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When it comes to fantasy football, the Cincinnati Bengals have a number of players who could make-or-break your 2014 fantasy team. While A.J. Green, Andy Dalton and Giovani Bernard are the three Bengals talked about most, Jeremy Hill could become a viable option as a rookie.
Depending on what happens with BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Hill could be in for timeshare with the second-year Bernard. James Todd of Roto Viz actually ranks Hill as the No. 2 rookie running back heading into the 2014 NFL season:
| Player | Pick | Rank | Team | Blocked By | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Sankey | 54 | 1 | Titans | Shonn Greene, Jackie Battle, Leon Washington, | Excellent |
| Jeremy Hill | 55 | 4 | Bengals | BJGE, Gio Bernard, Rex Burkhead, | Excellent |
| Carlos Hyde | 57 | 5 | 49ers | Frank Gore, Marcus Lattimore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James | Poor |
| Tre Mason | 75 | 2 | Rams | Zac Stacy, Isaiah Pead, Benny Cunningham, Daryl Richardson | Fair |
| Terrance West | 94 | 6 | Browns | Ben Tate, Dion Lewis, Chris Ogbonnaya | Excellent |
| Dri Archer | 97 | 20 | Steelers | Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Alvester Alexander | Excellent |
Here is what they had to say of Hill:
Hill is actually a better prospect than Carlos Hyde, and lands in a good usage situation in Cincinnati. Hill's draft stock fell a lot in our most recent pre draft mock, but expect that value to climb if people figure out he's likely a BJGE replacement
We won't know Hill's true value until towards the end of the preseason. By then, the team will have decided if they're keeping Green-Ellis, which would mean a running back-by-committee approach between he, Hill and Gio.
That would greatly devalue both Bernard and Hill's fantasy value. It's unlikely any of the other backs, including Rex Burkhead, James Wilder and Jeff Scott, are going to be able to take carries away from Hill and Gio.
ESPN also ranks Hill as the second-best RB prospect and fifth-best overall rookie in fantasy football:
At 233 pounds with some surprising straight-ahead speed, Hill looks like the potential TD-maker in a pretty good offense, one that new coordinator Hue Jackson promises to make more balanced in 2014. I'm not that concerned for Bernard's fantasy value, though; I think Hill is a one-speed, one-direction player who runs upright and will take some thunderous hits in the NFL that might limit his shelf life. But it's fair to dream that Hill could make a fantasy dent this year.
It certainly helps Hill that he ran with the second-team ahead of Green-Ellis on the first day of Bengals OTAs.