Andrei

Iosivas

Iosivas’ only failed reception almost resulted in a fumble and turnover in the fourth quarter, only for the play to be ruled incomplete following further review. Iosivas continues to play a limited complementary role for a Bengals team largely reliant on the exploits of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown.

Iosivas wasn’t asked to do a lot, but he made a great touchdown catch in traffic and held onto a 17-yard pass while getting drilled over the middle of the field. The emergence of Mike Gesicki has made Iosivas the clear fourth option in the passing game, alongside Chase Brown, and it’s noteworthy for his fantasy value that he had just four targets despite the Bengals being down and needing to throw most of the game. He remains on the fantasy radar in deep leagues only while the Bengals are healthy.

Iosivas played a complementary role with the return of Tee Higgins following a three-game absence, finishing fourth in receiving behind Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins, and newfound workhorse running back Chase Brown. He made a striking grab over the middle of the field with 18 seconds remaining to give the team a chance at a Hail Mary as time expired, a pass that ultimately fell to the ground incomplete to seal the game. Iosivas’ fleeting fantasy value has all but evaporated with a full supporting cast.

Tonight was the first time Iosivas reached two catches in four weeks. He has 39 yards during that time span, extra disappointing considering it’s come with Tee Higgins missing three of those contests. Iosivas isn’t 12-team league relevant and is unlikely to become so down the stretch.

Higgins did not practice this week and is set to miss Cincinnati’s second matchup with the Ravens. It will be his third game sidelined because of the quad injury. Mike Gesicki has operated as the Bengals’ de facto No. 2 receiver in his absence. The veteran tight end caught five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns last week. He will remain in the TE1 ranks for a potential shootout with Baltimore. Andrei Iosivas is running plenty of routes sans Higgins but is nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust WR5.

Iosivas’ sole catch on the day was a 10-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. He also notably drew a red zone defensive pass interference in the third quarter. Iosivas continues to be a big jump ball target, though he is not reliable as Tee Higgins, who has that role when healthy. Iosivas is a touchdown-dependent fantasy play who has WR4 upside against a weak Ravens secondary should Higgins stay out for Week 10.

Higgins will be inactive for the second straight game due to a quad injury. He has not practiced in over a week and will now miss Week 9 against the Raiders. Andrei Iosivas is the primary beneficiary of Higgins’ absence with Charlie Jones (groin) out and Jermaine Burton a surprising healthy scratch. Iosivas has some FLEX upside, though expect the Bengals offense to primarily run through Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Gesicki, and Chase Brown. The Bengals have a quick turnaround to a Thursday game in Week 10, so Higgins will possibly miss that game as well. Burton, meanwhile, seems to be out of favor with Bengals coaches, receiving a healthy scratch with both Higgins and Jones out.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor called Higgins day to day on Monday. Though he could return to practice and ultimately play on Sunday, a DNP to open the proceedings is a bad sign for his Week 9 availability. Andrei Iosivas ran a route on nearly every Joe Burrow dropback last week but did not catch a single pass. Mike Gesicki was the ancillary pass-catcher who stepped up in Higgins’ absence, reeling in seven balls for 73 yards. He will climb to the top of the TE2 rankings if Higgins is sidelined once again.

Despite Tee Higgins (quad) being out, Iosivas did not make an impact on the game. He was targeted three times, failing to catch any of them. Jermaine Burton had a 41-yard catch while Trenton Irwin made a four-yard catch as TE Mike Gesicki was the actual No. 2 pass-catching option without Higgins. Iosivas should remain on fantasy benches moving forward.

Fowler said on Saturday night that the team will still need to see how he feels in the morning before making a final determination. As he noted, Cincinnati doesn’t want to push Higgins this week, only for his quad injury to turn into a long-term concern. Signs are pointing toward Higgins suiting up this week, but fantasy managers will want to check in on the Bengals’ inactives before kickoff. Andrei Iosivas will take Higgins’ spot in the lineup if he is ruled out.