Should I drop Jake Browning in Week 5? Fantasy projection for Bengals QB

The Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in an unfortunate predicament with quarterback Jake Browning at the wheel. Joe Burrow is out with an injury, and the Bengals have been slowly melting down since Browning took over.

The situation presents an interesting dilemma that fantasy players have to weigh up. Should you drop Browning from your fantasy team, given his production since taking over from Burrow?

Let's dive into the situation and explore the backup quarterback's fantasy projection for Week 5.

Jake Browning fantasy football outlook for Week 5

Syndication: The Enquirer - Source: Imagn

The Bengals are 2-2 entering this weekend. They started the season with back-to-back wins but have since fallen on a two-game losing streak in Burrow's absence.

Nonetheless, the unfortunate bigger picture is met by some optimism. Jake Browning has improved during his run as the starter so far. In their last game against the Denver Broncos, he didn't turn the ball over.

The backup took three sacks, though, and averaged only 5.0 yards per throw. None of Cincinnati's receivers also exceeded 32 receiving yards.

Browning is, unsurprisingly, not putting up superstar numbers, having completed only 63.4% of his passes for one score and two picks during his run as a full-time starter this year.

Should I drop Jake Browning in Week 5?

The Bengals host the Detroit Lions in Week 5. The game isn't necessarily a death trap for Jake Browning. Detroit ranks in the middle of the pack in limiting fantasy quarterback production, and Browning is expected to score 14.64 fantasy points this week, according to NFL.com.

If you're in need of any quarterback production in deep fantasy leagues, he might be able to provide you with some stability, however low. Drop him in leagues where franchise starters are available, as they're likely to provide more value.

Brett Rypien is supposedly the third-string quarterback, and he could see some action if Browning continues to falter. Coach Zac Taylor claimed he is completely confident in Browning's ability this week, so Rypien will only see game time in special situations.

A fantasy alternative to Browning is Baltimore Ravens backup Cooper Rush. The former Cowboys shot-caller appears likely to fill in for Lamar Jackson versus the Houston Texans, with Jackson working through a hamstring injury. Houston, however, ranks second in the league against opposing quarterbacks, which is a major factor in Rush being projected to bag only 10.99 points, per NFL.com.