The Cincinnati Bengals have fallen back slightly after their hot start to the season, but have a prime opportunity to bounce back and move to 3-2 on the season as they face the lowly Miami Dolphins. Not only is that a winnable game in the pure sense, but it's also a matchup that fantasy football managers are hoping to have Ja'Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Tee Higgins and so on take advantage of this week. But Chase (and Higgins for that matter) has to play on Sunday for that to be the case.
Chase left last week's game after suffering a concussion and has been working this week to clear protocol. That's left fantasy managers and Bengals fans in limbo about whether the star wideout is going to be able to suit up for this matchup, and what that could mean for the Cincinnati offense this week. That's where we come in with the latest on Chase and his status for Week 5.
Is Ja'Marr Chase playing today? What to know about Bengals WR in Week 5
Ja'Marr Chase will play in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed that the Bengals will have their star receiver available on Sunday before the release of inactives.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, both listed as questionable for today, both will play against the Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/NDH3I6kPFn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2026
Tee Higgins will also be active for this game, which is a huge boon for the Bengals offense, a group that undeniably needs their top two receiving weapons in the offense if they're going to be at peak capacity. It's a big win for fantasy managers who, even if they have depth, don't have anyone who has the upside of someone like Chase on their roster as a backup on the bench.
Prior to the Sunday, the Bengals did not elevate a wide receiver from the practice squad this week. Given that would leave the offense with just five wide receivers on the active roster against Miami, the assumption is that Cincinnati believes that it will not only have Chase but Tee Higgins as well this week for the matchup.
The good news for Chase, Bengals fans and fantasy managers is that, if Chase plays in Week 5, there's no reason to believe he won't be ready to rock and be his normal self. While concussions are obviously something to take seriously in terms of availability, there's no reason to believe that the receiver returning from such an injury should see any ill effects from that when he is able to return to the field and to action.
Bengals WR depth chart with Ja'Marr Chase
Bengals WR Depth Chart | Player |
|---|---|
WR1 | Ja'Marr Chase |
WR2 | Tee Higgins |
WR3 | Dohnte Meyers |
WR4 | Mitchell Tinsley |
WR5 | Colbie Young |
Chase and Higgins have long been crucial for the Bengals offense, but that's even more so the case right now for Burrow and the passing game. With the underrated Andre Iosivas on Injured Reserve right now, the top backup behind Cincinnati's dynamic pass-catching duo is undrafted rookie Dohnte Meyers. He's looked good when called upon this season, but that's also a bit disconcerting to some degree.
It's not pretty behind Meyers either, as the seldom-used Mitchell Tinsley and another rookie, Colbie Young, are the guys on the depth chart behind them. There's a reason that Chase and Higgins are such valuable commodities in the Bengals offense both practically and for fantasy football, and it largely comes down to the fact that they are quite blatantly head and shoulders ahead of their peers in this passing offense for Cincinnati.
Ja'Marr Chase and Bengals fantasy outlook vs. Dolphins
With Chase (and Higgins) playing in this game against the Dolphins, he's not only an obvious must-start given his pedigree, but he's a smash because of this matchup. Miami's defense has been nothing short of atrocious this season and the Bengals should be able to move the ball almost at will against them. They don't have anyone that can adequately cover Chase on the outside, which could lead to a big day for the receiver — though this could be a blowout, so managers might want to expect about three quarters (or less) of meaningful production from Chase and Co. if that's the case.
The star receiver duo playing likely means that fantasy managers should be less inclined to take a flier on someone like Meyers, as well as the fact that veteran tight end Mike Gesicki is now a less attractive streaming option this week, despite a tasty matchup against Miami. However, this shouldn't affect Chase Brown much at all, as he should be the workhorse in the ground game in a matchup that the Bengals should ultimately dominate, giving him plenty of opportunity for touches on Sunday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google