The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. sees a career-best year in store for Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. “The position-less nature of the rest of the receiver and tight end group allows the Bengals to move Chase around more and dial up more explosive plays from different alignments,” Dehner wrote. “While his overall usage might not go up, the aggressiveness of his targets should and sets up for the three-time Pro Bowler and 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year to enjoy his best season yet.” Last year, Chase ran 76% of his routes from out wide. His average depth of target (aDOT) sunk to a career-low 9.1 yards. Of course, Joe Burrow made only 10 appearances – his fewest since 2020.
Chase's production comes down to the health of Joe Burrow. In 2023, Chase saw a target share of 28.5% alongside Burrow; 20.5% with backup Jake Browning.
On a recent podcast appearance, Burrow said he's added 10-15 pounds and feels stronger than ever. We'll see if that translates to improved durability. But for now, we're expecting the former top pick to be 100% entering Week 1.
Elsewhere: Tee Higgins' return on the franchise tag likely explains why Dehner expects similar usage for Chase. Still, that's certainly not an issue. Since turning pro, the former LSU star has averaged 135.6 targets per season.
Chase sits fourth in our fantasy WR rankings. Barring injury, don't expect him to move much (if at all) over the next two months.
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