Getty Gallery: 3/5
Lineup Loaded With Upside
CAPTAIN: Bengals DST $4,800
– Andy Dalton $10,800
– A.J. Green $10,400
– Joe Mixon $9,800
– Michael Crabtree $8,400
– Javorius Allen $5,400
The Bengals defense is solid, and I think they'll be amped up playing at home on national television. While they gave up 23 points to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (in his first game back), they still managed to score 12 fantasy points on DraftKings. Factoring in the 1.5x multiplier, and the Bengals defense could be a great play for a low price.
Oh, and the most important factor in all of this is Flacco's career numbers against the Bengals. Over 19 games, the Ravens quarterback has thrown a total of 19 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, and averaged 203.2 yards per game, per StatMuse.
I'll happily take a hungry defense against a quarterback averaging over one interception per game in his career against them. Last season alone, Flacco's best game against the Bengals featured him completing 53.2 percent of his passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. In the second matchup between the two teams, the Ravens signal-caller completed 9-of-17 passes for 121 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
I'm not pushing to use Andy Dalton here in multiple spots, but I think he's pretty safe. I'm not sure exactly how high his ceiling is, but I can absolutely see him and Green linking up over the top for a long touchdown or two.
Most importantly, stacking Dalton with his top wideout and/or Mixon allows you for the double points if he tosses one of the two a touchdown.
My Javorius Allen pick will be featured in the bulk of lineups, although I'm fine not using him everywhere. I do believe the young pass-catching running back should be in your captain spot a few times, though, considering the potential workload he could have. Plus, if Flacco struggles to hit receivers, Allen will see more dump-offs than he'll know what to do with.
I'm intrigued by Michael Crabtree, but at the same time, remain curious as to what his actual ceiling is. The former Oakland Raiders wideout caught three passes for 38 yards and one touchdown last week but tied for the team-high in targets with six. Flacco spread the ball around so much it was tough to gauge how Crabtree's role will look in a game that doesn't feature a final score of 47-3.
Regardless, his upside and the $8,400 price tag puts him in play. Based on the fact that Snead and John Brown had more yards last week, I think we may be able to land Crabtree at a bit of a discount in terms of his ownership. It's tough to say, but since the Ravens have multiple receivers worth playing, there's actually a chance their most talented option is the lowest owned.
*All statistics for player vs. team courtesy of StatMuse.