Cincinnati Bengals: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 6 vs. Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals roll into downtown Detroit on Sunday after a disappointing home overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers hoping to regain early-season momentum against the winless Lions.
While the Lions are indeed winless thus far in 2021, that doesn’t mean they don’t have some intriguing fantasy options. The Lions currently have scored the 25th most points in the league.
Does this mean we bypass this game for fantasy purposes? Of course not! There are always useful fantasy performances despite the records involved.
A creative and crafty manager can always glean useful fantasy points from even the most putrid of matchups. Now, I’m not saying this is a putrid matchup. It’s not like this is a Texans game, but the perceived lack of fantasy upside for this matchup should be put aside.
Let’s dive deep into a shallow pool and find our Starts and Sits for the Week 6 tilt with the Motor City Kitties.
Start ‘Em – Evan McPherson
Didn’t see that coming, did you? Of course not. Maybe you should’ve.
Show of hands if you lost your faith in the Florida rookie. Put your hand down! The kid will be fine.
Sunday, winds were swirling at Paul Brown Stadium, and Evan McPherson — who had previously been money — missed two potential game-winning field goals. One of these field goals was roughly from downtown Newport while the other was a bit closer.
Either way, the important takeaway was Zac Taylor trusted McPherson to attempt a bomb from the 859 area code. In fantasy terms, that is huge. The longer the kick, the more points.
Against the Lions Sunday, McPherson will be playing in the cozy confines of Ford Field. Kids, this is a dome. If you aren’t excited to see how far McPherson can connect from in a controlled environment, then you must not use kickers in your fantasy league.
The Lions have been frisky kitties in 2021 despite not having any wins. If not for a botched no-call on a delay of game against the Ravens, the Lions would have at least one win on the board and against what looks to be a strong Ravens team.
In a game where points will be at a premium, expect Taylor to run McPherson out every chance possible, and the kid will hit from long range, restoring his confidence and perhaps winning the game.
Prediction: 2 extra points, 3 fields goals, 1 from downtown Windsor, Canada.