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You can watch Thursday night football: Ravens vs. Bengals at 8:20 pm ET/5:20 pm PT on Amazon Prime Video.
An AFC North matchup is on tap tonight when the division-leading Baltimore Ravens (6-3) take on the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5), a rematch of a Week 5 overtime thriller ( Baltimore won, 41-38). Both teams are coming off wins, or rather, both teams are coming off a total beatdown of inferior opponents in Week 9. Suffice to say, the TNF gods are blessing us tonight.
Let’s go to the story of the tape.
Will we see more of Diontae Johnson this week?
The excitement surrounding the Diontae Johnson trade for fantasy managers seemed to evaporate as quickly as it materialized. On the one hand, we had a clearly excellent wide receiver moving into probably the best situation of his career, receiving targets from a reigning MVP who has been playing his best football of all time. On the other hand, Johnson joined a crowded weapons room that presents, in no apparent order:
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Henry Derrick
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justice hill
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zay flowers
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Rashod Bateman
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Nelson Agholor
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Mark Andrews
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Isaiah probable
Each of those players has received substantial work from Lamar Jackson this season. So while Johnson is clearly expected to be part of the game plan most weeks, it was difficult to expect any immediate production from him. Such was the case in Johnson’s first game as a Raven: 17 plays, no targets.
But maybe the Ravens will call his number this week.
Ravens-Bengals has become must-see television lately; In the last three matches of the regular season, more than 50 points have been scored in total. It might be easy to expect Henry to be saddled with a ton of carries and Baltimore toppling Cincinnati. But the way Joe Burrow has been shooting it lately, even without Tee Higgins, it’s hard to see this game not getting close to or exceeding his current projected total of 53 points.
The Ravens have a weak secondary and have been vulnerable against the pass all season – the bread and butter of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase (more on him shortly). Both offenses will need all hands on deck in this game. And, with Isaiah Likely already ruled out for this game, Johnson has one less obstacle in his way of increasing goals. And Johnson has now had a few days to dive even deeper into the Ravens’ playbook.
Now, don’t expect Johnson to suddenly put up a monster game, but a couple of catches and some looks in the red zone (maybe a signature fast-separation touchdown) seem like a safe bet for him tonight.
However, speaking of monster games…
This could be the best (or second best) Ja’Marr Chase game of the season
Remember that Week 5 barnstormer between the Bengals and Ravens? Ja’Marr Chase went nuclear for a 12-10-193-2 stat line. And there’s a chance he’ll surpass it this week. Or at least, meet that result.
Sure, that Week 5 was a back-and-forth affair that included six lead changes, but there’s one factor from that matchup that won’t be present in this TNF game: Tee Higgins.
Higgins is listed as doubtful, but it would be a surprise to see him on the Bengals field tonight. Higgins also had a day in Week 5, going 14-9-83-2. Higgins certainly played a factor in Chase’s big day, as Baltimore was held accountable in trying to stop both elite receivers. So while the Ravens defense can focus more on Chase on its own tonight, it won’t have as much competition for targets either. Not to mention, Mike Gesicki (more on him below) has become a potent weapon in the passing game in place of Higgins.
There are games where Chase and Burrow shine brighter. As Chase himself loves to say, it’s “always” open. Expect a big double-digit goal and a receiving night from him.
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We Might Have an Opportunity to Sell High (or Buy Low) for Chase Brown
The default deadline to make changes to Yahoo Fantasy is Saturday, November 16. Now is the time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your squads and decide if it’s time to make a move or stand still. Should you trade an underperforming star to shore up the rest of your lineup? Or should you see what you can get from an unexpectedly high-profile artist?
And an interesting case study for this is Chase Brown.
It’s hard to find an arrow pointing down for Brown right now. He came into the season with a lot of hype as a bullish light round pick. He is coming off his best game of the season, a masterful performance in which he destroyed the Raiders on the ground (27 carries, 120 yards) and through the air (5-5-37-1). That’s the kind of cheat code production fantasy that dreams are made of. He has also now freed himself from the clutches of having to share the load with Zack Moss, who is out indefinitely with a neck injury.
And so the commercial window opened.
As mentioned, this will likely be a high-scoring back-and-forth affair between two bitter rivals. If the Bengals control this game, will Brown be the driving force to run out the clock? If they fall behind, will Brown feature in the passing game? Will the addition of Khalil Herbert, who has appeared in brief bursts throughout his career, have any kind of impact tonight?
If Brown has another good game, should he try to sell high and try to nab a true fantasy difference-maker (and that’s not to say Brown isn’t one in his own right)? If he stumbles tonight after his monster Week 9, should you try to see if you can snatch him away from a league mate?
The choice is yours, fantasy manager. For my part, this is a tough matchup on the ground for Brown, but if he stays involved in the passing game and is able to score again, I’ll sell him as high as I can. The Bengals will live and die by the arm of Joe Burrow, not the legs of Chase Brown.
Pick up and play: Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals (30% on roster)
Sometimes fantasy football is easy. One guy gets hurt, another guy steps in and produces. That’s Mike Gesicki in a nutshell.
When Tee Higgins missed time this season, Gesicki was the next man up even though they play different positions. But just as the 6-foot-4 Higgins is a matchup nightmare, so is the 6-foot-6 Gesicki.
I’ll keep this short: you want pieces from both offenses in your fantasy lineups for tonight’s game. Gesicki is available in most leagues and plays a position where we lack consistent production. Turn it on again this week.
