Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury during the first quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 14 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was downgraded to out before the opening frame came to a close, per the team’s official Twitter account.
So with Dalton sidelined, fantasy owners invested in the Bengals receiving corps need to hope AJ McCarron won’t sink the stock of top-tier wideout A.J. Green.
With the fantasy playoffs underway, here’s a look at how owners should value the duo in the days ahead.
AJ McCarron
McCarron entered Sunday’s game against the Steelers with four NFL pass attempts to his name, so it’s hard to gauge just how effective he’ll be if Dalton’s injury affords him consistent reps under center.
But regardless of how he comes along, it’s safe to say the second-year signal-caller is a major downgrade compared to Dalton, especially with tight end Tyler Eifert ruled out Sunday due to a concussion, per the team’s Twitter account.
And while McCarron could have a tasty matchup against the San Francisco 49ers’ 27th-ranked pass defense next week, it would be impossible to trust him over steadier quarterbacks still lingering on the waiver wire.
According to ESPN, Tyrod Taylor, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Marcus Mariota are all owned in fewer than 70 percent of fantasy leagues.
Every single one of those players is a better alternative based on sample sizes alone, so if you can snag one of them, there’s no reason to put your season in the hands of an unproven player like McCarron.
A.J. Green
Green is one of the league’s elite receiving talents, and benching him in the weeks to come would be accompanied by some serious risk. That much was clear when McCarron found him for a 66-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
While his ceiling is admittedly capped so long as McCarron is starting under center, Green has the raw skills necessary to produce so long as he sees a heavy dose of targets from the former Alabama quarterback.
That said, Green is no longer a surefire WR1. He can be plugged in as a WR2 or flex option based on his physical capabilities, but owners can’t expect tremendous upside like there was with Dalton calling the shots.
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