The men in stripes put up 24 points in their Week 3 showdown with the Packers. Which Bengals were the top producers and are they fantasy relevant?
The Bengals lost another game, Week 3, falling to the Green Bay Packers 24-27. Another mark was added to the loss column, but this time it was different. As opposed to the anemic offensive outputs of the first two weeks, the Bengals scored 21 points in the first half alone. If nothing else, this means there may finally be something to talk about when it comes to fantasy football
Quarterback
Andy Dalton had something of a bounceback game against the Packers, throwing for 212 yards and two touchdowns. While the yardage total isn’t particularly impressive, this is Dalton’s best showing of the year by far. In addition to his two touchdowns, Dalton did not throw an interception which is a step in the right direction. Dalton still isn’t looking like a top-notch fantasy quarterback, but with a favorable matchup with Cleveland coming up he could be a viable play if someone really needed a quarterback.
Running Backs
Hello, Joe Mixon. In Bill Lazor’s offense, Mixon dominated in backfield touches with 21. The next highest total was Jeremy Hill with eight. Lazor has made it clear he intends for Mixon to be his workhorse going forward. So, at least some questions may be on the verge of getting answered. On Mixon’s 18 carries, he was able to gain 62 yards. He added another 39 yards on three receptions. His efforts amounted to 12 fantasy points which is a major improvement. Mixon is certainly trending upward but Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill are next to irrelevant at this point. Gio managed a receiving touchdown but gained just 39 all-purpose yards. Jeremy Hill gained just 29.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
A.J. Green had his first legitimately good game of the season. The all-star receiver tallied 111 yards and a touchdown on ten receptions. Green was targeted nine times more than the next highest targeted receiver (Tyler Kroft). This is good news for A.J. Green owners but bad news for Bengals fans since no receivers other than Green have stepped up. It’s worth noting that both Brandon LaFell and Tyler Boyd each caught just one pass.
Kicker
Randy Bullock was 3/3 for extra points but 1/2 on field goals. The miss would prove to be a crucial mistake as the Bengals would have most likely won being up two scores late in the fourth quarter. Same advice as usual here: look elsewhere.
Defense
The Bengals’ defense had a decent showing against the Packers. In the first half, they held Aaron Rodgers and the Pack to just seven points. William Jackson even stepped in front of a Rodgers pass and took it back to the house. Even when the offense has sputtered, the defense has been pretty solid. This week against the Browns, the Bengals’ defense may be a smart play.
Buy/Sell
There are three Bengals players that will be fantasy relevant this week. A.J. Green, Joe Mixon, and the Bengals’ defense. Mixon and Green are both trending up, so a trade may be out of the question. However, if they have been riding the fantasy bench, it’s time to put them in and see what they can do. Any other Bengals players can be benched or dropped until further notice.