Thursday Night Football: Ravens vs. Bengals fantasy football breakdown

You can watch “Thursday Night Football: Ravens vs. Bengals” at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT on Amazon Prime Video.

Tonight is an AFC North showdown when the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens take on the 4-5 Cincinnati Bengals – a rematch of an OT thriller from Week 5 (Baltimore won 41-38). Both teams are coming off a win — or rather, both teams are coming off a complete loss against inferior opponents in Week 9. Suffice to say, the TNF gods bless us tonight.

Let's get to the history of the tape.

Will we see more of Diontae Johnson this week?

The excitement surrounding the Diontae Johnson trade with fantasy managers seemed to evaporate as soon as it happened. On the one hand, you had a clearly outstanding wide receiver putting himself in probably the best situation of his career and getting goals from a reigning MVP who played some of his best football ever. On the other side, Johnson entered a crowded weapons room that, in no apparent order, saw the following:

• Derrick Henry

• Justice Hill

• Zay flowers

• Rashod Bateman

• Nelson Agholor

• Mark Andrews

• Isaiah probably

Every single one of these players has received significant work from Lamar Jackson this season. So while Johnson will obviously be part of the game plan most weeks, it was hard to expect an immediate performance from him. This was the case in Johnson's first game as a Raven: 17 snaps, no targets.

But maybe the Ravens will call his number this week.

Ravens-Bengals has become must-see television lately; Over 50 total points were scored in each of the last three meetings of the regular season. It might be easy to expect Henry to be saddled with a bunch of carries and let Baltimore pound Cincinnati into the ground. But the way Joe Burrow has been doing lately, even without Tee Higgins, it's hard to imagine this game not coming close to or even exceeding the current projected point total of 53 points.

The Ravens have a weak secondary and have been vulnerable to the pass all season – the be-all and end-all for Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase (more on him shortly). Both offenses will need all hands on deck in this game. And with Isaiah Likely already out for this game, Johnson has one less obstacle to reach higher goals. And Johnson now had a few days to delve deeper into the Ravens' playbook.

Now, don't expect Johnson to suddenly have a monster game, but a few catches and a few looks in the red zone – perhaps a typical quick-separation touchdown – seem like a safe bet for him tonight.

Speaking of monster games…

This could be for the best (or, second best) Game of the season by Ja'Marr Chase

Remember the barn burner in Week 5 between the Bengals and Ravens? Ja'Marr Chase went all out with stats of 12-10-193-2. And there's a chance he can do it this week. Or at least fulfill this issue.

Sure, Week 5 was a back-and-forth affair with six lead changes, but there's one factor from that match that won't be present in this TNF game: Tee Higgins.

Higgins is considered doubtful, but it would be a shock to see him on the field for the Bengals tonight. Higgins also had a day in Week 5, going 14-9-83-2. Higgins undoubtedly played a role in Chase's big day, as Baltimore was responsible for trying to stop both elite wideouts. So while the Ravens defense can focus more on Chase alone tonight, he also won't have as much competition for targets. Not to mention, Mike Gesicki (more on him below) has proven to be a potent weapon in the passing game in place of Higgins.

There are the games where Chase and Burrow shine the brightest. As Chase himself likes to say, he is “always” open. Expect a huge double-digit goal from him and a good night.

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There may be an opportunity for Chase Brown to sell at high sell levels (or low buy levels).

The default trading deadline for Yahoo Fantasy is Saturday, November 16th. Now is the time to assess your squad's strengths and weaknesses and decide whether it's time to make a move or stand still. Should you trade an underperforming star to bolster the rest of your lineup? Or should you see what you can get from an unexpectedly high-profile artist?

And an interesting case study for this is Chase Brown.

Right now, it's hard to find an arrow pointing down for Brown. He entered the season with considerable hype and was a light, well-rounded upside pick. He had his best game of the season, a masterful performance in which he tore the Raiders apart on the ground (27 carries, 120 yards) and through the air (5-5-37-1). This is the kind of cheat code production that fantasy dreams are made of. He's also now freed from the constraints of having to share the load with Zack Moss, who is out indefinitely with a neck injury.

And so the trading window creaked open.

As mentioned, it will likely be a back-and-forth between two bitter, high-scoring rivals. If the Bengals control this game, will Brown be the engine that wastes time? If they fall behind, will Brown be used in the passing game? Will the addition of Khalil Herbert – who has only flashed for brief moments throughout his career – make any impression tonight?

If Brown has another good game, should you try to sell high and try to snag a true fantasy difference maker (and that's not to say Brown isn't one himself)? If he stumbles tonight after his Week 9 monster, should you try to pry him away from a leaguemate?

The choice is yours, fantasy manager. For my part, it's an uphill battle on the ground for Brown, but if he stays involved in the passing game and can score again, I'm selling as much as possible. The Bengals will live and die by Joe Burrow's arm – not Chase Brown's legs.

Pickup and Play: Mike Gesicki, TE, Bengals (30% on roster)

Sometimes fantasy football is easy. One gets hurt, another steps in and produces. That's Mike Gesicki in a nutshell.

When Tee Higgins missed time this season, Gesicki was the next man up, even though they play different positions. But just as the 6-foot-2 Higgins is a matchup nightmare, so is the 6-foot-2 Gesicki.

I'll keep it short: you'll want pieces of both of these offenses in your fantasy lineups for today's game. Gesicki is available in most leagues and plays in a position where we can hardly achieve consistent performance. Fire him up again this week.