What can Joe Burrow managers do now that their QB is out?
Joe Burrow’s season is done. The Bengals’ Super Bowl hopes likely are, too.
But for fantasy football players entering the home stretch of the regular season, the world moves on and quickly. So now that Cincinnati has lost its starting quarterback for the remainder of the year, what are fantasy managers who relied on his services supposed to do?
After all, the loss of an MVP-caliber passer like Burrow doesn’t just impact managers who rostered him. It’s a significant development for anyone relying on a member of the Bengals offense.
It appears Cincy will turn to backup Jake Browning in the interim. The Washington product completed eight of 14 passes on Thursday for 68 yards and one touchdown while running for another 40 yards in relief of Burrow. Those are the only stats the 27-year-old has recorded since joining the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Which means either the Bengals are turning to an unproven quarterback or trying to find someone (anyone) on the free agent market to keep them afloat.
While we cannot recommend trusting Browning as a fantasy starter yet, there are still some solid options available on the waiver wire. Per FantasyPros, Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, Will Levis, Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford are each available in more than 40 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Those are not the most enticing options, but again, it’s Week 11. They’ll do in a pinch.
Elsewhere, stock just went up for Cincinnati tailbacks Joe Mixon and Trayveon Williams while Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd lose a bit of shine at wideout.
Obviously you’re not going to give up on those players just yet, but if you need to make a trade for a quarterback they are worth including. At this point in the year there are no easy answers and even less time to wait around for them.
Just try not to get caught up in the moment and make a trade you’ll regret.
