Ja'Marr

Chase

Coming off a triple-crown season in 2024, expectations were sky-high for Chase, with most fantasy managers treating him as the 1.01 in drafts. His and the Bengals’ season, however, was quickly derailed by a turf toe injury to Joe Burrow. Chase totaled 10 catches for 73 yards in Jake Browning’s first two starts of the year. He got on track in Browning’s third start and then kept his foot on the gas after Joe Flacco took over under center. Chase put up his usual video game numbers with Flacco and eventually Burrow on the sticks in the second half of the season. From Week 6 onward, Chase amassed 93 catches for 1,038 yards and five scores. He did, however, miss one game late in the year after being hit with a one-game suspension for spitting on Steelers corner Jalen Ramsey in Week 11. It’s strange to call a 1,400-yard season a disappointment, but Chase could have posted another historic campaign had things gone to plan for Burrow and the team. Still, he has done nothing to dissuade fantasy managers from treating him as the WR1 overall for 2026.

Musing during the week about the fact he had not scored since Week 7, Chase naturally responded with the 13th multi-score effort of his increasingly-illustrious career. No. 1 was a 13-yard YAC job on a first quarter quick out. No. 2 was an eight-yarder on a second quarter goal-line slant. Leading 30-7 midway through the third quarter and 37-7 before the frame was through, the Bengals then took the air out of the ball for the entire fourth quarter. Stacking up absurd stats as always, Chase is just three receptions away from his second straight 120-catch campaign. He should be rocking and rolling early against the Browns in Week 18.

The 100-yard outing was the seventh of the season for the Bengals’ alpha. It came with Tee Higgins back in the lineup. Chase has had a few clunkers over the past month, but you can basically take 6/90 to the bank, while 8/120 is always realistic. That will include for Week 17 against the Cardinals, who are in the running for the worst defense going right now.

Chase saw a whopping 41 percent target share in this one, and was aided by a negative game script in the Bengals’ shutout loss. Chase played a role in Joe Burrow’s first interception of the afternoon when a high-thrown ball tipped off his hands and landed in the arms of Marlon Humphrey, but he returned on the following drive and immediately made a 34-yard reception. He was pivotal late in the game, hauling in three passes on an 80-yard drive that stalled with a pick-six near the Ravens end zone. Chase did about all he could for the Bengals and his fantasy managers. Now sitting on a 101-1,147-5 line, Chase will look to continue his WR1 ways next week against the Dolphins.

The first half of this game was played in some pretty intense snow, and the field remained slippery for much of the second half, but the Bengals had 338 yards of offense, so, surprisingly, Chase couldn’t get there. Part of it is that Tee Higgins had a good day, but the other aspect of it is that CB Christian Benford has played well for Buffalo since managing through an injury to start the season. Benford shadowed Chase all over the field on Sunday, and, according to Next Gen Stats, in the 16 matchups between the two, Chase had no catches on just two targets, so Joe Burrow just took easier throws elsewhere. Chase should be in for a much bigger day next week against the Ravens.

Joe Burrow returned to action this week and wasted no time rekindling his affinity for throwing Chase the football. Chase racked up a gaudy 30 percent target share. His 110 yards were 75 more than any other Bengal. Chase Brown also caught seven passes and no other player brought in more than two balls. Chase and Burrow weren’t on the same page for every throw, but Burrow still gave him looks at every level of the field, including a deep shot that netted the Bengals’ 43 yards. It was their longest play of the day. As you’d expect, Chase will contend for the WR1 overall spot in a likely shootout with the Bills next week.

Nelson, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA, upheld Chase’s one-game suspension. Chase appealed his suspension for spitting on Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey during the Bengals’ Week 11 loss. He argued he would have aimed for Ramsey’s face and not the jersey or ground if he meant to spit on Ramsey. Chase’s argument did not appeal to Jordy Nelson and the one-game suspension is upheld. He will miss Week 12 against the Patriots, losing a game check of $507,156 as a result.

The league handed down a suspension after Chase was seen spitting at Steelers S Jalen Ramsey during the Bengals’ Week 11 loss to the Steelers. Chase will reportedly argue that if he meant to spit at Ramsey, he would have aimed for his face and not his jersey or the ground. It’s an interesting argument, one that likely won’t change the NFL’s calculus in suspending the star wideout. Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas would operate as the Bengals’ top two receivers if Chase misses Week 12 against the Patriots.

Tape don’t lie. Shortly after he denied spitting on Ramsey in Week 11’s loss to the Steelers, videos emerged that clearly showed Chase spitting on Ramsey during a scuffle between the two in the fourth quarter. Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase following the incident, but the league appears to have sided with him in this matter. Chase can and will appeal the league’s decision to suspend him if he chooses to do so, but the evidence is pretty convincing. Chase will miss Week 12’s game against the Patriots if the suspension is upheld.

When asked why he punched Chase in Week 11’s win over the Bengals, Steelers corner Ramsey accused Chase of spitting on him, which the star receiver denied. Videos have since surfaced showing Chase clearly spitting in the direction of Ramsey, but whether or not there was any intent to spit on Ramsey is up for interpretation. The league will presumably look to determine whether or not Chase intended to spit on Ramsey during their review of the matter, but it’s possible that a one-game suspension could be handed down, similar to what we saw with Jalen Carter in Week 1 when he spat on Dak Prescott after the opening kickoff.