Tee

Higgins

Higgins missed the first two practices of the week but practiced in full on Friday. We would consider him to be truly questionable given his one day of practice, meaning fantasy managers will want to check his official game status when the team announces inactives 90 minutes before kickoff. If he can’t go, Dohnte Meyers, who saw nine targets last week, could be on the fantasy radar as a WR4 in deeper leagues.

Chase still needs to clear concussion protocol if he hopes to suit up for Week 5’s game against the Dolphins. That said, he appears to be trending toward being able to play after logging back-to-back practices to close out the week. Tee Higgins (groin/neck), who was a DNP on Wednesday and Thursday was also seen sprinting and running routes on Friday, which suggests he could also be good to go for Sunday’s game. We will check back in with official game day statuses in the coming hours when the team releases its final injury report.

Higgins is sporting a T-shirt and shorts at today’s practice. We expect to see him listed as a non-participant at the end of the day. Consecutive absences put him on the wrong side of questionable for the Bengals’ Week 5 game against the Dolphins, though he still has at least a small chance of turning things around tomorrow. Stay tuned.

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.

Higgins went down with the injury in the fourth quarter of Week 4. He tried to play through it but ultimately ended the game on the sidelines. A limited practice today is a good sign for his Week 5 availability. That will be doubly important with Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) also questionable for Sunday’s game. If Chase can’t clear protocol in time, Higgins will operate as the Bengals’ No. 1 receiver. Even at less than full strength, he would be a fringe WR1 play.

Taylor said that the team would see where he is at this week. It sounds like the practice reports will loom large for Higgins ahead of next Sunday’s game. Dohnte Meyers took on a big role in the absence of Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) Sunday and could have even more of a runway if both Higgins and Chase are sidelined this week.

Higgins had a monstrous day, seeing 16 of Joe Burrow’s 54 pass attempts. With Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) exiting early, Higgins made a series of toe-tap sideline catches and saw several contested targets. He suffered an injury making a sideline grab in the fourth quarter and missed the Bengals’ final drive. ESPN’s Ben Baby reports Higgins tried to give it a go but could not push through an apparent adductor injury. The severity of the injury is not yet known but there is a chance Higgins misses time. Higgins is a weekly WR2 fantasy play that enters WR1 territory when Chase is out. Injury reports from this week will tell if Higgins can go in Week 5 against the Dolphins.

Higgins scored his first touchdown of the season late in the second quarter when he hauled in a contested target against Asante Samuel Jr. for a 28-yard score while falling backward in the end zone. Higgins has now gone for 90-plus yards in back-to-back games and has seen six or more targets in every game this season. He’ll be a high-upside WR2 in next week’s game against the Jaguars.

Higgins had a number of incredible catches in this one, including a backshoulder ball in the fourth quarter. His longest gain of the day, a 23-yarder to get the Bengals into Ja’Marr Chase touchdown range, actually happened when he was left uncovered by the Texans over the middle. Whoops. Higgins will be a WR2 against the Steelers in Week 3.

Higgins also had a long second half reception overturned when he failed to keep control heading to the ground. Like Ja’Marr Chase, it was a quiet statistical start to the year caused in part by short Bengals fields following Bucs turnovers. Tampa’s defense also seemed to be forcing Joe Burrow to the middle of the field. Higgins has a tough Week 2 test in the Texans, but we are still firing him up as a WR2 after Houston’s defense folded vs. the Bills on Sunday.