Bengals' Noah Fant: Volume declines with Gesicki back
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Fant secured his only target for nine yards during Cincinnati's 26-20 loss to the Patriots in Week 12.
Fant saw his offensive snap share drop to just 27 percent versus New England, a decline in usage that coincides with the return of Mike Gesicki (four catches for 35 yards on six targets) from IR. Now back in a familiar role as the No. 2 tight end in Cincinnati, Fant can safely be dropped in the majority of fantasy formats, even if quarterback Joe Burrow (toe) manages to be back in the starting lineup Thursday night versus the Ravens.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
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Fant should benefit with Ja'Marr Chase (suspended) out in Week 12 against New England, and Fant is worth adding in all leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB. Fant has two touchdowns in five games with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback for the Bengals, and Fant just had a season-high six targets in Week 11 at Pittsburgh with five catches for 36 yards. He could see an uptick in targets with Chase out since he averages 11.7 targets per game. Fant should be considered a low-end starter in deeper leagues against the Patriots, who are No. 9 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Catches five passes in loss
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Fant caught five of six targets for 36 yards in the Bengals' 34-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday.
Fant's six targets were fourth-most on the team, trailing Ja'Marr Chase (10) , Tee Higgins (eight) and Chase Brown (eight). With Mike Gesicki (pectoral) on injured reserve, Fant has been more of a factor in the passing game since Gesicki went down in Week 6. In the four games since, Fant has secured 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets. Fant isn't an exciting fantasy target ahead of next Sunday's game against the Patriots.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Finds end zone in loss
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Fant caught two of three targets for 28 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 47-42 loss to the Bears.
Fant played 31 of the Bengals' 68 offensive snaps Sunday, tied with fellow tight end Drew Sample. The veteran was targeted three times for the second straight week, and his touchdown marked his third trip to the end zone this season. With wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins commanding most of the target share in Cincinnati's offense, Fant continues to profile as a touchdown-dependent option at the tight end position. The 27-year-old will look to build off his latest performance when the Bengals come out of their Week 10 bye to face the Steelers in Week 11.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Three catches in loss to Jets
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Fant caught all three of his targets for 41 yards in Sunday's 39-38 loss to the Jets.
Fant tied for second on the team in targets, but 19 of Joe Flacco's 34 passes were directed toward Ja'Marr Chase. Fant has found success since Mike Gesicki (pectoral) went on injured reserve prior to Week 7 against the Steelers, catching all seven of his targets for 85 yards and a touchdown across two subsequent games. Fant will try to surpass 40 receiving yards for a third consecutive game in Week 9 against the Bears.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Scores TD in high-scoring victory
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Fant secured all four targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Bengals' 33-31 win over the Steelers on Thursday night.
With Mike Gesicki (pectoral) hitting injured reserve earlier in the week, Fant stepped into the top tight-end role Thursday night and made good use of the opportunity. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were the focal points of the air attack, but Fant was an effective complementary option while posting a new season high in receiving yards and scoring his second touchdown of the campaign via a five-yard catch on the first play of the fourth quarter. Fant should remain the top pass-catching option at his position while Gesicki is sidelined, and his next opportunity to fill that role comes in a Week 8 home matchup against the Jets on Sunday, Oct. 26.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Likely to see expanded role
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Fant is primed to handle additional snaps, routes and targets beginning with Thursday's game versus the Steelers after Cincinnati placed Mike Gesicki (pectoral) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Fant played 50 percent of offensive snaps and secured all four of his targets for 27 yards during the Bengals' loss to the Packers in Week 6, showing solid chemistry with new quarterback Joe Flacco. Gesicki played just two offensive snaps before being forced out versus Green Bay, so it's reasonable to project Fant to take on another sizable snap share at home against Pittsburgh on Thursday. With reserve tight end Tanner Hudson (concussion) ruled out for Thursday, the Bengals will have Drew Sample and Cam Grandy as the available depth options behind Fant.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Secures all four targets
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Fant caught all four of his targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 28-17 loss to the Packers.
Fant saw an uptick in target opportunities with Joe Flacco under center, though his increased workload can also be contextualized by the departure of Mike Gesicki (pectoral) in the second quarter. In the event that Gesicki is unable to suit up Thursday versus the Steelers on a short week of rest, Fant will get a chance to handle No. 1 tight end duties, making him a potential streaming option for fantasy purposes. Notably, reserve tight end Tanner Hudson drew five targets versus Green Bay, securing four of them for 10 yards and a touchdown.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Cleared for Sunday
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Fant (concussion) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Lions.
After being listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, Fant practiced fully Thursday and Friday and has been cleared to return to the lineup after missing Monday night's loss to the Broncos due to a concussion. In three games to date, Fant has compiled a 12-80-1 line on 14 targets, a pace that keeps him on the Week 5 fantasy radar, especially with four teams on bye.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Logs full practice Thursday
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Fant (concussion) practiced fully Thursday.
After being listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, Fant's full participation a day later has him trending toward returning to the lineup Sunday against the Lions. Friday's final injury report will determine whether the tight end -- who has 12 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets through three games -- heads into the weekend with a designation.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Estimated as limited in practice
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Fant (concussion) was listed as limited on Wednesday's practice estimate, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Fant didn't practice last week before being ruled out for Monday night's loss to the Broncos, but the tight end's limited listing on Wednesday's estimate suggests that he has a chance to be cleared to play in advance of Sunday's game against the Lions. He'll have two more chances to upgrade his participation level before the Bengals post their final Week 5 injury designations.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Won't play against Denver
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Fant (concussion) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Broncos.
Fant entered the league's concussion protocol following the Bengals' Week 3 loss to the Vikings. He was unable to practice all week, and as a result he'll be in street clothes for Monday's contest. With Fant out, Drew Sample and Mike Gesicki will serve as the Bengals' top tight ends while Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy operate in a rotational role against Denver. Fant's next opportunity to play is Week 5 against the Lions on Sunday, Oct. 5.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Misses another practice
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Fant (concussion) didn't practice Friday.
With 'DNPs' Thursday and Friday in the books, Fant has one more chance to practice before the Bengals release their final injury report of the week Saturday. If the tight end is unable to gain clearance to play Monday night against the Broncos, Mike Gesicki, Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson and Cam Grandy would be available to handle TE duties. Of that group, Gesicki profiles as the upside fantasy play Week 4.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Shares tight end duties
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Fant had three catches for 28 yards on four targets in Sunday's win over the Jaguars.
Through two games, Fant and Mike Gesicki seem to be sharing the tight end pass-catching duties fairly evenly and are frequently on the field at the same time.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Finds end zone in Cincy debut
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Fant recorded four receptions on five targets for 26 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 17-16 win over the Browns.
Fant joined the Bengals in late July and was projected to work behind Mike Gesicki. However, Fant had a significant role in Cincinnati's Week 1 win, as he led the team in targets and receptions. He also accounted for the only receiving score for the team on a one-yard catch late in the second quarter. Fant's usage is likely to decline in future weeks, but this performance at least lands him on the fantasy radar.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Not targeted in preseason win
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Fant didn't get any targets in Monday's preseason win over Washington.
Fant was part of a TE rotation for the first-string offense, mostly playing alongside Drew Sample in two-TE sets, while Tanner Hudson filled in for Mike Gesicki (hamstring) and got a lot of the work in passing situations with three wide receivers. None of the bunch is likely to have an every-down role in the regular season, nor anything close to it.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Preseason debut on top
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Fant will make his preseason debut with the Bengals during Monday's game against the Commanders, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Fant inked with Cincinnati on July 31 and hadn't picked up enough of the playbook to suit up for the team's preseason opener against Philadelphia on Aug. 5, but he's now acclimated enough to take on exhibition reps. With Mike Gesicki (hamstring) ruled out for Monday's matchup, Fant could get the start at tight end while all of Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Tanner McLachlan and Cam Grandy work in behind him.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Won't play Thursday
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Fant is still learning the playbook and won't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles, SI.com's James Rapien reports.
Mike Gesicki's hamstring injury may help Fant get more first-team reps in practice, but that apparently won't carry over to the first preseason game just one week after Fant signed with Cincinnati. The Bengals will instead rely on Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Tanner McLachlan and Cam Grandy at tight end Thursday night.
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Bengals' Noah Fant: Officially signs with Bengals
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The Bengals officially signed Fant on Thursday.
Fant, who recorded a 48-500-1 receiving line in 14 regular-season games with the Seahawks in 2024, bolsters a Bengals tight end corps that also includes Mike Gesicki, who caught 65 passes for Cincinnati last season. With star wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins also around to command plenty of targets, Fant may not initially have a path to steady volume, but the 2019 first-rounder would quickly find himself on the fantasy lineup radar if Gesicki were forced to the sideline at any point this season.
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Noah Fant: In line to join Bengals
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Fant is expected to sign with the Bengals after both sides came to terms Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Fant's first visit as a free agent after being released by Seattle was to Cincinnati, and though he subsequently met with New Orleans and Miami, the 2019 first-round pick now appears set to join Mike Gesicki atop the Bengals' tight end depth chart. The fit is somewhat intriguing, as Fant boasts receiving chops and now joins a prolific passing game, but he faces a murky role and may have to settle for a definitive depth gig behind Gesicki, whom Cincinnati inked to a three-year, $25.5 million extension this offseason.
