If you were like many who thought Jake Browning, having been in the Bengals system for a while, meant he would be a formidable fill-in for Joe Burrow, that clearly hasn’t worked out. So much so that Cincinnati has traded for Joe Flacco, who was just down the road in Cleveland with the Browns.

After getting benched for rookie Dillion Gabriel, the 40-year-old Flacco now has another opportunity. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the Joe Flacco trade and even how to consider some futures on the Bengals or otherwise while claiming a guaranteed Novig Sportsbook promo code bonus!

Joe Flacco Officially Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Flacco, once a Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012-13, will now be playing for his third AFC North team. The trade came in the middle of the day on Tuesday with the entire NFL Week 5 slate in the books.

Also in the trade is a swap of picks - a 6th rounder going to the Bengals as well in return for a 5th rounder back to the Browns. The trade comes after Cleveland returned from their London loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a game that was the first of the season that Joe Flacco did not start.

Rookie QB Dillon Gabriel may now feel less pressure over his shoulder, but also, it’s only a matter of time before we get another Shedeur Sanders clip following the Joe Flacco trade.
 

 

 

What the Trade Means for the Bengals’ Quarterback Situation

As for the Bengals side of the trade, Joe Flacco obviously brings veteran experience and leadership to a team that is absolutely spiraling. In the game in which Joe Burrow got hurt, Jake Browning filled in, throwing for 241 yards and two TDs (and three picks).

That finished off a 31-27 win over the now 4-1 Jacksonville Jaguars, but since then, the Bengals QB situation has been abysmal. Jake Browning threw five INTs in three games in losses coming by way of 48-10, 28-3, and 37-24, and even that last result was far worse than the final score would suggest.

The trade may mean a bit more stability at the QB position, but a Joe Flacco trade certainly isn’t equivalent to getting Joe Burrow back healthy.
 

 

 

Fantasy Football Impact: Joe Flacco’s Value Moving Forward

Now that we’re through five weeks of the fantasy season, is Joe Flacco worth picking up in your leagues? Is he worth using in a DFS lineup? Well, that depends on what his projections are for a given week, but as for year-long fantasy, the Joe Flacco outlook is “good, not great.”

The Bengals' next two games come against Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers and TJ Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers, obviously tough matchups. However, the following two games come against the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, games in which Joe Flacco could put up some numbers.

Whether he’s a great “real life” QB or not, fantasy-wise, he can be decent purely putting up yards and garbage-time TDs if the Browns find themselves trailing. After all, when he faced the Bengals - his new team - in Week 1, he threw for 290 yards. Now, Joe Flacco is going to have elite weapons to throw to, like Ja'Marr Chase.

In his four starts, Joe Flacco's fantasy output decreased with each one - 13.6, 9.8, 3.0 and 0.9 points using the most common fantasy scoring system.
 

 

 

How the Bengals Offense Changes With Flacco Under Center

Speaking of Chase, who was the preseason Offensive Player of the Year favorite with the second-shortest odds, he is virtually QB-proof. However, he is not the primary issue for the Bengals' offense.

Even if having Joe Flacco under center is better in terms of decision-making, the Bengals' offensive line is absolutely awful. It’s why we see RB Chase Brown having a NEGATIVE yards total in terms of yards before contact. Sadly, their run block win rate is actually better than their pass block win rate, which ranks dead last in the NFL.

All that to say, the Joe Flacco trade doesn’t really change the Bengals offense at all. Cincinnati was letting Jake Browning rip it, and they’ll likely do the same for the 40-year-old. For perspective, after the Joe Flacco trade, the Bengals are still 14-point underdogs to the Packers this weekend. 
 

 

 

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Outlook Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown

Speaking of odds, how about those OPOY odds at Novig for Ja'Marr Chase? Well, they have plummeted to virtually off the board, and a Joe Flacco trade has not improved them. From a fantasy perspective, he is still a must-start every week.

As for Tee Higgins and Chase Brown, depending on the depth of your league, they’re simply flex guys at this point. If nothing else, we’d prefer to monitor how their lines move in terms of Bengals player props following the Joe Flacco trade.

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