Andrei Iosivas’ Fantasy Outlook Rises After Latest Updates on Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase

Ja’Marr Chase is expected to be limited Sunday. Tee Higgins missed practice Friday with a hamstring issue. The betting odds for this game have moved half a tick in favor of the New England Patriots, and fantasy football managers are suddenly wondering what to do with the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense.

Should managers with Ja’Marr Chase on their roster panic? It’s not a good sign, but you’ll probably have to start Chase on Sunday unless you have a very deep bench or he’s completely sidelined. Chase has the elite skills and chemistry with Burrow to still have big plays, even on limited snaps.

However, if you’re looking for a weekly flex play or setting a DFS lineup, it’s time to consider WR Andrei Iosivas and TE Mike Gesicki this weekend.

Iosivas has been playing Ja’Marr Chase’s role in camp during the break and has earned praise from Joe Burrow. Iosivas is expected to be the primary slot receiver for the Bengals, taking over for Tyler Boyd, but if both Higgins and Chase are limited, there’s no doubt Iosivas will line up on the outside. That leaves more opportunities for Burrow to target Mike Gesicki up the middle.

Iosivas is a speedy receiver who shined late last year when he got the opportunity to start. Through Weeks 16 and 18, Iosivas played at least 70 percent of the snaps while racking up 21.4 percent target shares, 35.5 percent air yard shares, and 19.2 percent first read shares. A sizeable target at 6’3” and 200 pounds, Iosivas has plenty of potential to shine this season and should be relevant this weekend with the opportunity.

Gesicki had over 700 receiving yards in two seasons in Miami before Mike McDaniel, then had a rough year in New England. Still, Gesicki is a talented receiver, and early reports from camp indicate that he and Joe Burrow have also shown strong chemistry. He’s not a great blocker, but that shouldn’t matter because the Bengals will need more receivers this weekend, and Gesicki can line up in the slot when Iosivas moves to the perimeter.

If you’re watching tight ends this weekend, consider Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry in this game.

Need help choosing your lineup for your first game of the season? Don’t forget to check out the SI Fantasy Week 1 rankings for each position.