Fantasy Football Impact of Andy Dalton’s Injury on Key Bengals Players

The Cincinnati Bengals’ path to the playoffs just got a bit tougher with the brutal news involving quarterback Andy Dalton’s injury. While the Bengals are hoping to get star wide receiver A.J. Green back from injury sooner than later, they made a big decision on their signal-caller Monday.

As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed, Cincinnati has placed Dalton on injured reserve due to a thumb injury.

This news has a major impact on the Bengals as a team and their outlook moving forward, especially following three-straight losses and falling in five of their last six games. Beyond that, it also impacts fantasy football players and not just those who have Dalton as their quarterback.

Let’s take a look at the fantasy impact of this injury and how it could affect names such as Green, Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd.

Fantasy Outlook of Jeff Driskel, Andy Dalton’s Replacement

Driskel is an interesting name to monitor. He stepped in for spot duty after Dalton left the Bengals’ Week 12 game against the Cleveland Browns. In a short period, he completed 17-of-29 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. Driskel also rushed for an additional touchdown and could be a name to monitor in larger fantasy leagues.

The upside of Cincinnati’s third-year quarterback doesn’t seem all that high, but he may be considered as a streaming option down the line if he can produce solid numbers. Driskel is a name to monitor, but unless you play in two-quarterback leagues or one which features 14-plus teams, he’s fine to leave on waivers.

A.J. Green Fantasy Outlook

The Bengals top wideout has a strong rapport with Dalton, and it’s been on full display through his eight games this season. Although Green is getting over a toe injury currently, he’s hauled in 45 receptions for 687 yards and six touchdowns this season, topping the 58-yard mark in every game and going over 75 yards in six of eight.

While Cincinnati looks to climb back from their current 5-6 record after a tough stretch, Green will likely be relied on heavily by Driskel. Unfortunately, it’s unknown how these two will look together on the field. Green and the Bengals face the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders over the next three games. Both the Broncos and Raiders rank No. 15 or worse in passing yards allowed per game this season, which bodes well for both players.

Regardless of the current situation at quarterback, there’s little-to-no chance that fantasy players are pulling Green out of lineups once he’s back on the field. We’ll just have to roll with it and hope Driskel proves capable of holding down the fort.

Joe Mixon Fantasy Outlook

I think Mixon may actually be the safest from a fantasy perspective and would even go as far as saying that I believe his value improves slightly. Although the Bengals may take a step back through the air, they’re going to rely on Mixon to do some seriously heavy lifting with Driskel under center.

His carries could increase and he may also see more targets out of the backfield as well. When you consider that Mixon already has 142 carries and 31 receptions in nine games, the thought of those numbers going up is nice from a fantasy perspective. I’m a big fan of Mixon’s outlook moving forward and believe he could play a big role in the push for fantasy teams to a championship.

Tyler Boyd Fantasy Outlook

As for Tyler Boyd, it may take a bit of time to really dig into his value without Dalton, but at the very least, he’s off to a good start. In the Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Boyd caught Driskel’s touchdown pass, a 28-yard score during the third quarter.

Even beyond that, when Driskel came into the game early in the second half, he linked up with the 24-year-old wideout on 6-of-7 attempts. Boyd finished the game with just seven receptions on eight targets, which means the bulk of his work came after Dalton’s injury, pointing to his fantasy stock potentially looking up.

Obviously, Green sat out this game, so when he returns that could lead to Boyd’s work reducing. But at the very least, Driskel was quick to target the third-year receiver, which bodes well for his outlook moving forward.

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