CINCINNATI (vs Arizona)
Cincinnati is 0-4 and fast becoming a dumpster fire, but here's a rare week where Bengals players are very much in play for above-average numbers. Playing at home, they face one of the four other teams ...
... that appears certain to finish in last in its division. Arizona's defense has allowed the 2nd-most yards in the league, and only three teams have allowed more points. The Cardinals are playing without both of their starting cornerbacks. So despite their considerable flaws, the Bengals are in the mix to score in the mid-20s. ... Andy Dalton was dreadful Monday night, taking 8 sacks in a 27-3 beat-down at Heinz Field. He passed for only 171 yards (102 when sacks are included), with an interception and 2 fumbles. Arizona has an above-average pass rush, so it's fair to wonder if the Bengals can keep him upright. But if they can give him just a little time, Dalton will post ...
This report is taken from today's Week 5 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 20 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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... above-average numbers. Kyle Allen passed for 261 yards and 4 TDs at Arizona two weeks ago, and Matthew Stafford lit them up for 385 yards and 3 TDs. For the season, the Cardinals are allowing a 118 passer rating, worst outside of Miami. Dalton was very effective the first two weeks of the season, putting up 729 yards and 4 TDs against the Seahawks and 49ers. He should bounce back in this one, probably putting up 270-plus yards and multiple touchdowns. ... Tyler Eifert looks very good, and with his modest production so far, he might be sitting on your waiver wire. He's caught only 11 passes for 81 yards, but they like using him in the red zone. He scored against San Francisco, and they've tried to get him the ball in the end zone on other occasions, including a near miss against the Steelers. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have been by far the worst team in the league against tight ends; they don't know how to cover them. Four weeks in a row they've allowed touchdown passes to tight ends, and two have gone over 100 yards against them. Eifert won't go for 100, but a good chance he'll score this week.
| Tight ends against Arizona | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | No | Yds | TD |
| Hockenson | 6 | 131 | 1 |
| M.Andrews | 8 | 112 | 1 |
| G.Olsen | 6 | 75 | 2 |
| Dissly | 7 | 57 | 1 |
Eifert, of course, isn't the only tight end the Bengals use. C.J. Uzomah is more durable and a better blocker, so he typically will play more. And they'll get Drew Sample out there some. But Eifert is the guy they like using in red-zone situations. Uzomah caught 4 passes for 66 yards in his first game but hasn't caught a pass the last three weeks. ... With Arizona missing both cornerbacks, we're slotting the wide receivers higher than usual. Tyler Boyd over the last year has proven that he's a legit slot receiver. No touchdowns yet, but despite the team's lackluster start, he's on pace for 108 catches. In this kind of game, he looks like a safe option for a half dozen catches. And Auden Tate looks surprisingly decent. Tate was a reserve the first two weeks (behind Damion Willis) but has caught 10 passes for 138 yards since moving into the starting lineup for the past two games. A.J. Green (ankle) isn't playing again this week, so it will be Tate again in that role. Working against this patchwork secondary, Tate should come up with another 5-plus catches. Tate is huge (6-5, 228); they drafted him out of Florida State in the seventh round last year. ... The Bengals use three receivers on most downs, and their preference would be to have John Ross in that third role. He caught 3 TDs in their first two games, all on longer plays. But he's tailed off the last two weeks and is now down for a while with a shoulder injury. They'll likely replace him with either Alex Erickson or Damion Willis, and neither looks compelling. ... We're ranking Joe Mixon a little higher than usual. They haven't been able to get him going yet. He's averaging only 51 yards per game (38 run, 13 rec), with Cincinnati ranking next-to-last in rushing. The offensive line isn't good enough. But here they're at home, and in a game where they should have more opportunity to be able to stick with the run. Arizona has been decent against the run at times (certainly in Week 1, and they were one late long run away from holding Christian McCaffrey to 77 yards at 3.3 yards per attempt). When the Ravens ran for 182 yards in Week 2, it was with their quarterback account for two thirds of the production (Mark Ingram carried 13 times for 47 yards). But ultimately, only four defenses have allowed more rushing yards than the Cardinals. Mixon is worth a shot this week. ... If you're looking for a waiver wire kicker, Randy Bullock is an option to consider. He should be available in most leagues, and the Bengals are at home against an 0-3-1 opponent that's been struggling all year. Arizona has allowed 9, 11, 8 and 9 kicking points in its first four games. ... We're ranking the Bengals Defense higher than usual. It's at home, and it's playing against a rookie quarterback trying to run a wide-open passing system behind a non-existent offensive line. Kyler Murray in his first four games has taken 20 sacks, with 4 interceptions.