Young, Iosivas still battling for Bengals’ WR3 gig

Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters before practice that Higgins would be listed as limited. Not only did he not practice, but the team listed him with a neck injury on top of his adductor issue. He went down with the adductor injury late in Cincy’s Week 4 loss to the Jags. It’s unclear when the neck issue cropped up. With multiple injuries holding him out of practice, Higgins looks unlikely to play in Week 5. With Ja’Marr Chase potentially out as well, Dohnte Meyers could be Joe Burrow No. 1 receiver this week. He should be added in all fantasy formats.

Meyers entered the pass-catching fray with Andrei Iosivas and Colbie Young both out. Add in Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) leaving early and Tee Higgins (adductor) getting hurt at the end of the game and Meyers is suddenly a waiver wire option this week. The 26-year-old former CFL player caught 7 passes, seeing designed screens and downfield targets as he led Bengals wideouts in snaps. He made a juggling catch to set the Bengals up near the red zone on their final drive, capping off a productive day where he mostly operated as the team’s No. 2 receiver. Also involved was Mitchell Tinsley, who caught 3-of-7 targets for 49 yards. As we await Higgins’ and Chase’s statuses for next week, Meyers is the best wide receiver option to add as a potential FLEX play for Week 5 against the Dolphins.

With WR Andrei Iosivas (thumb) on injured reserve, WR Dohnte Meyers should operate as the Bengals’ No. 3 wide receiver this week. He is not reliable enough to warrant FLEX consideration in 12-team leagues, though.

Head coach Zac Taylor said Iosivas is expected to return at some point this year. Colbie Young and Dohnte Meyers will both be in the running for the WR3 role, though it’s not a role that produces fantasy points unless one of Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase goes down.

He played 32-of-60 snaps as the Bengals have spread the ball around, letting Colvie Young (1/7 on one target) and Dohnte Meyers (0/0 on one target) also get involved against the Texans. Iosivas looks like a poor FLEX risk in Week 3 against the Steelers.

Meyers seemingly has the No. 4 wide receiver job locked up. On the first drive, he hauled in three passes. He bagged a nine-yard pass on an in-breaking route from the slot on the first, a 17-yard pass via a corner route from the slot and a 25-yard gain on the following play. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. labeled Meyers a “roster lock,” saying at first a special teams returner role seemed to be Meyers’ ticket to a roster spot, but “the consistency of his playmaking at every turn of camp and the preseason made him undeniable.” He ran with the first-team offense in practice this week, and Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters said, “he can play all three positions.” File Meyers’ name away for down the road.

Per Dehner, Young has “made as many highlight catches as anyone, validating the Bengals’ fourth-round pick.” He believes “the seeds of a bright future were planted” for Young this summer. That said, Young is still developing and is likely to start the season as the Bengals’ No. 5 wide receiver.

Iosivas was on the field for two drives, taking 10 of the first 13 snaps and playing alongside QB Joe Burrow. Fourth-round rookie WR Colbie Young subbed in, taking one snap on the second drive and remained on the field after the starters left. He looked good hauling in a 20-yard gain on 3rd-and-16 from QB Joe Flacco. The battle for the Bengals’ WR3 role continues with Iosivas seemingly ahead of the rookie.

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.