Is Ja'Marr Chase Coming Back and Playing This Week? Week 16 Fantasy Football Return Update

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase gave fantasy managers a major scare when he exited during the fourth quarter of last Saturday's game and was quickly ruled out. While the Bengals can stay afloat in the playoff race without Chase available, fantasy managers might not have the same fortune.

Chase ultimately missed the overtime period of the Bengals' Week 15 and also had his practice status impacted leading up to Week 16.

Will Ja'Marr Chase play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16? Let's take a look at his latest injury update and potential fantasy outlook for the second round of the fantasy football playoffs.

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Ja'Marr Chase Injury Update for Fantasy Football

Chase suffered a separated shoulder during last Saturday's game and missed all three practices leading up to Week 16. He was the only Bengals player to miss a practice this past week, and while it's good that Cincinnati is mostly healthy, having Chase unavailable is certainly bad news.

On Thursday, the Bengals ruled Chase out for this weekend's game. He will be inactive when their divisional clash with the Steelers kicks off at 4:30 p.m. EST on Saturday afternoon.

Although the Bengals believe this is a short-term injury and opted against placing Chase on injured reserve, it's too early to tell whether he'll be healthy enough to play in Week 17.

Ja'Marr Chase Fantasy Football Outlook

Chase is inactive and therefore should be removed from all fantasy lineups. Fantasy managers depending on the star wide receiver to carry them through the playoffs will have to pivot elsewhere in Week 16.

With Chase sidelined, Tee Higgins projects to take over as the Bengals' new No. 1 wide receiver. Although he has been underwhelming at times this season, the former second-round pick looked fantastic when filling in for Chase during the 2022 season. Over four games as the Bengals' top receiver last year, Higgins averaged 6.5 receptions, 92.8 receiving yards, and 0.5 touchdowns. Managers would love to see him replicate a similar line this week.

Tyler Boyd should also play an increased role. Through four games as the Bengals' No. 2 receiver this season, Boyd is averaging 5.0 receptions and 50.3 receiving yards. At the very least, a line like Boyd's warrants consideration as a low-end WR3/FLEX option, especially against a Steelers team that has struggled lately. Pittsburgh has three consecutive losses, including two against teams with 3-11 records.

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