Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Football Preview
It’s not a very well kept secret that the Bengals are a historically bad franchise, and they didn’t want to disappoint in 2019 as they locked up the number 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals do have a strong element of youth to the roster and will finally get to see Jonah Williams, 2019 First Round Pick, handle a full workload after suffering an injury during the 2019 season. The Bengals have a lot WRs looking to make their mark. There are young pieces on both sides of the ball that should make the Bengals fan base hopeful if nothing else.
Schedule
- Week 1: Chargers
- Week 2: at Browns
- Week 3: at Eagles
- Week 4: Jaguars
- Week 5: at Ravens
- Week 6: at Colts
- Week 7: Browns
- Week 8: Titans
- Week 9: Bye
- Week 10: at Steelers
- Week 11: at Washington
- Week 12: Giants
- Week 13: at Dolphins
- Week 14: Cowboys
- Week 15: Steelers
- Week 16: at Texans
- Week 17: Ravens
Players To Know:
- Joe Mixon-RB: There is no denying the talent that Joe Mixon has but it is always something that makes me wonder: how does he constantly put up solid fantasy numbers with a non-existent OL? Mixon went for over 1100 rushing yards in 2019 but it was less than his 2018 total. However, there are high hopes for Mixon this season as he has an improved OL and his schedule is not terrifying so there is a lot to like about Joe Mixon. Mixon could be in store for his best season yet.
- AJ Green-WR: This is a total boom-or-bust season for Green as he missed all of last season due to injury. Also, Green will no longer be catching balls from Andy Dalton as the team will turn to number one overall pick Joe Burrow. It may take a little bit for the two of them to develop a solid connection but it is still likely that Burrow will lean on Green. Green is an accomplished veteran and will need to put together a pretty big season if he hopes to get paid big bucks in the future.
- Tyler Boyd-WR: Boyd might be the WR set to take the biggest hit this upcoming season. There are a lot of mouths to feed on this offense and with the return of AJ Green, we should expect Boyd’s targets to take a dip south this year. Boyd is coming off a 90 catch season as the WR1 in 2019 for the Bengals.
- Auden Tate-WR: Tate was a pleasant surprise last season but do not bet on it again this season. The WR room is crowded and it looks like Tate could be the odd man out meaning his fantasy value is limited at best.
- John Ross-WR: While it seems like every year around this time we start the engine to the John Ross Hype Train it may have a little more steam than usual this year. In his first two games in Zac Taylor’s offense, he posted 3 touchdowns and 270 yards and he should be the likely deep-ball favorite for Joe Burrow. You shouldn’t expect Ross to be the poster child of consistency but then again are you looking for consistent fantasy performances from John Ross?
- Tee Higgins-WR: Higgins could end up as a starter but in all likelihood, he will split snaps with John Ross on the outside regardless opposite of AJ Green and Tyler Boyd. I do not expect him to be a fantasy superstar this season, but 2021 could be a different story.
- Joe Burrow-QB: It is the hope of everybody that the OL will immensely improve from last season to keep Burrow upright and healthy. Burrow will play in an offense where it would not be surprising if he ended up with 4000 yards passing and in the neighborhood of 25 TDs. Burrow showed he was a fantastic decision-maker at LSU and if he can continue to limit his INTs with Cincy he could be a Top-10 QB option sooner rather than later.
Defensive Outlook
The defense was equally responsible for securing the number one pick last season as they ranked near the bottom in all defensive categories- both passing and rushing. The Bengals addressed the LB position in the draft by selecting Logan Wilson (Wyoming/3rd Round), Akeem Davis-Gaither (Appalachian State/4th Round) and Markus Bailey (Purdue/7th Round). Trae Waynes, Mackenzie Alexander and Vonn Bell were added to join the secondary. On paper, the defense is improved but the games aren’t played on paper. Keep them in mind, possibly, as a desperation bye week play.
Potential Breakout Player
- Moritz Bohringer-TE: A one-time draft favorite of Mike Mayock. Mayock was with the NFL Network at the time and was really getting excited about a German WR. Well, the Minnesota Vikings took a shot on him in Round 6 and he’s grown into a TE. There is an open fight to pickup reps at TE due to some players leaving the organization. Bohringer is an athletic option in the passing game and he could be a weapon near the end zone.
Rookie To Know:
- Joe Burrow-QB
Rookie Sleeper:
- Tee Higgins-WR
