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Cardinals Sign Josh Johnson For QB Depth
The Arizona Cardinals signed veteran quarterback Josh Johnson off the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad on Monday to give them more depth at the position with veteran QB Gardner Minshew II (elbow) potentially out for the rest of the year with a UCL injury in his right elbow, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Cardinals will be Johnson's 15th NFL team in 14 NFL seasons. The Cardinals traded veteran Jacoby Brissett to the Baltimore Ravens, so with Minshew potentially done for the year due to injury, the Cardinals need some insurance behind rookie Carson Beck, who will be making his NFL debut if he starts in Week 10 against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. The 40-year-old Johnson did not play at all for the Bengals this year after appearing in five games (two starts) for the Washington Commanders in 2025, when he threw for 372 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 54 pass attempts. The Cardinals will be hoping that Beck will get some good experience in the second half of the season without having to turn to Johnson at all.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Samaje Perine Gaining Waiver-Wire Appeal Amid Growing Role in Cincinnati
Across eight games in 2026, Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine has recorded 249 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 54 touches. The 31-year-old has spent most of the season to this point in a reserve role behind Bengals RB1 Chase Brown. However, Brown has struggled so far in 2026, recording career lows in both yards per carry (3.9) and yards per touch (4.3). In Cincinnati's Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the team split touches evenly between Perine (11) and Brown (12). If that trend continues, Perine could move into flex territory for fantasy managers as a consistent piece in one of the NFL's most potent offenses. In deeper leagues, Perine could be worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into Week 10.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Andrei Iosivas Doing Well, Not Ruled Out for Week 10
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday that wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (thumb) is doing well, and they will "continue to work through this week and see where it ends up," according to Laurel Pfahler. Iosivas has been on Injured Reserve since Sept. 26 after having left-thumb surgery, but it sounds like the Bengals are leaving the door open for the 27-year-old to potentially return this weekend against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. Dohnte Meyers has been serving as the Bengals' WR3 in Iosivas' absence, but it has not led to any real standalone fantasy value behind Pro Bowl pass-catchers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Iosivas had only three catches on four targets for 19 yards without a touchdown in the first two games of the 2026 season before injuring his thumb. In the big shadows of both Chase and Higgins, Iosivas belongs on the waiver wire in most fantasy football leagues, even when he is back to full health.
Source: Laurel Pfahler
Source: Laurel Pfahler
Mike Gesicki Still has Standard League Streaming Appeal After Week 9
Cincinnati tight end Mike Gesicki had a poor performance in Week 9 against Atlanta, but he still holds standard league streaming appeal at a weak fantasy tight end position going forward. Gesicki finished with 11 receiving yards on two catches and targets in Week 9. He had caught a touchdown in five straight games coming in, but those scores were masking some otherwise down fantasy showings. Gesicki has just 252 yards on 19 receptions and 26 targets overall this season, but his six scores really propped him up as a fantasy option. Gesicki still is a solid deep-league option, while having standard league streaming appeal because of being part of a weak tight end position overall.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tee Higgins' Red-Zone Role Keeps His Fantasy Ceiling High
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins caught both of his touchdowns on first-and-goal in Madrid. Joe Burrow found him from four yards out in the second quarter, then went back to him from eight yards out after the Atlanta Falcons pulled within seven. Higgins finished with five catches on six targets for 32 yards and 20.2 PPR points in Cincinnati's 34-17 Week 9 win. The first score was the 50th touchdown catch of his career, and the second gave him back-to-back multi-touchdown games for the first time. Higgins drew half as many targets as Ja'Marr Chase and caught two of Burrow's three touchdown passes. He had piled up 148 receiving yards against the Baltimore Ravens and 155 against the Tennessee Titans in his previous two games. Higgins caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. He remains a strong WR2 for the Week 10 home rematch, having cleared 20 PPR points in three straight games. Five of his six touchdown catches this season came during that stretch.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chase Brown Falls Short of RB1 Expectations in Madrid
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown was stopped for no gain from the one-yard line in the second quarter, and Joe Burrow scored on the next snap. Brown finished with 57 yards on nine carries and caught all three of his targets for 18 yards as Cincinnati beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 in Madrid in Week 9. He scored 10.5 PPR points after entering the game at RB11 in RotoBaller's weekend PPR rankings. Samaje Perine rushed for 43 yards on 11 carries, seven of them in the fourth quarter as Cincinnati protected a lead. Brown had seven carries to Perine's four through three quarters. Brown gained two more yards on the ground than he did in Week 8, but his catches dropped from eight against the Tennessee Titans to three. He finished with 8.9 PPR points in his first meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he caught just two passes. Brown remains a PPR RB2 for the Week 10 home rematch, with his value still tied to catches during a seven-game touchdown drought.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ja'Marr Chase Is Back to Elite WR1 Production
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has topped 30 PPR points in back-to-back games after spending his first six appearances below that mark. His 10 catches, season-high 155 yards and a touchdown were worth 31.5 PPR points Sunday in Madrid, where Cincinnati beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17 in Week 9. Chase tied the game with a 47-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then caught five passes for 69 yards on an 88-yard second-quarter drive that ended with a Tee Higgins touchdown. Most of Chase's production came before halftime, and Cincinnati leaned on its backs to close out the win. He accounted for 10 of Joe Burrow's 24 completions, a week after catching 11 passes on 16 targets against the Tennessee Titans. The Pittsburgh Steelers visit Cincinnati in Week 10. Chase turned 12 targets into nine catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in their first meeting, his best yardage total before Week 8. He remains an elite WR1 for the rematch. Chase has scored in four straight games, and the past two alone have accounted for 296 of his 647 receiving yards this season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Joe Burrow Delivers Elite Fantasy Value on Fewer Throws
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw 19 fewer passes than he did against the Tennessee Titans last week and still accounted for every Cincinnati touchdown in Sunday's 34-17 Week 9 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid. Burrow went 24-for-29 for 271 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Ja'Marr Chase supplied more than half of those yards, finishing with 155 and scoring from 47 yards out. His other three touchdowns came from inside the 10-yard line. He scored on a one-yard sneak, his second rushing touchdown in as many games, and hit Tee Higgins from four and eight yards out. The second Higgins score came on the drive after Atlanta cut the lead to seven in the third quarter. Burrow has thrown 12 touchdown passes over his last three games, with two of those outings coming on 30 attempts or fewer. He's an elite QB1 for the Week 10 home rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who gave up 282 passing yards and three touchdowns to him in Week 3.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Samaje Perine a Risky Play Despite Favorable Matchup
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine has cooled off over the last couple of weeks, making him a risky fantasy football option for Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Perine remains the No. 2 option behind Chase Brown in the Cincinnati backfield, and he's been a modest contributor in the passing game behind the likes of Brown, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki. The most intriguing factor to consider is the matchup, as the Falcons have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards, fifth-most rushing touchdowns, fourth-most receptions, and second-most receiving touchdowns to running backs this year. However, Perine's role remains a primary concern for fantasy managers. There's a chance that we could see Perine get a little more involved if the Bengals blow out the Falcons, but the fact that he has just one game with more than 8.0 PPR points this season is enough to justify staying away from him in fantasy football this week.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals Defense Could Force Turnovers Against Falcons
The Cincinnati Bengals defense will face the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid this Sunday. After being one of the most improved units to begin the season, the Bengals defense took a step back in last week's 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Cincinnati defensive unit just gave up its most points of the season in Week 8 and now heads into a matchup with the highest over/under of the week. Even if this game turns into a back-and-forth affair, the Bengals defense has racked up 23 sacks, seven recovered fumbles, and four interceptions this season. With the turnover-prone nature of Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix and the aggressiveness of this defense, they will probably force a few turnovers and get the QB to the ground multiple times. This unit will be without safety Kyle Dugger again, but should be able to make do in his absence. The Bengals defense is ranked seventh in our RotoBaller Week 9 rankings, making it a top-10 unit this week.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Evan McPherson Will Look To Extend Perfection In Week 9
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson made all five of his extra-point attempts in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans. With those five kicks, McPherson extended his streak of perfection this season. The Bengals kicker has yet to miss a kick this season, nailing 24 extra-point attempts and 10 field goals. McPherson will look to extend his streak as the team heads to Madrid to face the Atlanta Falcons. In what should be one of the highest-scoring games of the week, there should be plenty of opportunities for McPherson to kick. McPherson is ranked K3 in our RotoBaller Week 9 rankings, making him a start-worthy option at the position. The issue with McPherson is that he hasn't kicked a field goal in the last two games and has only kicked two field goals in the last four games. The Bengals offense has been rolling and finishing drives with touchdowns, but it is unlikely that he goes three straight games without being called on for a field goal. Fantasy managers can plug McPherson right back into lineups since he's been automatic this season.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Mike Gesicki Could Find The End Zone In Madrid
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in last week's 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans. Gesicki has only 17 receptions in seven games, but has been a fantasy-relevant option because he's found the end zone six times. When the Bengals get to the red zone, quarterback Joe Burrow tends to find his big tight end for touchdowns. Gesicki will look to find pay dirt this week as the team travels to Madrid to take on the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been middle-of-the-pack against tight ends this season, so it's unlikely they stop Gesicki if Burrow goes his way. Gesicki is ranked TE15 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a TE2 with touchdown upside every week. Fantasy managers struggling at tight end could look Gesicki's way this week because he's scored in all but one game this season.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Chase Brown Should Dominate Touches In Week 9
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown handled 12 carries for 55 yards and caught eight passes for 46 yards in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans. After fantasy managers were unsure of the backfield split with Samaje Perine earning more touches, Brown put those doubts to rest. The Bengals RB1 earned 21 opportunities in a game that was a back-and-forth affair. Perine had fewer chances and was far less efficient on the ground, so Brown should dominate touches again in Madrid against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons defense was tough against the run to begin the season, but has since lightened up. Brown is ranked RB11 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a strong start at the position. Fantasy managers should view Brown as a must-start option every week because he can make his day on the ground and through the air.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Tee Higgins Should Continue Demolishing Defenses In Week 9
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 43-36 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans. Higgins has been an absolute problem for opposing defenses this season as he's racked up at least 90 yards in five of seven games this season and he's currently second in the league in receiving yards. For as good as Ja'Marr Chase is, Higgins has been better through eight weeks. The talented wideout will look to continue his dominant ways against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid this weekend. The Falcons defense can be beaten through the air, especially with the talent on the Bengals offense. Higgins is ranked WR9 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a WR1 this Sunday. Fantasy managers should have no issues starting Higgins since he's arguably been the Bengals' WR1 through the first seven games this season.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Ja'Marr Chase Ready For International Matchup
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid this Sunday. Chase has been heating up after a slow start and collected his first 100-yard game last week. The superstar caught 11 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in the 43-36 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. Chase was also targeted 16 times in last week's contest, which highlights just how much quarterback Joe Burrow wants to get the ball in his hands. Chase will look to build on that amazing performance against the Falcons this weekend. The Falcons defense has some talent in their secondary, but has not been a shutdown unit by any means. Chase should be more than capable of putting up another 100+ yards in what should be a high-scoring game. Chase is ranked WR4 in our RotoBaller Week 9 PPR rankings, making him a must-start option yet again. Now that the Bengals have passed their bye week, fantasy managers should make sure Chase is in their lineups every week, no matter what.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
