Team Profile
Cincinnati Bengals
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-1.8% 21stOff DVOA
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1.4% 22ndPassing DVOA
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11.1% 9thRushing DVOA
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-3.9% 11thDef DVOA
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4.4% 15thDef Passing DVOA
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-10.8% 14thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For11.5 31st
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Points Against11.0 2nd
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Yards Per Game272.0 24th
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Yards Allowed Per Game288.0 10th
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring) is officially inactive for the Week 18 regular season finale on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, as expected. Higgins was listed as doubtful on Friday's final injury report, so fantasy managers should have already been ignoring Higgins everywhere for the final game of the year. The 24-year-old tweaked his hamstring in last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and with the Bengals not having anything to play for in Week 18, they understandably aren't going to let Higgins suit up. He finishes his fourth year in the NFL with his most disappointing season to date, catching 42 passes for 656 yards and five touchdowns on 76 targets over 12 games. Higgins should be able to bounce back in 2024 with better health, but his fantasy value will depend on where he winds up in free agency. Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd will be Cincy's top two wideouts on Sunday.
New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki will operate as the top option at his position with Hunter Henry (knee) sidelined for Week 18 versus the New York Jets. Gesicki has played more than 65 percent of snaps in his two games with Henry sidelined, averaging 8.5 fantasy points per game during that span. However, unfavorable weather conditions will likely limit Gesicki's target total on Sunday. Without meaningful volume, in order for Gesicki to have fantasy relevance, he'll likely need to break off a huge play or find the end zone. Fantasy managers should view him as a mid-to-low TE2 with a mediocre ceiling and low floor.
Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (forearm) is active ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans. The 26-year-old will make his return to the field after missing the last two games due to a forearm issue. He's expected to split up the role in the backfield with fellow running back Jonathan Taylor. Moss was obviously a much more attractive fantasy option when he was getting a bulk of the carries. Now, DFS players should probably stay away with Taylor back in the mix and the Houston Texans defending well against the running back position.
Indianapolis Colts running back Zack Moss (forearm), who is listed as questionable for Saturday night's showdown against the Houston Texans, is expected to play in Week 18, according to sources. It will be the first time the Colts have had him and Jonathan Taylor together in the backfield since Nov. 26, when they combined for 161 total yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. The 26-year-old Moss has missed the last two games and averaged just 2.56 yards per carry on 36 attempts in his last three starts when Taylor was dealing with a thumb injury. Moss did save his fantasy line with nine catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in that span, but he's not going to be a very attractive DFS piece in the regular season finale if he's active this evening. The Texans defense has also allowed the fourth-fewest half-PPR points per game to RBs in the last five weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (foot) doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Sunday's showdown with the Browns. The signal-caller didn't practice on Wednesday because of a foot issue. However, he logged full sessions on Thursday and Friday, so he wasn't in any real danger of missing the finale. Browning has played better than expected after Joe Burrow (wrist) went down for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. Although he hasn't been a consistent fantasy producer, managers still have received some valuable performances from him this season. The 27-year-old hasn't played the best over the last two games. Yet, Browning still has potential against a Browns defense that won't feature Myles Garrett (shoulder, hamstring), who has been a nightmare for offensive lines all year.