Chase and Higgins Back at Bengals Practice, On Track for Week 1
Both Cincinnati stars returned Monday from minor injuries, and Zac Taylor sounds optimistic all three key players suit up against Tampa Bay.
WR1 overall upside is fully intact after a minor knee scare.
- Chase logged 125 rec, 1412 yds, 8 TD in 2025 (16 games)
- Higgins posted 11 TD on 59 catches in 2025 (15 games)
- Chase ranks #4 at WR, Higgins #16 in our board
- Injury reports drop Wednesday ahead of the Bucs
- DE Shemar Stewart also practiced after knee injury
Panic averted in Cincinnati. Both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were back on the practice field Monday, with Chase recovering from a hyperextended knee suffered in practice and Higgins nursing a heel contusion. Defensive end Shemar Stewart also returned after his own knee issue, and head coach Zac Taylor made it clear he expects all three to be available against the Buccaneers.
Taylor said everyone looked good and that he was encouraged by their progress, though the team is holding formal injury reports until Wednesday. For fantasy managers who spent a first-round pick on Chase — who put up 314 PPR points across 16 games in 2025 — this is exactly the update you wanted to see before Week 1 lineups lock.
Chase sits at #17 overall and #4 at his position on our board, and nothing about a hyperextended knee that let him practice Monday changes that. He's a locked-in WR1 with league-winning ceiling, and a minor tweak in a controlled setting isn't the kind of thing that lingers into game day. Fire him up.
Higgins Is the Real Beneficiary Here
Higgins is the more interesting name for roster construction. He racked up 210 PPR points on just 59 catches in 2025 thanks to a monster 11-touchdown haul, and he was trending up late — his last five games came in at +1.7 fantasy points above his season average. A heel contusion is the type of nagging thing that can flare, so keep an eye on Wednesday's report, but the signal Monday was positive.
The bigger picture is that Cincinnati wants a fast start, and getting its full receiving corps healthy for the opener is step one. Both Chase and Higgins share the field with an offense that funnels targets to them relentlessly, which is why their weekly floors are so high even when one of them is banged up.
Bottom line: start Chase without a second thought, and treat Higgins as a confident WR2 unless Wednesday's report throws up a red flag. If you're in a league where a nervous manager is trying to sell either at a discount over these injuries, that's your window to buy. Circle Wednesday — that's when we'll know for sure.
