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Aside from A.J. Green, the Bengals weren't exactly bursting with fantasy football production. I posted a recap of Week 1 Tuesday, but the game against Chicago can best be summarized as one that offered few answers to questions we asked even last season. Will anyone in the Bengals backfield become a fantasy factor consistently? Will there be a clear WR2? Will we see the Bengals put up big fantasy numbers at the tight end position?
We honestly don't know just yet. It's possible that Monday night will begin to provide some clarity. In the meantime, let's take a look at how this translates to fantasy football.
Andy Dalton: Dalton put up respectable numbers against the Bears in Week 1. The Steelers haven't exactly given Dalton big fantasy outings in his two year career (688 yards, four touchdowns, and five interceptions in four contests). As much as I believe Dalton will have a solid outing against Pittsburgh in prime time, there are simply too many better options to roll with before Monday night. Consider Dalton a solid QB2 for another week and hope he repeats his Week 1 fantasy output.
Wide Receivers: There's no reason to bench A.J. Green. Ever. His last game against Pittsburgh resulted in 10 catches for 116 yards, but the last time Green faced Ike Taylor he was held to one catch for eight yards and a touchdown. Mohamed Sanu continues to be a wait-and-see player on a lot of fantasy benches. He's droppable in most formats, but if you're still hanging onto him, hope that he can rebound from his discouraging game against the Bears. Tight end Tyler Eifert is essentially the Bengals WR2 until further notice, so Marvin Jones shouldn't even be on your roster, let alone starting lineups.
Running Backs: I didn't like the idea of starting any Bengals running backs against Chicago, and I don't like predicting who will have the bigger game against Pittsburgh. BenJarvus Green-Ellis managed to find the end zone in Week 1, and could do the same against Pittsburgh. However, Green-Ellis is a flex play in most leagues simply because Giovani Bernard could be the hot hand on any given week.
Tight Ends: Both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert are TE2 options heading into Week 2. There's simply no telling who will get end zone looks, which is what their value will rely on. Gresham has only scored one touchdown against he Steelers in five contests and Eifert obviously only has one regular season game under his belt. Eifert may be worth a look in deeper PPR leagues, but he's a desperation play regardless. We're still waiting to see if the duo will coexist well or cannibalize one another from a fantasy perspective.
Cincinnati defense/special teams: Cincinnati's defense is owned in 94% of Yahoo leagues for a reason. Unfortunately, the game against Chicago didn't help out fantasy owners much. Look for Cincinnati's D to rebound against a Steelers offense that made the Titans a top-five fantasy producer in Week 1.
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 discuss Week 2 in the comments section below!