The Cincinnati Bengals were dealing with a troubling situation all week. Joe Flacco, the quarterback who turned the stagnant offense around, was dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder.
His status was in doubt for Week 9 vs. The Chicago Bears, but fortunately, the Bengals announced their inactives, and Flacco wasn't a part of said list.
With Flacco now officially active, the impact of the 40-year-old quarterback being in the lineup will be huge for Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown in fantasy.
How Joe Flacco being active impacts Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown in Fantasy
The Bengals, with Flacco in the lineup, have been a much better offense than with Jake Browning. It's not just from a fantasy perspective, either; the offense is just better with Flacco so far this season.
.@KetteringHealth Inactives for CHIvsCIN pic.twitter.com/MHbRhetpI8
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 2, 2025
But, if there was one player who was the most impacted by this news, it would have to be Chase. The superstar receiver has built an incredible connection with Flacco this season, and their pairing has been incredible for fantasy football.
Since Flacco joined the Bengals, Chase has finished with 12, 23, and 19 targets. He's had at least 10 catches in every game with Flacco so far, which included an incredible 16 catches for 161 yards and one touchdown performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Browning, Chase had significantly fewer targets. He had six, eight, and 10 targets in the three Browning starts. With Flacco, Chase is the top receiver every week, while Browning would make Chase a lot more risky of a play, although he'd still be a must-start.
Higgins is also seeing a big benefit from Flacco being in the lineup. While he's coming off just two targets against the New York Jets, Higgins has scored 11.2, 21.6, and 11.4 points in full-PPR with Flacco.
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With Browning, Higgins had just 2.5, 6.2, and 11.2 points. He's not getting high volume with Chase hogging the majority of the targets, but his production is still significantly better with Flacco at quarterback than with Browning.
Brown, meanwhile, finally reached his ceiling in Week 8 with a 25.5 point performance in full-PPR leagues. He's been better with Flacco than with Browning, though his targets are fewer with Flacco at quarterback than with Browning.
The major difference with Flacco is that he's significantly more efficient on the ground. He's run for 42, 108, and 73 yards with Flacco, while he's reached 40 at most with Browning as the starter.
Having Flacco as the starting quarterback helps all three skill players. Chase, Higgins, and Brown are all great starts in Week 9 against a weak Bears defense. Combined with the Bengals' leaky defense, this Bears-Bengals matchup should be a fantasy goldmine. And with Flacco as the starter, the potential for all Bengals players rose significantly.
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