Taylor: Chase (knee) will be limited this week

He will play and be on the overall WR1 line against the Titans. Zac Taylor spoke earlier today and said he had no concerns about Chase. Everyone has downplayed concerns about Chase’s ankle for the majority of the week. He will be a smash play against a Jeffrey Simmons-less Titans defense.

Chase quickly puts his fantasy managers’ worries to rest, returning to a full session Thursday after being limited Wednesday. The Bengals will be playing without two tight ends and their WR3 in Andre Iosivas, but their primary contributors remain one of the healthier units as we approach the half way point in the regular season. Chase can be started as a top tier WR1 against the Titans.

Rap isn’t breaking much news here. Chase didn’t practice on Wednesday, but the Bengals listed him as getting a rest day on top of the ankle issue. It was just a maintenance day for one of the league’s best wideouts. Chase remains in the WR1 overall mix for his Week 8 game against the Titans.

The rest aspect suggests Chase’s ankle injury can effectively be treated as a non-issue, but NFL teams have played games with the injury report at times this season, so we are cataloguing it here to be safe. Assuming Chase resumes practicing tomorrow, he can be started as an elite WR1, as usual, in Week 8 against the Titans.

Chase caught just two passes for 23 yards in the first half, but he popped up for a 30-yard gain in the fourth quarter on a drive that he capped with a two-yard touchdown to save the day for his fantasy managers. His seven targets tied Tee Higgins for the team-high this week, but Higgins had the far more productive day. He’s still in search of his first 100-yard performance of the year, but Chase has now found the end zone five times and has gone for 60-plus yards in four of six games this season. He’ll be on the WR1 radar next week against the Titans.

Higgins came up big multiple times for the Bengals in the second half after they were shut out 13-0 in the first half. He hauled in passes of 10 and 19 yards on the Bengals’ opening drive in the second half to help set up an eventual six-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki, and hauled in a 13-yard touchdown of his own on the following drive. He would also make two catches of 40-plus yards, and came up six yards short of a second touchdown on an impressive 44-yard grab — his longest play of the day. Higgins has gone for 140-plus yards in two of his last three games and has topped 90 yards in four of six games this season. He profiles as a high-end WR2 in next week’s game against the Titans.

Higgins saw just four targets against the Dolphins after seeing 16 targets in Week 4. The adductor/neck injuries didn’t limit his playing time as much, seeing 45 snaps on the day, No. 2 among Bengals receivers. With Ja’Marr Chase back on the field, Higgins’ target volume decreased considerably and he totaled just 22 yards in a more run-favorable game script. Despite the dud, Higgins still belongs in the WR2 ranks and gets a mediocre Ravens defense in Week 7 after a Week 6 bye.

Chase returned from a concussion he suffered last week, seeing 10 targets in a productive fantasy day. He saw a goal-line fade target on the Bengals’ first drive and was later tackled at the one-yard line towards the end of the first half. Joe Burrow missed Chase for a 70-yard touchdown in the second half but Chase made a miraculous catch with his right arm for a 45-yard touchdown later in the half. He finishes with a successful fantasy day and is squarely in the WR1 ranks heading into the Bengals’ Week 6 bye.

Higgins suffered an adductor injury in Week 4 against the Jaguars and was a full practice participant Friday after DNPs the two days before. Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) both declared active. Though NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports he will play mostly “meaningful plays”, Higgins is in the WR2 ranks while Chase is back in the WR1 ranks this week. The Bengals declared S Kyle Dugger, C Connor Lew, OT Myles Hinton, TE Jack Endries, WR Colbie Young, and DT Landon Robinson inactive for Week 5 against the Dolphins.

Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) will also play. Higgins is likely suiting up at less than full strength, but fantasy managers have to keep him in their lineups versus a Miami defense that is giving up explosive passing plays at the second-highest rate in the league this year. He will be a boom/bust WR2 for Week 5.