The Cincinnati Bengals will be without Joe Burrow for the next three months, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Burrow was fantasy football's consensus No. 5 quarterback in preseason drafts and the Bengals offense was expected to provide opportunities for Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown to star on fantasy rosters. In addition, Chase was the consensus No.1 player picked in ESPN Fantasy drafts. So what now?
To help you navigate this injury, we've aggregated all of the fantasy-relevant information published on ESPN.com since the severity of the injury was first reported.
Pick-up options to replace Burrow
Don't assume that whoever starts under center for the Bengals next week needs to be your Burrow replacement, either. Here's what Eric Karabell had to say about in our weekly waiver wire column.
"We start with this career backup, but many fantasy managers can do better in single-QB formats. Browning, 29, made seven starts during the 2023 season, and he played capably ... in Sunday's win over the Jaguars, though that included three interceptions. He gets to throw to excellent WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown isn't so bad, either. Still, he may be more for the SuperFlex/2QB community. The Bengals play challenging opponents in Minnesota and Denver over the next two weeks."
In fact, Tristan H. Cockcroft, who tracks positional strength of schedule for his weekly Matchup maps, noted in Week 2 winners and losers that the injury "comes at a terrible time in the schedule for the quarterback, with games against the Vikings, Broncos, Lions and Packers in the next four weeks representing the position's toughest upcoming slate."
Karabell lists the following quarterbacks in order as potential additions
Matthew Stafford, Rams (Available in 66% of leagues)
Daniel Jones, Colts (79%)
Mac Jones, 49ers (99%)
For streaming purposes and deeper leagues, Karabell warns against over-reliance on Russell Wilson after his big game against the Cowboys, noting a schedule that includes the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, as well as the looming presence of rookie Jaxson Dart. Tua Tagovailoa plays Thursday against the Bills and that may not be an ideal situation for him, either.
The Bengals offense without Burrow
Matt Bowen addressed the X's and O's of the Bengals offense expressing more concern for Higgins than for Chase or Brown.
"When Browning relieved Burrow in '23, he averaged 19.1 points per game. An aggressive thrower, Browning will attack tight windows and push the ball to the third level of the defense.
"That works for Chase, who will remain a volume target with top-3 upside in weekly rankings. Higgins still has breakout-game ability with Browning at QB due to his formation flexibility and vertical presence; however, Higgins will slide into the WR3 range.
"In the run game, Brown will get the touches to stick in the RB2 mix, while he has the traits to produce as an underneath outlet for Browning on checkdowns and screens."
Burrow's recovery
Stephania Bell explained the details of Burrow's toe injury, laying out a general 12-to-14 week (or longer) timeline after a surgery before an athlete can return to play, but reminds us that recovery time and successful return to play can vary depending on factors unique to the athlete.
As for how the injury affects a quarterback in particular, Bell wrote that "whether it is driving through the leg to throw, dropping back to pass, pivoting to hand off the ball or, perhaps most importantly, having enough mobility to protect oneself, the big toe plays a critical role for a quarterback. The ability to perform all aspects of the position without limitation is crucial for a successful return.
"Footwear adaptation, such as a more rigid shoe or a carbon fiber insert to limit motion of the involved joint, is typically part of the plan, as well."