Cincinnati Bengals DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. writes that all indications are pointing to the Cincinnati Bengals using their franchise tag on impending free-agent wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason. The franchise tag for a receiver for 2024 would cost Cincy $20.7 million. One league source suggested the Bengals could place the tag on Higgins early in the window as a statement acknowledging that no long-term deal will be reached and opening the door for the rest of the league to consider or submit tag-and-trade offers. The team could also tag Higgins again in 2025 but would do so at 120 percent of this year, which would be for $24.8 million. The 25-year-old wideout was a major source of frustration for fantasy managers in 2023, as he played in a career-low 12 games, finishing with 42 catches for 656 yards and only five touchdowns. If he remains in Cincy, his ceiling and floor will be capped as long as he's in the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase.

Indianapolis Colts impending free-agent running back Zack Moss said that he would be interested in re-signing with the team this offseason. Moss showed that he still belongs in the league in 2023 when he took advantage of added opportunities with Jonathan Taylor missing time due to injuries. The 26-year-old played in 14 games (eight starts) and was productive with 794 rushing yards and a career-high five touchdowns on 183 rushing attempts, adding 27 receptions on 37 targets for an additional 192 yards and two touchdowns. If Moss does return to the Colts, it will be as the clear backup to Taylor, and he won't be nearly as productive unless Taylor misses more time due to injury. At best, he'll be a handcuff option for fantasy managers that take Taylor in fantasy drafts this fall if he returns to the Colts.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist) thinks he can be ready to throw by organized team activities this offseason, but he's not completely sure of his timeline as he recovers from season-ending surgery on his right wrist. The 27-year-old signal-caller had a lost season in 2023, first suffering a calf injury in training camp that kept him out of the preseason and was responsible for both him and the Bengals offense getting off to a slow start in the regular season. Burrow's wrist injury caused him to miss the final seven games, and he finished with a career-low 2,309 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games. Even if Burrow isn't quite ready to throw by OTAs this spring, he should be fully recovered by the time training camp starts at the end of July.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Andrei Iosivas finished with five grabs for 36 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's win over the Browns. The rookie appeared in 16 games this season but had just 15 catches. However, he'll finish the year with four touchdowns, considerably more than most expected heading into the season. At any rate, Iosivas did enough to ascend the depth chart heading into the 2024-25 campaign, so he's worth considering late in deep fantasy leagues ahead of Week 1. Of course, after a two-score effort, he'll gain attention from dynasty managers. But it may be best to keep him on the roster, especially since he could see more attention on the offensive end in Cincinnati next season if Tee Higgins leaves in free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase finished the Week 18 win over the Browns by catching four of six targets for 19 yards. The Bengals had nothing to play for but pride on Sunday, and with Chase battling a shoulder injury over the last few weeks, the team didn't want to take any chances with their superstar wideout. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old capped off another strong year, finishing with 100 catches for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns. But with Chase entering his fourth season in the league, contract rumblings will run rampant until he signs a new deal. Yet, regardless of how talks pan out moving forward, he'll remain a first-round fantasy option heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He'll need Joe Burrow (wrist) to stay healthy if he hopes to come close to capturing the magic he had on the offensive end as a rookie.