NFL training camps are open, and for millions of people worldwide their fantasy football preparation has begun in earnest. Here at Sports World News we will break down all 32 NFL teams in terms of their fantasy value. Readers will find the must-own players in every format, the sleepers in specific formats, and hidden gems only necessary for those in very deep leagues.
Today's preview will be on the Cincinnati Bengals. As always, average draft position (ADP) is pulled from FantasyPros.com.
Must Owns
Jeremy Hill, RB (ADP: 16): Hill’s ADP is a little too low. I said it. He’s huge, averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, and even though he shares a backfield with Giovani Bernard, he is the clear top dog. Hill will get almost all of the goal-line work, but he can also catch the ball and score from long distance too. He’s the total package, and he’s younger than guys like Matt Forte and Marshawn Lynch going in front of him.
A.J. Green, WR (ADP: 21): Green is going eighth among wide receivers, and while the knee-jerk reaction is that his stock has dropped too far, it just speaks to the depth at the top of the WR group. Green is incredibly consistent when healthy. Last year he wasn’t healthy, but when he was, he remained good old A.J. Green. Expect him to be right around 100 catches, 1,300 yards, and double-digit touchdowns.
Maybe other WRs have more upside, but few have this high of a floor.
Giovani Bernard, RB (ADP: 74): Bernard is much more than a handcuff to Hill. He’s so good that even with limited work, he is ownable—and start-worthy—in any league. Bernard is good for close to 50 catches, and more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in his current role. If Hill suffers an injury, he becomes a second-round caliber RB that you took in the seventh round, or possibly later.
Sleepers (Best Format)
Andy Dalton, QB, Standard (ADP: 173): Dalton’s not an appealing option at all because of his inconsistency, but in two-QB formats he is a fine option. He also has top-10 upside, and no, I haven’t lost my mind. Dalton has a top offensive line, two high-end running backs, and one of the best receivers in football at his disposal. Draft him as a backup, and at worst you’ve got a high-upside bye week play.
Tyler Eifert, TE, Standard (ADP: 152): Jermaine Gresham is out of Eifert’s way, so this will be the true test of whether he is for real or just hype. As a rookie Eifert caught 65 percent of his targets, and made a 61-yard grab, so he’s clearly got playmaker potential.
Deep Finds (Best Format)
Marvin Jones, WR, Standard (ADP: 212): Jones is listed third on Cincinnati’s depth chart right now, but he has more promise than Mohamed Sanu. In 2013 he was a touchdown machine, striking paydirt 10 times. He missed all of last year, but Green and Hill will attract so much attention Jones can battle CBs one-on-one.
Mohamed Sanu, WR, Standard (ADP: 224): Sanu was pretty good as the No. 1 when A.J. Green missed time, and his size (6’2, 215 pounds) makes him more of a physical mismatch than Jones. His ceiling is lower than Jones, but he also didn’t miss an entire season of football.
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