Wide Receiver · Cincinnati Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · Twice over the past three seasons, Chase played 16 games without Joe Burrow but still managed to post 100-catch years (2023 – 100/1,216/7 and 2025 – 125/1,412/8).
- · His targets (175 and 185) and catches (127 and 125) have been elite in back-to-back years.
- · Chase brings a high ceiling in scoring (13 TDs in 2020 and 17 TDs in 2024) and big plays (16 catches of 40 yards or more in his top two scoring years).
- · Joe Burrow has been a top quarterback in passing touchdowns three times over the past five years (34, 35, and 43), with his two failures tied to missed games due to injuries.
- · Chase scored 25.00 PPR fantasy points in four (36.50, 29.00, 25.40, and 38.10) of his first seven games last year but missed the fairway in his other three matchups (2/26, 5/59, and 5/23).
- · Over his final nine starts in 2025, Chase never scored more than 25.00 fantasy points in a game, and he played six of those contests with Joe Burrow.
- · The Bengals gave him double-digit targets in 10 of his 16 starts. Cinci threw the ball 652 and 640 times over the past two seasons (most in the NFL). Their wideouts ranked first (33) and third (23) in receiving touchdowns over their past two seasons.
Question marks
- · Will Joe Burrow stay on the field for 17 games?
- · Poor offensive line play in 2025 led to Cincinnati needing to get the ball out quicker, resulting in them gaining only 6.6 yards per pass attempt.
- · Can Chase outscore and outproduce Puka Nacua?
- · Cincinnati completed only 52.3% of their passes to their wide receivers last year (53.3% in 2024).
- · The Bengals face @CAR, @IND, and BAL from Week 15 to Week 17 this year.
Shawn's conclusion
I’ve been a big fan of Chase since he arrived in the NFL, and he has an excellent opportunity to lead the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. The Bengals’ defense allowed the third most points (492) last year, and they lost top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Ravens. If drafting one fantasy team and I have a decision between Nacua and Chase, I’m selecting the Bengals’ stud wideout. The Rams should run the ball better, while Cincinnati continues to air the ball out.
More on Chase
Chase's 2023 season was his most efficient to that point (100 catches for 1,216 yards on 145 targets, his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign), but the touchdown production (7) dropped for the second straight year. He was electric in bursts, with five standout games (12/141, 15/192/3, 10/100/1, 5/124/1, and 11/149/1) accounting for 53% of his catches and 58% of his yards in just about a third of his appearances. The back half of the season was murkier due to Burrow's injury, which led to five quiet outings (4/81, 3/29, 4/64, 3/41, 4/19) over the final seven weeks, and a shoulder issue cost him Week 16. He finished 11th in PPR wide receiver scoring at 263.80 points.
What followed in 2024 was one of the most dominant individual seasons a receiver has put together in the history of the NFL. Chase set new personal bests across every major category (127 catches, 1,708 yards, and 17 touchdowns on 175 targets) and outscored the next-highest wide receiver (Justin Jefferson) by 85.30 PPR points.
He opened with a strong Week 3 (6/118/2) and Week 5 (10/193/2) before turning virtually unstoppable over his final eight starts, totaling 72 catches for 991 yards and 10 touchdowns on 105 targets. His two signature performances came in Week 10 (11/264/3) and Week 14 (14/191/2), and he posted seven or more catches in nine of his 17 starts. There wasn't a more valuable fantasy asset at the position all season.
Considering the jockeying of quarterbacks for the Bengals last season, with Joe Burrow injured, Chase maintained a top-five wide receiver year (125/1,412/8 – 4th in PPR fantasy points), thanks to a league-high 185 targets. His regression in yards was due to shorter catches (11.3 yards – 13.4 in 2024) and a missed game in Week 12 due to a suspension. Chase scored over 20.00 fantasy points in eight contests (36.50, 29.00, 25.40, 38.10, 21.20, 23.20, 25.00, and 23.60). He lacked starting fantasy value in four other matchups (2/26, 5/59, 5/23, and 3/30).
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