Joe Burrow is trending toward a long-awaited return for the Cincinnati Bengals, and the fantasy football world is holding its collective breath. After missing time with an unspecified issue, all signs point to him being ready for Thursday’s showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. His presence instantly boosts the value of every Bengal on offense, but there’s still an air of uncertainty about how sharp he’ll look.
Fantasy managers should tread carefully about this comeback, as it could swing leagues one way or the other.
Joe Burrow Injury Update
Burrow is set to make his return for the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens after logging full practices on Monday and Tuesday.
The entire Bengals’ offense sees both its floor and ceiling rise with Burrow under center, even if Joe Flacco did his best to keep the team afloat.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Dan Fornek
Burrow Fantasy Outlook
Is he ready (toe)? Is he coming back too fast? How much will the Tee Higgins injury factor into all of this?
I’d be lying to you if I said I had all of the answers. Or, really, any of them. We have no way of knowing what this is going to look like in his first game action in over two months against a team that is trending in as positive a direction as they have all season.
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 13 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
Sportsbooks have more knowledge than any of us, and they have this game with an implied total of 52.5 points: I’ll take their word for it. Burrow has cleared 22 fantasy points in seven of 10 career games with a point total of 50+ points, and that’s generally what I’m using as a baseline.
Three of Baltimore’s four highest-pressure rate games have come over the past three weeks, and that is the path where I think this could go sideways. If Burrow is going to show rust, this feels like the right spot, but he is coming off of his best season in terms of pressured numbers (104 passer rating with a 15-to-3 touchdown-to-interception rate).
Your tolerance to take on the risk that comes with Burrow hinges on your alternative option. I’ve got him penciled in as my QB9 this week, just behind the red-hot Jacoby Brissett (769 passing yards over the past two weeks and 44+ passes thrown in three straight) and ahead of the Jared Goff/Bo Nix tier.
— PFSN Fantasy Football Analyst Kyle Soppe