Week 2 fantasy football recap for Bengals players

Well, Week 2 didn't turn out exactly as many predicted. While the Bengals came away with the win, certain players didn't perform like we expected in the world of fantasy football. Let's run down the impact Week 2 had for Bengals players.

Who Performed

Giovani Bernard: Bernard was drafted before Benjarvus Green-Ellis in the majority of fantasy leagues, and it was because everyone knew he could have games like this. His yardage totals weren't spectacular, but the Bengals weren't committing the run game much in the first half. Bernard's two touchdowns made him a top-five fantasy running back in Week 2. It's still a bit difficult to predict how much work Bernard will see moving forward. Play that match ups for the time being. He's a tempting flex play against the Packers on Sunday.

Cincinnati Defense: Cincinnati's defense held the Steelers to 10 points on the scoreboard, created two sacs, recovered a fumble and intercepted the ball. As a result, the Bengals ended up being a top-ten fantasy defense in most formats. The Bengals face the Packers in Week 3, making them worth benching in most leagues, but if an owner in your league dropped them, find a way to scoop them up before playing Cleveland in Week 4.

Honorable Mention

There were a handful of fantasy performances that ended up being very middle-of-the-pack this week.

Andy Dalton: 45 passing attempts will oftentimes lead to at least serviceable fantasy numbers. Dalton once again put up "good" numbers for most fantasy owners. Once again, this season has provided a lot of depth at the quarterback position, where even the 20th best quarterback still can get you close to 15 points in most formats. Dalton ended up near the top-15 at his position in Week 2. He's an interesting QB2 to consider in Week 3 as Dalton will be looking to redeem his deep ball inaccuracy against the Green Bay Packers.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis: 75 yards on the ground is a solid day. Unfortunately for Green-Ellis, his backfield counterpart emerged in Week 2. I still believe that Green-Ellis will get his share of goal line carries and will frequently see similar yardage as he did in Week 2. However, there's no telling when Green-Ellis will take a firm backseat on the depth chart now that Bernard made a statement on the field. Consider him a low-end flex play until further notice.

Bengals tight ends: Cincinnati's tight ends had very similar stat lines (66 yards each) for another consecutive week. Jermaine Gresham awarded PPR owners with a few extra receptions, but both players failed to reach the end zone. Continue to let these two develop and coexist on the field. Gresham may currently be the better prospect in deeper leagues as he's becoming one of Dalton's more reliable targets. Eifert is certainly maintaining his upside in only two weeks. Continue to monitor his fantasy output moving forward.

Who Struggled

Bengals wide receivers: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, and Marvin Jones collectively had 116 receiving yards against the Steelers. Green led the pack with six receptions, but their yardage was split pretty evenly. Green will have a rough outing once in awhile. Even Calvin Johnson was held to 37 yards once this season. It just happens. Aside from Green, no Bengals wide receiver is worth owning. Sanu could be considered a stash in deeper leagues, but it's likely he'll be hitting the waiver wire as even the most loyal homers will soon lose patience if they haven't already.

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.