Fantasy Football Rankings: Bengals Players You Should Draft, Avoid This Season

Editor?s note: To help you prepare for your fantasy football draft, NESN.com will profile each NFL team and analyze which players are worth picking and which players aren?t worth your time. Today, we look at the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals often disappoint come playoff time, but the same can’t be said for fantasy football.

The Bengals offer a wide variety of draft-worthy stars, players you should avoid and potential sleepers. Let’s take a look at a few of those names below.

DRAFT-WORTHY
A.J. Green, Wide Receiver: Green has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his five NFL seasons, and he’s reached double figures in touchdowns in three of them. He might go as high as the fourth wide receiver picked in some leagues, and he’s definitely worth a first- or second-round pick.

Jeremy Hill, Running Back: Hill’s impact in his first two seasons has been enormous, as he’s ran for almost 2,000 combined yards and already has 20 career rushing TDs. He still isn’t a top-tier running back, but he’s great for tailback depth around the fifth round.

Tyler Eifert, Tight End: Eifert has the ability to be one of the top tight ends in the league again, but his injury at the Pro Bowl might scare a few fantasy owners away. Even if he does miss some time, though, indications are it would be for a game or two. And considering he had 13 receiving touchdowns last season, he’s worth a shot in the middle of the draft. Just make sure you pick up another TE in case he misses time.

Giovani Bernard, Running Back: Hill is the Bengals’ No. 1 running back, but Bernard still is worth a draft pick in the middle rounds. He’s ran for at least 680 yards in each of his three NFL seasons, and he’s a threat in the passing game, too.

Andy Dalton, Quarterback: Dalton’s stats aren’t overly impressive, but he did make noticeable strides in 2015. He had the best passer rating of his career (106.3), and he threw for 25 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He’s worthy of a late-round pick as your No. 2 QB, although he could be a serviceable No. 1, too.

Bengals Defense: The Bengals had one of the best defenses last year, as they held opponents to only 17.4 points per game. If you’re planning on picking a defense late, the Bengals certainly are worth a look.

AVOID
Brandon LaFell, Wide Receiver: LaFell arguably could be a sleeper since he projects as the Bengals’ No. 2 receiver, but New England Patriots fans know all too well about his issues with holding on to the football. He didn’t score a touchdown in 11 games with the Patriots in 2015.

SLEEPER
Tyler Boyd, Wide Receiver: While LaFell might not be worth a pick, Boyd probably is. The second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft projects as one of the Bengals’ top receivers right away, and he likely will be available as a steal late in your fantasy draft.

Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images