Week 1 fantasy football recap for Bengals players

Very few fantasy owners choose to get cute in Week 1 of the NFL season. You draft the guys to be your starters and you stash the guys you think could emerge as a threat down the road. Let's take a look at how the first week of the regular season turned out for those of you that invested in Cincinnati during your draft.

Who Performed

A.J. Green: It shouldn't be a surprise that Green's top-five fantasy output in 2012 continued on Sunday. He was the second best WR for the week in both standard and PPR formats with nine catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He's an elite wide receiver in both real and fake football. Expect big things on Monday night, as the Bengals face the Steelers.

Andy Dalton: There were so many big fantasy performances from quarterbacks in Week 1 that Dalton's output was buried a bit. Even though Dalton was just outside of the top-20 quarterbacks in fantasy, he still put up good numbers for fantasy owners with 282 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. If you take away the interception that bounced off A.J. Green's hands, Dalton would have been a top-15 fantasy quarterback for the season. Regardless, It's unlikely that many owners started Dalton outside of two-quarterback leagues.

Who Struggled

Wide Receivers Other than Green: Marvin Jones barely made no impact with seven receiving yards and fourteen rushing yards. Mohamed Sanu is likely incubating on fantasy benches in Cincinnati leagues, but his costly fumble left him with negative points in standard scoring formats. Both receivers should not be started any time soon. Sanu could become a factor as a touchdown producer, but it's clear that no receiver in Cincinnati aside from Green should be started even in deeper leagues for the time being.

Giovani Bernard: Bernard was the first Bengals running back drafted in most leagues around the country. As much as I like Bernard's upside as the season progresses, it may be a few weeks before he is able to make an impact for fantasy owners. Chicago's defense was merciless against running backs in 2012, and Bernard's debut should have been a wait-and-see opportunity for all owners. For those of you that don't own Bernard, particularly in PPR leagues, consider this an opportunity to buy low from a disappointed owner.

Cincinnati Defense: Without the interception from Vontaze Burfict, Cincinnati's defense would have likely given owners a goose egg on their roster for Week 1. It was a disappointing effort, as Jay Cutler managed to control the football behind an offensive line many hoped the Bengals would abuse on Sunday. They'll have an opportunity to redeem themselves against a Steelers offense that made the Titans a top-five defense in Week 1.

Honorable Mention

BenJarvus Green-Ellis: The Law Firm only managed to gain 25 yards on the ground against Chicago, but his touchdown made him fantasy relevant for Week 1. Green-Ellis will continue to be a low-end flex play primarily due to his end zone opportunities. It's only a matter of time before Bernard and Green-Ellis cannibalize each other's fantasy production. Tread lightly.

Tight Ends: They didn't exactly turn heads in the world of fantasy football, but Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert each had five receptions for 35 yards and 47 yards respectively. It's hard to recommend grabbing either tight end simply because there's no telling who will put up the bigger performance on a weekly basis. Keep an eye on how the two coexist over the next several weeks.

Be sure to check out Who Dey Weekly's Nick Seuberling and I during the Fantasy Kickoff show every Sunday morning. Follow us on Twitter @FantasyKickoff and send us your questions before the end of the week.

In the meantime, feel free to share your Week 1 successes and struggles in the comments below!