The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Bengals skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 11 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Joe Burrow, QB
Joe Burrow took full advantage of a soft spot on Thursday night, ripping apart the Baltimore Ravens to the tune of 428 yards and four scores in the one-point loss. Bengals fans can be disappointed with this team’s 4-6 record, but fantasy managers who looked past the unique injury last season and the season-opening dud (remember that he threw for 164 touchdown-less yards in a home loss to the Patriots?) have been rewarded.
Handsomely.
Burrow is now the first AFC quarterback to throw four touchdown passes in consecutive games since … himself (Weeks 16-17, 2021). As the leader of the top pass-rate-over-expectation team in the NFL, he deserves to be locked in with confidence moving forward.
Of course, no player is untradeable at the right price, and this is a prime example of that. If your team is somewhere in the 4-6 or 5-5 range and you view the next few weeks as critical to either make the playoffs or set yourself up in a favorable spot, I’d test the waters.
- Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 12: Bye
- Week 13: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
But wait, that’s not all. The final three weeks of the season are just as brutal.
- Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns (Thursday night)
- Week 17: vs. Denver Broncos
- Week 18 (if needed): at Pittsburgh Steelers
It is worth noting that Burrow is pretty close to the matchup-proof tier of fantasy signal callers. That said, his per-game fantasy production is 15.3% lower if you remove the two games against pass-funnel Baltimore.
What could you get with Brock Purdy for Burrow? Purdy’s bye is behind him, has Christian McCaffrey back, will likely be playing meaningful games all season, and wraps the standard fantasy season with four straight good weather spots, the final three in advantageous spots (Rams, Dolphins, and Lions).
Chase Brown, RB
The Bengals placed Zack Moss (neck) on IR last week, and that encouraged them to make a deadline deal for Khalil Herbert, a move that inspired some strong reactions.
I’m not here to say that’s the wrong angle, but Chase Brown played 88% of the snaps on Thursday night in Baltimore while racking up 13 rush attempts and earning 11 targets (nine catches for 52 yards). They tried to get Herbert’s feet wet, and he put a handoff on the ground. Now, it was a quick turnaround following the trade, and he did recover the fumble to prevent a complete disaster, but it certainly wasn’t an inspiring debut.
Brown has scored in six of his past seven games and has produced 3.6% over fantasy expectations this season. I do think there is some validity to shifting some work Herbert’s way, but what’s the ceiling? Brown held roughly a 65/35% touch edge recently over Moss. If that’s the floor, we are still talking about a fine RB2 for the remainder of the season as the featured back in an offense that is going to be asked to score plenty.
This isn’t a good matchup, and that goes without saying, but Brown’s versatility should be able to overcome that (see Week 10) until we have a tangible reason to doubt his volume.
Khalil Herbert, RB
Due to the struggles on the defensive end, the Bengals need to be close to flawless on the offensive end. I mean, we just saw them finish four of their final seven possessions with a touchdown and lose. The margin for error is so thin for this team, and that simply doesn’t give them the luxury of a new player into a meaningful role.
Khalil Herbert mishandled the ball on one of his two snaps on Thursday night and doesn’t need to be held onto right now. That said, if you have an 8-2 team and are looking for a luxury stash, go ahead — he’s probably one injury away from a strong role on an elite offense. Outside of that, however, I’d pass until we see proof that he’s going to assume even the role that once belonged to Zack Moss.
Andrei Iosivas, WR
Andrei Iosivas has seen 17.1% of his targets come in the end zone this season, and that has resulted in him hanging onto rosters in many leagues, especially with Tee Higgins missing three straight games (quad). But you can safely move on.
In those three games, with an expanded role, Iosivas has caught three of 11 targets for 39 yards as a part of an offense that has scored 92 points. You were chasing touchdowns and an uptick in snaps. That was fine process-wise, but it hasn’t worked out, and there’s no reason to continue doubling down.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR
Somehow, 55.4 PPR points feel like it undershot just how dominant Ja’Marr Chase was against the Ravens on Thursday night.
- 17 targets
- 11 catches
- 264 yards (4.5 yards per route)
- Three touchdowns
Would you believe me if I told you that Week 10 was Chase’s third-best performance of the season when comparing his actual production to expectations (+83.3%)?
- Week 3 vs. Washington Commanders: +133.4%
- Week 5 vs. Baltimore Ravens: +115.4%
You’re playing Chase and doing so with the utmost confidence, but I laid out the schedule-based case for selling Joe Burrow at the peak of his powers. I actually think that’s the play here as well.
Over the past three weeks, without Tee Higgins, Chase has been targeted on at least 27.5% of his routes in every game. By no means does he have to apologize for that, but in the scope projecting forward, it’s not likely to stick. His target rate was under 21.5% in six of seven games prior to the injury.
You’re not selling him for peanuts, obviously. Heck, you’re not selling him for steak. But if you can get a Wagyu cut with a nice glass of wine? I’m entertaining the idea. Maybe Jayden Reed (bye week behind him, Seahawks-Saints-Vikings finishing kick to the fantasy season) and another player who you’re starting every single week?
Tee Higgins, WR
A quad injury cost Tee Higgins his third straight game in Week 10, not a surprising development given the quick turnaround and his lack of practice participation. I’m cautiously optimistic that, courtesy of this mini-bye, fantasy managers will have him back in the mix. Given the form of this offense (75 points over the past two weeks and five games this season with 33+ points), there’s no decision to be made.
You play Higgins.
In his last three games (Weeks 5-7), Ja’Marr Chase was fantasy’s top receiver and Higgins was WR5, ranking ahead of Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown over that stretch. The Chargers’ defense has proven to be among the best in the league, but in their only game against a team with two fantasy regular pass catchers, that duo (Davante Adams and Brock Bowers) accounted for 44% of their team’s receptions.
This is an ultra-condensed, ultra-pass-centric offense and Higgins is featured. As long as a clean bill of health is in our pockets by the time this week kicks off, you can lock him in with confidence.
Mike Gesicki, TE
Mike Gesicki is a receiver labeled as a tight end in our world, and that’s great when an injury opens up usage.
- Last three games (no Tee Higgins): 23 targets
- Previous four games (Higgins was active): Four targets
This is a very simple situation that you need not overcomplicate — if Higgins is active, Gesicki is a low-end streamer at best. But if not, he’s a top-10 guy without much thought.
Do I think he should be used more often? I do. He’s the third-most reliable pass catcher in this offense, and that role should thrive given the attention that Higgins/Ja’Marr Chase demand. Until the Bengals show any interest in getting that role consistently involved, fantasy managers don’t need to look this way should Higgins’ health not be a concern at lineup lock.
Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers Trends
Cincinnati Bengals
Team: Most Cincinnati games the rest of the way come against a quarterback who was his team’s Week 1 starter.
QB: Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson both had unique games on Thursday night. For Burrow, he’s the first AFC QB to throw four touchdown passes in consecutive games since … well, Joe Burrow (Weeks 16-17, 2021).
Offense: Cincinnati is averaging 2.51 points per drive, 6.8% higher than any other season under Joe Burrow.
Defense: From 2008-23, the Bengals lost twice when scoring 33 points in a game – they’ve done it three times in eight weeks this season.
Fantasy: Would you believe me if I told you that Week 10 was Chase’s third-best performance of the season when comparing his actual production to expectations (+83.3%)?
- Week 3 vs. Washington Commanders: +133.4%
- Week 5 vs. Baltimore Ravens: +115.4%
Betting: The Bengals are 6-2 ATS in their past eight road games on extended rest.
Los Angeles Chargers
Team: Ramp up the aggression — the Chargers record a sack on 15.1% of their blitzes, the second-highest rate in the league (NFL average: 9.2%).
QB: Justin Herbert’s three highest passer rating performances of the season have come in Los Angeles’ past three games, and his 77.8% completion percentage on Sunday against the Titans was his best of the season.
Offense: Only 3% of Charger drives have ended with a turnover this season, a rate that will be the lowest of the millennium if they can sustain it (the Commanders are also in that conversation at 3.1%).
Defense: Over the past three weeks, the Chargers have a 14% sack rate (Weeks 2-7: 5.8%).
Fantasy: Quentin Johnston has scored on 17.2% of his targets this season. For reference, Calvin Johnson scored on 10.1% of his targets during the best scoring season of his Hall of Fame career.
Betting: The Chargers are the only team yet to play multiple games decided by six or fewer points.