The Cincinnati Bengals offense got off to a fantastic start in Week 1 against the Oakland Raiders.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, star receiver A.J. Green and talented tight end Tyler Eifert all got in on the act, but Eifert was most impressive of all. The 25-year-old had eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown in the first half as Cincinnati raced out to a 24-0 lead on the road.
Check out the numbers for the players mentioned along with advice for each Bengals offensive cornerstone.
Andy Dalton
Put simply, Dalton feasts on poor competition. The Raiders would fall into that category despite a number of talented defenders headlined by pass-rusher Khalil Mack.
Cincinnati gave Dalton plenty of time to pick apart Oakland’s suspect secondary. The 27-year-old definitely benefited from the matchup problems Eifert can create from his tight end position, but to his credit, the signal-caller delivered in a big way overall.
In two-quarterback formats, Dalton is a solid fantasy play every week. He has a strong rushing attack spearheaded by Jeremy Hill to complement him, and as long as Hill is rolling, the Bengals’ passing game should thrive.
A.J. Green
No matter what the fantasy-league style is, there’s no denying Green is a WR1 under all circumstances. Even in weeks when the Bengals face an unfavorable matchup, they’ll likely have to throw a lot if they’re trailing, and Green can still accrue fantasy points in a hurry during garbage time.
Defenses can roll coverage over to Green’s side of the field, but he’s good enough to beat it. Dalton tends to feed him sometimes to a fault, which may not be ideal for Cincinnati’s postseason hopes but is great news for Green’s fantasy owners.
This isn’t breaking news—fantasy owners should start Green no matter what.
Tyler Eifert
Week 1 is often a time for overreactions. If what was seen in Oakland on Sunday is a true indication of what’s to come, though, it appears Eifert has all the makings of a breakout stud.
He has the ball skills, athleticism and refined route-running ability to become the next great pass-catching tight end. With Jermaine Gresham out of the equation and an injury that cost him all but one game in 2014 behind him, Eifert is off to a blazing start to 2015.
Elite tight end options are hard to come by in fantasy as it is. Although it’s premature to say Eifert is a TE1 right now, he’s worth taking a flier on based on upside alone.
The San Diego Chargers are Cincinnati’s Week 2 opponent. They yielded a touchdown to Detroit Lions TE Eric Ebron on Sunday, so it stands to reason Eifert will find paydirt in the Bengals’ home opener.
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