Dynasty Capsule: Cincinnati Bengals
Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the regular season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.
Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”
This was the first season since 2010 that the Bengals did not make the playoffs. It was a hard-fought season as they finished the year winning just three of their last eight games, causing them to finish third in the AFC North Division. Key injuries to both the offense and defensive units were one of the major reasons why the Bengals couldn’t break through threshold and win enough games to make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
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Quarterback
Dalton finished the regular season passing for 4,206 yards and 18 touchdowns while completing 64.65 percent of his passes. He ranked 19th in the league with 21.76 fantasy points per game and he produced QB1 level numbers during eight games this season. In 2014, he signed a six year, $96 million dollar extension with the Bengals that expires in the year 2021. However, starting in 2017, his cap hit immensely reduces to just $4.8 million, making it easy for the Bengals to cut ties if there was ever an issue with his play, but that could also easily change if the Bengals ever decided to restructure his deal to create extra cap space in the future.
Dalton is your guy if you’re a fan of patching up the quarterback position with cheap forgotten veterans. He currently ranks eighteenth amongst quarterbacks with a 158.50 ADP. It appears that he’s going to be playing for the Bengals for at least a few more years, which makes him a very safe investment in dynasty.
In 2015, McCarron made three starts resulting to 854 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. His 2016 campaign was very uneventful as he only played two snaps during the entire season. The rumor mill is starting to heat up with trade rumors concerning McCarron, which could be a sign that his days are numbered in Cincinnati. His dynasty value is virtually as low as it can get right now, but his value could increase if he is traded to a team with a major need at quarterback. He’s worth stashing at the end of your bench in deeper leagues.
Driskel was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After going through training camp with the 49ers he was eventually waived on Sept. 16. The Cincinnati Bengals immediately scooped him up off waivers and added him to their roster. Not only did he manage to finish the entire season without getting cut, he was also added to the 53-man roster, which is a good indication that the team likes him. Look for him to be slotted as the backup quarterback if McCarron is traded, but don’t make drastic moves on him in dynasty because the Bengals could easily draft another quarterback or sign a veteran in free agency.
Running Back
Hill finished the regular season rushing for 839-yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. He only had three games where he rushed for more than 4.0 yards per carry and he only had two performances where he surpassed the 100-yard mark. He has one year left to play on his initial contract and will be a free agent at the end of the 2017 season.
He currently ranks 18th overall amongst running backs with a 68.25 ADP. Expect his stock to drop even more in the off-season due to the talented batch of rookies that are set to hit the NFL this spring, making him a discounted asset to capitalize on for dynasty owners who still believe in him and are willing to pursue him via trade.
Bernard finished the regular season rushing for 337-yards and two touchdowns while catching 39 receptions for 336-yards. His season ended early when he suffered an ACL injury during week 11 against the Buffalo Bills. Even with the shorten season, he still managed to put up 126.8 PPR fantasy points while averaging 12.68 points per game. Bernard signed a three-year deal in June which will leave him under contract with the Bengals through 2019.
He currently ranks 26th amongst running backs with an 88.50 ADP, making him a mid-seventh round pick in startup drafts. This price tag is more than palatable, he’s only 24 years old and is signed with the team for three more years. His PPR prowess provides an elevate floor to his fantasy production, making him a very safe asset to own. The ACL injury is just going to drive his price tag down even more in the off-season, making him the perfect investment due to his price point.
He was waiting in the shadows of the Bengals roster for his chance to contribute and he finally got his opportunity during week 17 against the Baltimore Ravens by rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He’s scheduled to be a free agent during the upcoming offseason. He turns 27 in July and his dynasty stock depends on what team he signs with and whether he not gets an opportunity to receive enough meaningful touches to be fantasy relevant.
Wide Receiver
Green was on pace to having one of the best seasons of his career but a nagging hamstring injury caused him to miss the last six games of the season. He finished the season with 66 receptions for 964 yards and four touchdowns. His fantasy statistics were also impressive as he averaged 18.64 PPR fantasy points per game with three games scoring more than 30 fantasy points. He will turn 28 years old in July and he is signed with the Bengals through 2019.
He currently ranks seventh amongst wide receivers with a 9.75 ADP and due to recency bias and his age I expect his price tag to drop a bit farther in the off-season. He’s the perfect asset to invest in if you have a roster that is ready to compete for a title, because he’s still talented and will put enough fantasy points to get a middling team over the hump. Even though he has hit the age apex for wide receivers, Green still has a few years left in the tank and can help teams win titles. Owners who are currently rebuilding their dynasty team might want steer away from or sell Green, because his run as a stud wide receiver might be over by the time your team is built to compete.
He was signed to a one year $2.5 million contract in March of last year and he will be a free agent during the off-season. He finished the regular season with 862 yards and six touchdowns. He’s 30 years old with virtually zero trade value in dynasty. He’s worth a speculative-add as a stash in deeper league just in case he gets picked up by a team that can bolster his dynasty value.
Boyd was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft in hopes to one day become the starting wide receiver playing opposite of Green. He finished his rookie campaign catching 54 receptions for 603 yards and one touchdown. He’s only 22 years old and has plenty of time to develop into a solid receiving option for the Bengals.
Last summer he was often drafted in the middle of the first round of rookie drafts, causing a lot of dynasty owners to have a lot high hopes that he could produce early in his career. Now is a good time to buy if you were eying him in the draft last year, because you could potentially get him in a trade at a reduced cost. He’s currently ranked 50th amongst wide receivers with a 90.25 ADP and his draft positioning should slightly drop some once the new crop of rookies get added to the mix. Be patient with him because he’s very talented and he has the college production to back up his resume, making him a solid prospect to have on the back end of your roster.
Cincinnati drafted Core in the sixth round during last year’s draft. What makes him an interesting prospect in dynasty is his athleticism which is very comparable to A.J. Green. He should be considered an end of bench roster stash in most dynasty leagues, because he’s currently only a few spots away on the depth chart from becoming a valuable player in the offense.
Tight End
He experienced another injury riddled season that killed the hopes and dreams of a lot of fantasy owners. Eifert just recently had back surgery, there’s no exact timetable for his return in the off-season, but he is expected to be ready for training camp. He’s signed with the team through 2017 and is currently scheduled to hit free agency next year. His best year came in 2015 when he caught 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eifert currently ranks fourth amongst tight end with a 48.75 ADP, which equates to a fourth-round draft pick in 12-team leagues. He creates an almost Gronk-like positional advantage when he’s healthy, but he’s never been able to complete a full 16-game season. His trade value may not reflect his ADP, due to his laundry list of preexisting conditions and his most recent back surgery, but his lengthy injury history makes him the perfect candidate to try and buy low on.
He was drafted in the third round in the 2015 draft to be the insurance policy for Tyler Eifert, but unfortunately, injuries and poor play has kept him from taking advantage of the opportunities that were granted to him. He’s worth stashing in deeper leagues just in case Eifert isn’t ready to go next season, but don’t be surprised if the Bengals pickup another tight end in free agency or the draft next offseason.
At 6’6’’ and 265-pounds, Uzomah has the size to compete at the NFL level. The Bengals selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He managed to catch 25 receptions for 234 yards and one touchdown last season. Honestly, right now, he’s not rosterable in dynasty and he didn’t do enough on the field to earn any value in fantasy. Put him on your watch list, because his value will increase if he can win the backup tight end position behind Eifert.
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