Tee Higgins

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is expected to play on Sunday after he was previously listed as questionable due to a rib injury (via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler).

Higgins missed the Bengals' Week 5 win over the Arizona Cardinals due to the same issue.

The 24-year-old has recorded 12 receptions for 129 yards and a pair of scores through four games this season. He's only averaging 32.3 yards per contest, the lowest mark of his career.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor exercised caution when deciding whether or not to deploy Higgins against the Cardinals.

"Continue to see how the week goes," Taylor said after the game. "He was able to do some stuff as the weekend got closer. I didn't feel comfortable with how he was gonna feel during the game. It wasn't right to put him in that spot."

It appears that Cincinnati has felt much more comfortable with how the former second pick has progressed this week. Higgins has only missed four games in his career.

The former Clemson standout had previously given a positive update on his injury earlier this week, telling reporters on Thursday that it's looking "promising" for him to play on Sunday (via Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer).

Higgins will be re-joining a Bengals passing attack that seems to be waking up after a slow start to the year, scoring more than 25 points for the first time all season when they dropped 34 against Arizona.

Quarterback Joe Burrow is also looking more comfortable in the pocket after dealing with a nagging calf issue all year. He reportedly ran sprints in practice this week for the first time since his initial injury, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini (subscription required).

The Bengals will attempt to head into their bye week on a high note as they face off against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins gave a positive update on a rib injury that he suffered during the Bengals' 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.

Higgins didn't play the following week against the Arizona Cardinals, although it appears that he's nearing a potential return. Higgins told reporters on Thursday that it's looking "promising" for him to suit up on Sunday, according to Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Bengals will be hosting the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks during his potential return.

Higgins was in the midst of a slow start to his fourth season in the NFL when he suffered the injury. He recorded just 12 receptions for 129 yards through four contests, averaging a career-low 32.3 yards per game.

His two touchdown catches came during an excellent Week 2 effort in the Bengals' eventual 27-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, although he hasn't topped more than 21 yards or recorded a score in any of his other appearances.

However, Higgins wasn't the only slow starter on the team. Cincinnati struggled as a whole on offense prior to their 34-20 victory against the Cardinals.

They averaged just 12.3 points per game as a team while quarterback Joe Burrow dealt with the lingering effects of a calf strain suffered in training camp.

With Burrow's mobility in the pocket beginning to stabilize, it seems as though Higgins can get back on track if he were to return this week. After all, the 24-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

While Seattle is allowing a modest 22.8 points per game, its pass defense has been disappointing so far. They're giving up 280.0 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, the third-worst mark in the NFL.

They'll be looking forward to the return of safety Jamal Adams, who cleared concussion protocol on Wednesday, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. First-round rookie Devon Witherspoon is coming off a breakout game, as the former fifth overall pick dominated the New York Giants offense in Seattle's Week 4 victory.

If Higgins is ultimately unable to play, Cincinnati will rely on wideout Trenton Irwin to replace his production. Irwin recorded a career-high eight catches for 60 yards against the Cardinals.

The Bengals will look to head into their bye week at .500 after a 1-3 start to the season, with kickoff against Seattle at 1 p.m. ET.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins has been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals with a rib injury, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

Higgins fractured his rib during the first half of a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Higgins initially believed he was dealing with tightness in his back but an evaluation revealed the fractured rib. He thinks he suffered the injury after he "landed wrong," per ESPN's Ben Baby.

"They tried to take me in, but I said I wanted to finish the half out and then check on it at halftime," Higgins said.

Higgins caught two passes for 19 yards in the 27-3 loss. He didn't play the entire second half.

The 24-year-old said earlier this week that the rib fracture is something he could play through this season.

"Really, it's just up to me," Higgins said Monday about when he might return. "Pain-wise, I might be able to go this week. I might not. You never know."

Considering the Bengals are going up against a subpar Cardinals team, it's no surprise Higgins is sitting out Sunday's matchup, though it also helps that quarterback Joe Burrow has no shortage of weapons with receivers like Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.

Higgins is in the final year of his contract and is slated to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign. He has caught 12 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in four games this season.

The Clemson product has a calculated market value worth four years and $90.6 million, per Spotrac. Given how he has performed over the early stages of his career, it'll be interesting to see what kind of deal he receives.

Cincinnati enters Week 5 fourth in the AFC North with a 1-3 record. It's been a particularly tough season for the franchise offensively, though maybe it will finally get something going this weekend against Arizona.

Not much has gone right for the Cincinnati Bengals during their 1-3 start to the season, but they received some welcome news Monday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tee Higgins suffered a fractured rib during Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, but the wide receiver told reporters he does not expect to miss significant time and may even play in the upcoming Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals depending on his pain tolerance.

Higgins had just two catches for 19 yards in the 27-3 loss to the Titans, but the entire offense struggled once again. It was the second time in the first four games the Bengals managed just three points, and they are last in the league in points per game at 12.3.

Some of it can be explained by quarterback Joe Burrow playing through a calf injury, but there was clearly some frustration Sunday when wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase told reporters, "I'm open. I'm always f-----g open."

Losing Higgins would only make things more difficult, as he and Chase make up one of the best one-two pass-catching punches in the NFL.

The Clemson product is coming off back-to-back seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards, and he figures to eventually find his stride despite a slow start to the 2023 campaign.

Perhaps a game against Arizona's secondary will help him do just that. After all, the Cardinals just gave up 35 points in a 19-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was unstoppable with six catches for 148 yards.

If Higgins and Chase can find some holes in the secondary like Aiyuk, the Bengals can improve to 2-3 and feel better about the overall outlook of their season. They started 2-3 last year before correcting course on the way to an AFC Championship Game appearance, and they have the personnel to do the same this year.

Keeping Higgins on the field is important if they are going to have a similar turnaround.

Injuries are an inevitability in sports but a good fantasy football manager knows how to adjust.

Week 4 saw more injuries hit some popular fantasy options, including Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.

Higgins left the Bengals game Sunday with a rib injury and was quickly ruled out. Evans had a solid first half for the Buccaneers, making three catches for 40 yards, but left towards the end of the second half with a hamstring injury and was ruled out as well.

With the severity of these injuries up in the air, looking towards replacements for their production will be at the forefront of fantasy owner's minds. To fill that hole, here are some potential waiver-wire options.

Trey Palmer, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Palmer, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown going into Sunday. This is solid production from a late-round rookie, and he continued to make his presence felt in Week 4.

Palmer scored his second career touchdown just before halftime, giving the Buccaneers a 14-3 lead. It was a contested catch, with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield throwing a 50-50 ball that Palmer came down with.

It was a powerful catch from the 6', 192-lb receiver and it appears that he is a candidate to have an increased role going forward.

He appears to be a low-risk, high-reward candidate for fantasy owners looking to find a midseason diamond in the rough.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

Some are looking down on the Packers following a 34-20 Week 4 loss to the Detroit Lions Thursday, but Doubs was a positive for the offense.

He had nine catches for 95 yards in the loss and is now up to 20 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns on the season. He has emerged as a solid option for quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers have plenty of juice on offense.

The 23-year-old is only rostered in 33.9 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, and could be a great pickup candidate.

Braxton Berrios, WR, Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have had an explosive offense all season, with players like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and DeVon Achane carrying most of the fantasy buzz.

However, Berrios is another solid option. He had limited action in the first three weeks of the season but broke out in Week 4, registering six catches for 43 yards and a touchdown through three quarters against the Buffalo Bills.

As teams look to counter the explosive offense, Berrios should see more opportunities. He is a proven commodity, with over 1,188 receiving yards and 114 catches in his career, and is only rostered in two percent of leagues, per Yahoo.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins suffered a rib fracture during Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Higgins exited the game early and was ultimately ruled out.

Despite this setback, Higgins has been fairly durable during the early portion of his career and appeared in at least 14 games in each of his first three seasons.

The Clemson product was a major part of Cincinnati's run to the Super Bowl during the 2021 campaign and finished with 74 catches for 1,091 yards and six touchdowns. His ability to take advantage of space when opposing defenses focused on Ja'Marr Chase proved key for Joe Burrow and Co.

He followed with another season of more than 1,000 yards last year and has 10 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns through his first three games in 2023.

Cincinnati still has Chase and Tyler Boyd to rely on in the aerial attack with Higgins sidelined, but it is far more difficult to defend when all three are on the field. The Bengals will surely hope he can return soon following this setback.