The best game of the week will be Monday night in San Francisco where the 49ers welcome the Baltimore Ravens. This could be a Super Bowl preview matchup so get your popcorn ready. Before you check out our fantasy football rankings, let’s highlight injuries to monitor this week.

C.J. Stroud – It looks as though Stroud will miss a second straight game due to a concussion. Case Keenum filled in admirably last week in his absence but this offense is obviously not the same without Stroud. It remains to be seen if Stroud can return for week 17 as the Texans continue to fight for a playoff spot.

Ja’Marr Chase – Chase injured his shoulder last week vs. the Vikings and was officially diagnosed with an AC joint sprain. Unfortunately for Chase owners, it looks like Chase will be out this week and possibly more. Fellow receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins will get a bump in our rankings due to this.

Keenan Allen – Allen missed last week’s game with a heel injury and may also miss his week 16 matchup. He did not practice on Tuesday and it’s likely the Chargers will be cautions on his return. With Justin Herbert now out for the season LA will not risk further injury to one of its superstars.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Week 16 Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Justin Jefferson – We won’t know for sure until later this week but it looks as though Jefferson is set to return from the IR. This is big news for Jefferson owners as the push for the fantasy football playoffs continues. As always hamstring injuries are delicate so keep an eye on any setbacks at practice this week.

Justin Fields – The Bears are set to get back their starting quarterback as Fields is in line to return in week 11. He has been dealing with a thumb injury to his right hand. If Fields returns the Bears offense will be upgraded although don’t expect amazing numbers from this unit.

Tee Higgins – Higgins who is also dealing with a hamstring injury may miss another week due to the short turnaround. The Bengals play the Ravens on Thursday Night Football and Higgins was absent from Tuesday’s practice. Keep an eye out today for his official game status.

The post 2023-24 Fantasy Football Week 11 Rankings appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Studs

Tua Tagovailoa/Tyreek Hill – We knew the Dolphins and Chargers had the potential to be high scoring and that’s just what we got. This dynamic duo could not be stopped as Hill hauled in 11 receptions for 215 yards and totaled 39 FP in Half PPR. Tagovailoa had a league high 466 yards including 3 passing touchdowns for a total of 28.1 FP. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy this offense will hum all season long.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST – The Cowboys absolutely dismantled the New York Giants on Sunday night. If you started the Cowboys defense you are likely winning your matchup as they finished with 37 FP. The Giants offense never had a chance to get going as their o-line failed to protect Daniel Jones all night long. This could be a long season for Jones and the Giants if they don’t fix their protection issues.

Brandon Aiyuk – The San Francisco 49ers had another dominating performance this time in Pittsburgh. Aiyuk led the way with 8 receptions on 8 targets. He hauled in 2 receiving touchdowns and had 129 receiving yards on the day. Aiyuk very much looks to be the #1 WR for the 49ers as he had a 28.6% target share. If he can stay consistent and healthy he is in for a big year.

Aaron Jones – Jones was one of our recommended starts in our week 1 start ’em, sit ’em column. He finished as RB1 on the day before he left the game with an apparent hamstring issue. We will have to monitor the hamstring but Jones remains a must-start for the foreseeable future.

Duds

Drake London – We expected London to take the next step in his trajectory for year 2 but he was non-existent on Sunday. London finished with 0 catches on only one target. Don’t bail just yet on him but this opening game dud is not ideal.

Tee Higgins – The entire Bengals offense was stuck in the mud for much of the game vs. Cleveland on Sunday. Credit the Browns defense but these stats don’t look good. Somehow Higgins finished with 0 receptions despite having 8 targets. That is one crazy stat.

Antonio Gibson – Gibson had a day to forget for the Washington Commanders. There was a lot of hype surrounding how Gibson would be utilized in Eric Bieniemy’s offense this year. A costly fumble limited Gibson to just 4 touches on the day. Again don’t bail on Gibson just yet but I wouldn’t be starting him.

Monday Night Football Preview

We have a juicy matchup on tap when the Buffalo Bills visit the New York Jets tonight. For the Bills, you’re obviously starting Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Beyond that, I am not yet ready to start James Cook or Dalton Kincaid. The Jets defense is once again loaded and it will be tough sledding for the Bills offense.

On the Jets side of the ball, I am starting Garrett Wilson but sitting Aaron Rodgers. I need to see how this offensive line protects before starting Rodgers. Also, I am staying away from the Jets running backs until I see how they are utilized.

The post 2023-24 Week 1 Fantasy Football Recap appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Christian Esparza

1. Tee Higgins ”“ Cincinnati Bengals (WR 11, ADP 32)

Higgins finished 2021 as WR24 overall, bolstered by a 43.4 performance in week 16 against a decimated Ravens secondary. Higgins is a good wide receiver, don’t get me wrong. But for him to be drafted as WR11 feels incredibly rich. There is no sense in drafting someone this high who is not even the WR1 on his own team. 

2. Jaylen Waddle ”“ Miami Dolphins (WR 16, ADP 44)

Waddle put together a sneaky-good rookie season last year in which he averaged over 15 ppr points per game. Especially through his mid-season tear, Waddle was a true weapon for Miami. Things look a lot different for Waddle with the Dolphins having traded for Tyreek Hill, a player who does a lot of the same things Waddle does. To make matters worse, Miami’s new head coach Mike McDaniel will be implementing his offense from last year’s 49ers team. That scheme saw San Francisco pass the ball on just 51% of their plays ”“ 29th in the league. It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins supporting two top-20 receivers with this type of offense, especially with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. 

3. DK Metcalf ”“ Seattle Seahawks (WR 19, ADP 51.5)

Does this one really depend on who takes the starting snaps in Week 1, Geno Smith or Drew Lock? The funny thing is, Metcalf actually had his best stretch of games when Smith was under center last year replacing an injured Russell Wilson. Over those four games, Metcalf averaged over 19 points per game. Lock of course comes in from the Denver Broncos, where he has notoriously struggled the past two seasons. But again, we don’t know who is going to be Seattle’s starting quarterback. If things were that easy, Head Coach Pete Carroll would have committed to someone by now with Week 1 less than two weeks away. Instead, Carroll commented that he does not feel the need to name a starter, even by the team’s final preseason game on Friday, Aug. 26. The bottom line is: be careful with DK Metcalf. 

4. Chris Godwin ”“ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR 25, ADP 71)

As noted in an earlier article, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers feel weird this year. Quarterback Tom Brady just returned from an 11-day absence that was revealed to be a pre-planned vacation to the Bahamas with his family. This means the Bucs had to go throughout a large chunk of their camp without QB1. As far as Godwin goes, he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in January. Although things are looking good for Godwin to be back on the field by the start of the regular season, Godwin will not be 100%. Simply due to the nature of the injury, it may take an additional season for Godwin to truly return to form. There is a very good chance he does not finish the season as a top-24 receiver. 

5. Kenny Golladay ”“ New York Giants (WR 53, ADP 141)

Since signing a four-year, $72 million dollar contract in 2021, Golladay has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. Golladay didn’t even crack 90 total fantasy points last year as he just did not seem to fit in with the New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones. That seems to be the case again this year, as reports out of training camp make it sound like Golladay has been less than impressive. He is listed as a starting wide receiver on the depth chart, but that could change as the season goes on. At his ADP, you would have much better luck taking a swing on an impressive rookie like George Pickens or Romeo Doubs. 

The post Five overrated wide receivers in fantasy football appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins honestly had an outstanding season in 14 games last season: 1,091 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He was quite productive and involved (110 targets) as the Bengals WR2 last season. I really believe the 23-year-old has a monster ceiling as a wideout across Ja’Marr Chase long-term and potentially Tyler Boyd (FA in 2024).

I believe Higgins will surely progress with the improved pass protection (as Burrow was sacked more than any other QB in 2021). Cincy notably brought over La’el Collins and Alex Cappa. Collins will be an excellent RT and it’s safe to say Cappa may have done a modest job of blocking Aaron Donald on the last play of Super Bowl 56.

Similar to the sensation in Chase, Higgins is utterly explosive and he’s capable of really having electric performances. He capped off a 43-point/194 yards in Week 16 and he can really excel against mediocre CB2s (as he is one of the best WR2s in the NFL). The Bengals have the third most challenging schedule next season, but it also means Higgins and Burrow are in line to be in a lot of shoot-out contests.

Higgins is ranked as the ninth-best WR (one spot ahead of Tyreek Hill and eight spots behind Chase) in PPR via Fantasy Pros. It’s clear that he is getting the love he deserves in the FF world. He should really be a star in Cincy for a long time, especially when Boyd and Joe Mixon become less phased out of the game plan (in my opinion). If there is a dynasty owner half-sleeping on Higgins, capitalize on the opportunity to reel in the Bengals piece of gold.

The post What is the dynasty outlook for Tee Higgins? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Girvane Bola

The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2021 season was phenomenal. They could have been Super Bowl champions for the first time ever. While they lost to the Los Angeles Rams, they will believe they can make the Super Bowl again. But what is the ceiling and the floor of the Bengals in 2022?

Last season we saw the Bengals become the underdogs as they were the team every AFC team underestimated; they are clearly not that anymore. Joe Burrow is one of the great quarterbacks and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is an offensive threat.

With those two alone, this puts the Bengals in a position for long term success. They can flourish in the future and have a talented defence with the third-highest cap space and an abundance of draft picks. It is one of the most valuable building blocks in the NFL, and why their ceiling next year can be consecutive appearances in the Super Bowl.

However, there are issues and among those issues is the most apparent one of all, the offensive line. The Rams sacked Burrow seven times, tying the Super Bowl record. A problem was the Rams showed what a weak offensive line they had, something on which they must improve.

Another issue to solve is the short passing game. The Bengals are great with long passes. However, the short passing needs improvement. A wide receiver that performs short pass plays improves this. Chase then has an advantage where he can punish opponents. Furthermore, Joe Mixon will have more space on the ground to find additional yards.

The offensive line has revamped with the Bengals signing La’el Collins in addition to RG Alex Cappa and C Ted Karras. Cincinnati and the front office have addressed its critical problem. Though a good addition, it is imperative that Cincinnati do not cut ties with Collins before the 2024 season as that would result in a significant financial fallout.

The floor sees them finishing second in their division and losing in the Divisional Round. The AFC North will be strong this year. Baltimore Ravens, more importantly, Lamar Jackson, will want to avenge their injury-riddled season last season that saw them miss the playoffs entirely.

With Deshaun Watson at Cleveland, the division sees all teams with talented QBs except the Pittsburgh Steelers. The question becomes will Watson play? He may not, and the Browns can go into Week 4 already playing catch up.

But the reason the Bengals will still be a perennial playoff team is because of Burrow’s ability to elevate his teammates. Reaching a Super Bowl despite being Burrow sacked 70 times. He would easily take a team that has improved their most glaring weakness into the playoff and win their division.

Add to the fact that Chase and Tee Higgins have the upside to be great in the future, coupled with a bright coach in Zac Taylor, and the ceiling is another Super Bowl appearance. Their Worst-case scenario for the Bengals is they still make the playoffs, but this only shows the magnificent turnaround the Bengals have achieved with their franchise QB and Zac Taylor.

The post The ceiling and floor of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

When thinking about the best WR duo in the NFL, a few combinations come to mind such as AJ Brown and Julio Jones of the Tennessee Titans, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Bucs, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks, and a few others as well. One team that doesn’t come up right away, at least not yet, is the Cincinnati Bengals. That could change in the very near future because the Bengals have an extremely talented, and very young, pair of WRs in second year player Tee Higgins and rookie Ja’Marr Chase. When paired with the fact that they have a young and promising quarterback in Joe Burrow throwing them the ball, the future is extremely bright for the Bengals offense. They could soon have the very best WR duo in the NFL if things go according to plan for them.

Tee Higgins

After being selected in the second round out of Clemson in the 2020 NFL Draft, the 6’4 and 215 pound Tee Higgins put together a very impressive rookie campaign. He played in all 16 games while registering 67 receptions on 108 targets for 908 yards and 6 touchdowns. He leads the entire Bengals team in total yards, touchdowns, yards per reception with 13.6, and receiving yards per game with 56.8. He was also second on the team in both receptions and targets, trailing only Tyler Boyd. He was clearly a huge part of their offense and one of the best players on the team. The break out rookie should continue to improve through the offseason, while also continuing to develop chemistry with Joe Burrow, and has the potential to be a top tier WR in the NFL this coming season and beyond, all things considered. It will be very intriguing to see what how good of a player he can really turn into if he does in fact take that next step.

Ja’Marr Chase

At 6’1 and 201 pounds with lightning speed and excellent leaping ability, the rookie WR out of LSU has all of the tools to be an elite playmaker at the NFL level. That is one of the main reasons why the Bengals selected Chase with their 5th overall pick in the NFL Draft this year. The other main reason is the connection between him and quarterback Joe Burrow, who the Bengals selected first overall in the previous draft. Specifically, in 2019 when they played together at LSU, Chase and Burrow put together one of the best WR and QB seasons of all time, respectively. In 14 starts that year, Chase recorded 84 receptions for 1780 yards and 20 touchdowns on his way to winning the Biletnikoff Award. He capped off that amazing season with a national championship by contributing 9 receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Chase opted to sit out of the 2020 season but clearly did enough in 2019 to earn himself a high selection in the draft. The added bonus of being able to play with the same quarterback that he did in college is what puts this connection over the top. Chemistry is something that takes a long time to develop, so it’s a huge luxury that the Bengals already have that in this QB and WR duo. The potential is sky high when it comes to Chase and his projections in the NFL, and Burrow further amplifies that. If Chase can live up to the hype and make an immediate impact as he’s expected to, then pairing him with an already productive Higgins makes them an extremely exciting WR duo to keep an eye on. If they can grow together over the next year or so, they will be one of the best in the NFL for many years to come. They are a real threat to take over the top spot, especially if Burrow blossoms to his true potential also.

The post Why the Bengals could soon have the Top WR Duo in the NFL appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The dynasty fantasy football season is heating up as the early August Hall of Fame game nears. Dynasty gurus are starting to be bolder with their push for a more competitive starting lineup. 

It’s important to be up to date with the players that may be under the radar, yet possess the ability to propel your team to championship royalty. It’s factual that the running back position is prioritized and it carries the most weight on one’s team. Although, it’s important to master the understanding of the talent at other positions like QB, or WR. 

In this debacle, the wideout spot will be dissected. We’re going to go through WR profiles that are slowly rising through the cracks and yield the ability to rise up in big moments of the fantasy season. Let’s begin. 

• Tee Higgins

Everybody in the football world is talking about the high draft pick Ja’Marr Chase replacing the franchise legend AJ Green. Of course, the LSU connection will come to life with Chase and Burrow. Nonetheless, the hype surrounding the LSU rookie is shadowing the ability that the Bengals second-year player Tee Higgins carries. 

Even though Joe Burrow missed six games, Higgins still vastly outperformed the likes of Michael Pittman Jr, Henry Ruggs, and Jalen Reagor (67-908-6).

• Pittman: 40-503-3
• Reagor: 31-396-1
• Ruggs: 26-452-2

Expect a healthy Burrow, who was “second in passing attempts” prior to his injury, to unleash an improved Higgins in many shootout contests next season. The 22-year-old flat out has lots of skill and a freakish ceiling.

• John Brown

The new Raiders deep threat is still going strong at this stage in his career. Brown just recorded a career 1,000+ yard receiving season in 2019. Everybody loves to talk about the “first round” WR Henry Ruggs taking the next step without Gregg Williams giving a boost, but I fully expect another veteran wideout wearing #15 (Nelson Agholor being the former) in LV to outperform Ruggs. 

Carr threw the most 20+ yard passes since 2017 last season and I expect the well-established wideout that Carr already loves to be the reliable number one wideout throughout the 2021 season. Brown may be 31 years old, but speed demon Ted Ginn Jr. just retired at the age of 36 and Desean Jackson appears to be strong (when healthy) at age 34. 

• Tre’Quan Smith

Tre’Quan Smith was seriously underrated even before Michael Thomas’s injury. The Saints All Pro punt returner Deonte Harris seemed to be nearly in the same conversation as the former UCF wideout. 

I loved Smith to follow in the footsteps of UDFA Lance Moore, who recorded a 1,000-yard season in New Orleans, to step up in the absence of former Saints number two WR Emmanual Sanders. Now that MT is on the sideline for at least the beginning of the 2021 season, there is no reason to not fully expect Smith to be a go-to target and big body red zone threat. 

The comparison of Lance Moore can step aside, while Smith can now be seen as the next “Marques Colston”.  Expect the Saints wideout that often had 10+ pt showcases in PPR to be a very reliable weapon going into his fourth season.

The post Dynasty: 3 WRs to trade for appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Jesse Moeller (Twitter: @jmoeller05)

With the NFL season 78 days away, I figured it was time to dive in and find some value plays for the upcoming year. Where I wanted to start my search is at the wide receiver position. It is a position chalked full of talent that you can randomly pick a player and say they are top twenty-four in fantasy or a WR2. Or it at least would seem that way. I wanted to pick one player, each valued as a WR3, WR4, and WR5, who will outperform that ADP this year, and become a flex player or better this season. I will list my preferred options in each range and select a winner for each group. We will be using Fantasy Pros ADP as of June 22nd, 2021.

The WR3 (25-36) candidates: Tee Higgins (25), Chase Claypool (26), Brandon Aiyuk (27), D.J. Chark (29), Courtland Sutton (32), Ja’Marr Chase (33), Robby Anderson (35), Brandin Cooks (36)

My WR3 is Tee Higgins

I have been pounding the table for Higgins this entire offseason, so it should come as no surprise I would take him here. Higgins had a fantastic rookie year that was interrupted by a Joe Burrow injury in week 11. Higgins was having a remarkable season up until that point. While Higgins did not put up similar stats when Burrow was out, his target share jumped up to 24%. Closing out the year Higgins out-snapped and received more targets per game than Boyd.

As we moved into the offseason, Higgins hype went into overdrive. He reached the WR12 rankings in dynasty circles in March as the community was foaming at the mouth, thinking of the possibility of Burrow throwing to Higgins for the next decade. But, instead, the Bengals passed on Sewell and drafted super prospect Ja’Marr Chase Burrow’s partner at LSU. As a result, Higgins value took quite the dive as we are unsure how the pecking order would sort out in Cincy.

Now the concern is how much volume is available in an offense due to the receiving talent the Bengals currently possess in Higgins, Chase, and Boyd. There have been various teams in the last few seasons to support multiple top 24 receiving options. As the best passing attacks in the NFL support numerous players. Here is a list of each team in the last four years to support two top 24 WR.

2020: (4) Seahawks, Vikings, Cowboys, Steelers
2019: (3) Buccaneers, Rams, Cowboys
2018: (5) Falcons, Buccaneers, Steelers, Vikings, Rams
2017: (3) Steelers, Lions, Eagles

You might notice teams showing up multiple times, which makes sense as the best passing attacks allow two and sometimes three wide receivers to be relevant in fantasy. You have little to worry about from Higgins this year, as the Bengals will be amongst the league leaders in pass attempts in 2021. Higgins is an integral part of this offense and will command targets throughout the season. Do not let the name of Chase scare you off of upside Higgins presents in 2021. If you are curious where I stand on the two I will let my tweet below clear it up

The WR4 (37-48) candidates: Will Fuller (39), DeVonta Smith (40), Curtis Samuel (41), Jerry Jeudy (42), Michael Pittman (46), Laviska Shenault (47), Jaylen Waddle (48)

My WR4 is Curtis Samuel

The Washington Football team had a very condensed passing attack in 2020, with Terry Mclaurin, J.D. McKissic, and Logan Thomas accounting for 354 targets out of a possible 573. That’s a whopping 61.7% of the attempts going to three players. The most interesting statistic is how involved McKissic was in the passing game with Alex Smith compared to the other quarterbacks on the roster last year. In the eight games with Smith, Mckissic had a 22.9% Target Share. In the games without Smith, his Target Share dropped to 13.8%! That is a monumental change based on the play of the quarterback.

Enter Curtis Samuel and Ryan Fitzpatrick. The offense should look drastically different in 2021, with Fitz as the wheel. While Fitzpatrick is not the gunslinger, so many of us believed him to be. Fitzpatrick does not check down to the running back the way Smith did last year. Instead, his skills complement Samuel flawlessly. Fitzpatrick has one of the lower average depth of target during his career in the NFL, where Samuel disrupts a defense. Samuel in space underneath is how to use his talents best. Samuel is the type of guy you want to generate YAC, and those underneath throws create openings allowing Samuel to obliterate defenses.

An often misunderstood part of Samuel’s game is how dynamic of a player he is. In 2019 he was given 27 deep attempts (>20 yards downfield), best for eight in the NFL. Which, to anyone outside Carolina, may come as a severe surprise. Carolina corrected previous mistakes this last year, increased his slot snap share > 50%, gave him 41 rushing attempts, and cut his deep targets in half. Giving a player with his skillset the majority of slot snaps has the same goal as increasing his rushing attempts. Letting Samuel in space, allowing him to use his speed, which is why Samuel could put together the season he did.

The WR5 (49-60) candidates: Corey Davis (49), Antonio Brown (50), Michael Gallup (51), Cole Beasley (52), Darnell Mooney (55), John Brown (58)

My WR5 is Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown is someone I am grabbing everywhere I can, as I expect big things from him this year. However, one of our generation’s most transcendent wide receivers will be catching passes from Tom Brady, AKA The Goat, in 2021. I scratch my head, wondering what I am missing, with almost everyone fading Brown to the later rounds of drafts.

Brown did miss a good chunk of the season last year, but that should not be a reason to fade A.B., as when he was on the field for Tampa, Brown was heavily involved. He trailed only Davante Adams in Hog Rate last season. Hog Rate is a metric designed to tell you how much a player is featured on the field. The simple version is that it is Targets Per Snap. For Brown not playing until week 9, coming in and immediately establishing himself is remarkable considering how the year started. It shows us that Brady truly has eyes for Brown, and I would expect that to lead into the 2021 season.

Brown had a more significant target share than Evans and Godwin in the games he played last year. So I see it as a mess for Evans and Godwin, going six rounds earlier, as Brown will push both for the lead in team targets. Don’t miss out on the best sleeper wide receiver in your draft this season. Grab Brown everywhere you can.

Even outside the top 60, there are some promising dart throws for your fantasy team this season. The names Elijah Moore, Nelson Agholor, John Brown, Parris Campbell, Emmanuel Sanders, and Rondale Moore are ones I expect to outproduce their current ADP. Grab these players late in your draft. You will enjoy having them on your rosters for this year. All of these players are in offenses either needing an alpha or are lacking multiple threats. There is an obvious path for them to come in and be relevant early and often in 2021.

The post 3 sleeper WRs for redraft appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Joe Mason @josephmason94

The Bengals hit on their top two picks in the 2020 NFL draft with Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins who produced from the start and gave a promising future for this team. With Joe Burrow leading the offense and the Bengals defense finishing in the bottom half of 2020, look for this team to put up some fantasy points in 2021.

Before Joe Burrow went down with an injury in week eleven, he was averaging over 40 pass attempts per game. That ended up being good enough for second most in the league on a per game basis only behind Ben Roethlisberger. If this trend continues, this Bengals passing offense is going to be fantasy gold in 2021.

Joe Burrow has reportedly been voicing to the Bengals that he wants to be re-united with Ja’Marr Chase. It’s a real possibility they take him at pick five, but I believe they get a stud lineman at that pick to help protect Joe Burrow. For now, my analysis below assumes they look at other positions in this upcoming draft. Let’s dive into the three wideouts to see what each has to offer for this season.

Auden Tate

With the departure of AJ Green, Auden Tate moves into the Z wide receiver position. Many people forget that Auden Tate is 6’5” 228 lbs. and stepped in adequately to fill in for the injured AJ Green in 2019.  Although he isn’t flashy, the targets will be there and someone will need to catch them. The Bengals had three 100+ target WRs last season with AJ Green getting 104. Now I don’t expect Auden Tate to eclipse 100, but I think 65-75 is a real possibility. That can be fantasy relevant to a certain extent as well as having some very relevant weeks.

Tate is 24 years of age and entering his fourth NFL season. He is practically free in dynasty formats and has WR3 upside with potential for boom games. A third or a fourth-round pick should get the job done.

Tyler Boyd

Boyd broke out in 2018 and has been startable in fantasy ever since. He produced WR2 numbers in 2018 and 2019 but disappointed fantasy managers in 2020 after Joe Burrow went down. But why is Tyler Boyd a screaming buy this offseason?

In 2019 in college at LSU, Joe Burrow targeted Justin Jefferson, the slot receiver, a team leading 111 times. Burrow loves the slot, and last season with Burrow at QB, Boyd was on pace for 110/1,136/5 before the knee injury which would have been good to finish as the WR11 in PPR. I believe it’s possible this offense with Burrow can produce two top-24 WRs for fantasy.

So, what is the cost to acquire Tyler Boyd’s services? In a 1QB PPR league, you are looking at a late first round rookie pick (1.09-1.12). In a superflex league, Boyd prices out to an early rookie second (2.01-2.04).

Tee Higgins

A lot of people slept on Tee Higgins last season. With the amount of talent in the 2020 rookie WR class, it was hard to give Higgins the respect he deserved. But all he did in 2020 was produce for fantasy. One of the more impressive things he did besides some amazing sideline catches was produce even after Joe Burrow was out. He solidified himself as the true number one WR for this offense.

Higgins has the potential to be a top 5 fantasy WR in the NFL. The community has started to realize it, which is why his price in dynasty has risen very quickly. Currently, Higgins is worth at least two first round rookie picks in a 1QB PPR league, and a first and a second in a superflex league. I actually would prefer the Higgins side in both those deals, so you would have to find an owner who is ok to part with him. I believe when it is all said and done, Tee Higgins will be the best WR from the 2020 rookie class.

The post Cincinnati Bengals Dynasty WR Outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.