Cincinnati Bengals DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson (knee) officially did not practice Friday. After opening the week as a back-to-back non-participant, Hudson will have one more chance to get in a limited session on Saturday to help his case for suiting up Monday night when the team hosts the visiting Washington Commanders. He was one of four Bengals TEs to record a snap in Week 1 but has yet to suit up since. In the meantime, teammate Mike Gesicki showed out this past Sunday in Cincinnati's 26-25 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, hauling in 7-of-9 targets for 91 yards -- despite playing the fewest snaps of the active tight ends. Gesicki may have separated himself from Hudson, Drew Sample, and rookie Erick All Jr., but that is not guaranteed. Regardless, Hudson can be off fantasy manager's radars as the team's third TE.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring) is practicing for the second straight day this week on Friday. Higgins injured his hamstring on Sept. 5 during preparation for the Week 1 season-opener and has been unavailable for the first two games of the season as a result. However, he returned to a limited practice on Thursday and appears to be moving closer to making his 2024 debut. Still, it's unclear if the 25-year-old's season debut will come on Monday night against the visiting Washington Commanders, and Cincy won't release their final injury report of the week until Saturday. When fully healthy, Higgins is Cincy's WR2 behind Ja'Marr Chase and is a big part of the passing attack. Because he's yet to play in 2024 and because the Bengals could ease him back into the fold if he's active on Monday night, Higgins is a pretty risky flex plan for fantasy managers in Week 3.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (calf) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status before his matchup against the Commanders on Monday evening. However, seeing him at practice is a promising sign that the injury is not severe. Last week, the Penn State product caught seven of his nine targets for 91 yards. In the season opener, Gesicki caught three of his four targets. The 28-year-old has emerged as a prominent pass-catcher in this offense while Tee Higgins (hamstring) remains sidelined. Even if Higgins makes his 2024 season debut on Monday, Gesicki should still be viewed as a high-end TE2, given his current role in the Cincinnati offense.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said that wide receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring) will practice on Thursday. Higgins tweaked his hamstring in practice before the Week 1 season opener and has missed the first two games of the season as a result. Taylor said earlier this week that Higgins is trending in the right direction, and he has an extra day to prepare for the team's Monday night contest against the Washington Commanders in Week 3. The 25-year-old will likely be a limited participant on Thursday, but it's good news nonetheless as he builds up to making his 2024 debut. When healthy, Higgins will operate as Cincy's No. 2 wideout behind All-Pro Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins' impending return will inevitably take targets away from tight end Mike Gesicki and receiver Andrei Iosivas, who scored two touchdowns in the Week 2 loss to the Chiefs.

The Buffalo Bills brought in free-agent kickers Anders Carlson and Cade York for workouts, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Bills starting kicker Tyler Bass has made three of four field-goal attempts so far this season, but the team is looking at other options after Bass missed by a wide margin on his lone failed attempt. Bass has also struggled with the new kickoff at times this season. Carlson struggled in his rookie season last year with the Green Bay Packers, and York had stints with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.