The Cincinnati Bengals offense might produce numerous fantasy football assets this year. Many are hopeful in Joe Burrow’s return, and now that Ja’Marr Chase joins the squad, the Bengals’ passing game could be over the top. The Bengals produced two top-30 wide receivers last year as both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd provided solid fantasy production.
With that said, Cincinnati has a crowded receiver room, making it tough to decide which pass option to choose for fantasy football. Higgins, Boyd, and Chase each make a solid case for being the Bengals top wideout. As of right now, many lean towards Tee Higgins being the best option as he has the potential to be an elite receiver in the NFL. However, Tyler Boyd has been consistent throughout his career and could be a decent fantasy option again. Meanwhile, it’s hard to ignore the potential for Ja’Marr Chase this season after lighting up the NCAA with Joe Burrow in 2019.
It’s a close call, but who will stand out as the top receiving option for the Bengals? Cincinnati should have an electric offense with Burrow being a gunslinger with multiple pass options. He will be able to feed all three targets throughout the season. All things considered, let’s take a deeper dive into the Bengals’ passing attack.
2021 Fantasy Football: Who is the Best Bengals WR?
Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins finished as the top fantasy option in the Bengals passing game in 2020, albeit, not by much. He ended his rookie campaign with 67 receptions off of 108 targets. Higgins recorded 936 total yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. Those stats resulted in 194.6 fantasy points in PPR formats, per Fantasy Pros. That ranked him as the WR28 on the year.
Heading into the new season, Higgins is projected to have a slightly better year. According to ESPN, Higgins is predicted to record 78 receptions, 1,020 total yards from scrimmage, and six touchdowns. If he finishes with that stat line, Higgins would wind up with 215.02 fantasy points in PPR scoring, making him the WR26 in ESPN’s rankings.
These are solid stats to have, but it’s not the production jump many are hoping for out of Higgins. It’s perceived he’s the alpha receiver in Cincinnati which is why he’s highly targeted in fantasy football drafts. Higgins should have a solid season, but going from WR28 to WR26 just isn’t enough. Even so, Burrow is likely to target the second-year receiver quite often, as Higgins has the size and athleticism to dominate in the NFL. You should draft Tee Higgins this year, but be aware of the crowded receiver room that will take away some of his targets.
Tyler Boyd
Tyler Boyd has been a consistent fantasy asset since 2018. He didn’t break 1,000 receiving yards, but you could feel safe starting Boyd last year knowing he’d provide WR2 numbers nearly every week. In 2020, Boyd racked up 79 receptions off of 110 targets. From that, Boyd ended the season with 890 total yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. According to Fantasy Pros, he wound up with 192.6 fantasy points in PPR formats, making him the WR29 on the year.
Although ESPN has Boyd ranked as the WR37, they predict he’ll score more fantasy points than last season. According to their projections, Boyd will finish with 83 receptions, 933 total yards from scrimmage, and five touchdowns. Those stats would result in 205.33 points in PPR formats.
Boyd is currently being selected after Higgins and Chase in fantasy football drafts. Although that’s true, there is a case to be made that Boyd is the better value pick. Many have hyped up Higgins as the next big thing, while some believe Chase and Burrow will continue where they left off. However, Burrow has a knack for hitting the slot receiver at a consistent rate, which is exactly where Boyd will play most of his reps this year. Tyler Boyd isn’t going anywhere and should still be a strong WR2 in the Bengals offense in 2021.
Ja’Marr Chase
Ja’Marr Chase entered the league as the top receiver of his draft class. He was a monster in 2019 playing with Joe Burrow for the LSU Tigers but sat out of the 2020 season to prepare for the league due to COVID-19. There aren’t many flaws in his game, but he’s still a rookie that’ll have to learn how to play at the professional level.
Even so, Chase is projected to have a solid rookie campaign. According to ESPN, they predict Chase will end his rookie year with 76 receptions, 1,014 total yards from scrimmage, and six touchdowns. That stat line would give Chase 216.88 fantasy points, making him the highest-scoring receiving option on the Bengals offense. Although that’s true, ESPN still has Higgins ranked one spot ahead, as Chase is the WR27 on their list.
It seems ESPN believes Chase hits the NFL by storm and immediately becomes Burrow’s top passing option. However, he’s a rookie, and it’s rare for rookie wide receivers to take over right away. Justin Jefferson did it last season, but he’s an outlier, as he broke Randy Moss’s rookie records. Chase will have to be amazing from the get-go. Considering he’s competing for targets with Higgins and Boyd, chances are that Chase doesn’t end the year as the Bengals top fantasy option.
Conclusion
Each Bengals receiver provides an interesting scenario for fantasy football. Higgins likely has the highest ceiling, as he’s a freak athlete with a year of experience under his belt. Meanwhile, Boyd provides the consistency you need to compete every week, as he’ll be featured in the slot that Burrow targets regularly. On the other hand, Chase is the exciting new toy everyone wants to play with, especially since the last time he played with Burrow, the two dominated the college football scene.
It’s a tough call to choose one, but at the end of the day, you won’t be wrong with either of them. However, Tyler Boyd is the safest pick who has the potential to be the top target in the Bengals’ passing attack. Burrow hits the slot receiver at a very high rate which bodes well for Boyd’s potential in 2021. Additionally, the offensive line is a major concern for Cincinnati. For that reason, Burrow will likely be forced to hit the target running a short, intermediate route, which is exactly where Tyler Boyd will be. Higgins and Chase will eventually become the top targets in the Bengals offense, but this year, Boyd looks to be the best option for fantasy football.
