas could be pushed by Mitchell Tinsley or a draft pick for playing time.

Iosivas proved to be a capable depth option in 2024, but there wasn’t much room for his role to grow this year. He appeared in all 17 games and totaled 34 grabs for 435 yards. His 2025 stat line was nearly identical to 2024’s, except for a notable drop in touchdowns. He scored six times last year compared to two touchdowns this time around. For fantasy purposes, Iosivas only cracks the weekly FLEX ranks when one of Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins is sidelined. He won’t be on the redraft radar for his fourth NFL season.

Oh, dear. This is unfortunate. Higgins practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday. If he is unable to participate today, it likely means that he suffered a setback. The Bengals face the Dolphins this week. Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. With Higgins sidelined, the Bengals had WR Andrei Iosivas operate as the No. 2, while Mitchell Tinsley handled No. 3 duties.

Taylor told reporters that Higgins — who was checked multiple times after a couple major hits on Sunday — reported symptoms after the game. Given the quick turnaround from his last concussion, it would be surprising if Higgins managed to play this week. It looks like Andrei Iosivas and Mitchell Tinsley, as well as Mike Gesicki, will be solidly on the 12-team radar for Week 15.

With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins back in the lineup, this was to be expected. His one incompletion was a ghastly drop. Higgins did have to go to the blue medical tent twice during the game for concussion checks. Keep an eye on the Bengals’ practice report, but with both Chase and Higgins healthy Iosivas isn’t much of a play in fantasy leagues.

Tee Higgins was out this week, freeing up some work for the Bengals’ depth receivers. Despite Mitchell Tinsley seeing nine targets to Iosivas’s two, Iosivas ultimately went for more yards and scored the only receiving touchdown for a Cincinnati wide receiver today. Higgins missed five games in 2024. Iosivas only caught eight passes in those games, but he found the end zone three times. Higgins missed this game with a concussion, meaning he could be back for Week 14. Iosivas won’t be on the fantasy radar if that happens. He will be a touchdown-or-bust WR6 if Higgins is out again.

With such a short turnaround time to clear protocol and prepare for the Ravens, Higgins has already been ruled out. The star receiver will instead set his sights on clearing concussion protocol in time to suit up for Week 14’s game against the Bills. Higgins’ absence will create another opening for Andrei Iosivas to have another impactful day after he went for 4-61-0 on seven targets against the Patriots with Ja’Marr Chase suspended.

With Ja’Marr Chase suspended for this one, Iosivas stepped into a much bigger role for the Bengals. Unfortunately, it did not lead to much fantasy goodness, even though Iosivas did make two big catches on the final drive. With Tee Higgins suffering a potential concussion, Iosivas could remain on the fantasy radar on Thursday against the Ravens, but he would be little more than a deeper league FLEX option.