The Cincinnati Bengals will face the division-rival Baltimore Ravens in a must-win game on Thursday Night Football. Will Tee Higgins suit up as the Bengals try to save their season in Week 10? Or will his latest injury keep him out of tonight’s critical contest?
Tee Higgins Injury Update Entering Week 10
Higgins injured his quadricep during Cincinnati’s Friday practice leading into Week 8. While he was listed as questionable for that week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Higgins hasn’t practiced or played since suffering that injury.
The Bengals’ franchise player was considered doubtful to face the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9 after recording three straight DNPs. Higgins didn’t play last week and appears to be following a similar pattern ahead of Week 10.
Higgins did not participate in practice this week and is listed as doubtful for Thursday night’s game.
Head coach Zac Taylor never sounded overly optimistic that Higgins would be able to return on a short week.
.@KetteringHealth Injury Report for #CINvsBAL pic.twitter.com/z8BpTTkLD3
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 6, 2024
“We’ll see,” Taylor said when asked on Monday about Higgins and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. playing in Week 10. “We are limited with our field work, but both those guys have the right attitude about it. Step one is they both want to do it, and now we’ll put them through everything we can in the next couple of days to see where they can help us.”
Higgins also missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury. In fact, he’s never completed a fully healthy campaign over five years in the NFL.
In 2023, Higgins missed time with a fractured rib and a hamstring issue. The year prior, he dealt with a hamstring pull and an ankle sprain. In five games this year, Higgins has posted 29 catches of 45 targets for 341 yards and three touchdowns.
Fantasy Implications of Higgins’ Injury
Higgins had been a more-than-viable fantasy football asset before going down ahead of Week 8. He put up nine catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the Bengals’ first meeting with the Ravens in Week 5, finishing as the WR4 in fantasy. After a WR26 finish in Week 6, Higgins rebounded as the WR9 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7.
Higgins has already experienced success against Baltimore’s woeful secondary, and the Ravens remain an excellent fantasy matchup for opposing passing attacks.
Baltimore is giving up the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers through nine weeks. Just last week, the Ravens let Courtland Sutton post seven catches for 122 yards. The week before, Cedric Tillman went 7-99-2.
The Ravens also rank fourth-worst in pass defense efficiency and success rate. They’re seventh in net passing yards per attempt allowed. Trading for benched Los Angeles Rams cornerback Tre’Davious White at this week’s trade deadline isn’t going to suddenly fix this defensive backfield.
If Higgins doesn’t play, which Bengals pass catchers will take advantage? Ja’Marr Chase will already see plenty of looks for Joe Burrow, but other Cincinnati weapons will also get involved.
Tight end Mike Gesicki has been the primary beneficiary of Higgins’ absences. He’s lining up in the slot on 65% of his snaps this season and running a route on 95% of his plays. The Bengals wisely aren’t asking Gesicki to block, instead relying on his acumen as a pass catcher.
He hauled in seven catches for 73 yards against the Eagles in Week 8 before finishing as fantasy’s TE1 in Week 9 after posting five receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Raiders.
Gesicki is an obvious start at tight end, and you can even play him as a Flex in Week 10. Betting on any of Cincinnati’s other tertiary pass catchers — like Andre Iosivas or Jermaine Burton — might work out given the matchup, but those are thin plays.