Bloggin Hood’s 2018 Fantasy Football Preview – Bengals and Browns Depth Charts
July 13, 2018Every year, thousands of fantasy players win their leagues. Not only do they receive a giant trophy, they also receive a champion’s pay check and the right to mock the rest of their league mates until next season. Few things in life are more rewarding than winning, but even fewer top winning when you’ve done nothing but start virtual players. Truly, it’s the reason many of us get out of bed in the morning.
However, for every winner, there are hundreds of thousands of losers. Some of these poor unfortunate souls finish in second place. Others just miss the playoffs. But a select few come in dead last. These outcasts are mocked by even the next to last place finisher, forced to suffer through unending punishments and shamed to the point of severe confidence loss. There’s a reason you see a bunch of Viagra commercials during the NFL season. That will put those images of people sitting in adjacent tubs outside in a whole new light.
The 2018 Bloggin Hood Fantasy guide doesn’t look to help the first place winner. No, that’s not the Bloggin Hood way. Instead, we intend to give to the poor(poorly informed) by taking knowledge through tons of research(the rich). Now, who actually did this research? Why me, Bloggin Hood of course. If you don’t trust my work, go ahead suck a rock, or kick lemons. Do it in reverse and see if I care.
The Blogging Hood Fantasy guide is not for the faint of heart. The word count would make George RR Martin blush, mostly because he’s forgotten how to write. This year, we’re not even stopping at one preview. Welcome to Part 1 of the 2018 fantasy guide – Team Previews.
Over the next 16 weekdays, right until the last day in July, we’ll be looking at two NFL depth charts for potential breakouts, busts, and deep names to consider. What we will not be doing in part one is addresses ADP, or any actual rankings. I haven’t looked at any of that stuff yet. At this point in the year, it’s irrelevant. If you’re drafting in July, it means you’re baseball team has probably tanked to 12th place. It’s way too early to hone in on ADP. We’ll save that for part two.
If you followed the Bloggin Hood Fantasy Baseball guide and find yourself in 12th place, no refunds.
Without further ado, let’s dissect two team’s depth charts, as per rotoworld.com.
Cincinnati Bengals
And this is the one Bengal who everyone likes
Do you have any friends who are in relationships you just don’t understand? Both people look miserable, fight all the time, and don’t even seem to get along. But whenever the subject is brought up, either member of the couple say everything is fine, even though anyone with common sense and even half a brain cell knows there’s trouble. Breaking up and starting over is hard. Some people would rather be in a below average relationship instead of trying to find someone new. The status quo, however mediocre (or worse) it may be, feel safe.
There’s some teams who are overjoyed to keep the status quo going. Take the Cincinnati Bengals for example. Despite clear, indisputable evidence that this whole Marvin Lewis thing isn’t going to work out, the Bengals refuse to fire him. They figure it’s better to be a non threat to win anything with a coach they know, than have the potential to improve their team with a new head coach. No, they’ll just run it back. I mean, for Christ sake even the Raptors fire their coach.
No, don’t worry, I won’t be critical of this franchise at all.
Other than one offensive draft pick, the Bengals will trot out the same offense as last season with unimaginative Marvin Lewis calling the plays. If you ever heard Drake’s Marvin’s Room, or one of the hundreds of remixes, you should know the sad, somber tone is due to the artist thumbing through Lewis’ shit playbook. This is a team who managed to make AJ Green look mediocre at times. Lewis also hates young players so even though they have a few exciting sophomores, don’t be surprised if they get benched for a journeyman fullback.
But seriously Cincy, great job bringing the squad back.
QB
Andy Dalton – Remember two years when there was an abundance of fluff pieces praising underrated QB Andy Dalton? I assume all those writers have been justifiably fired since. Dalton is not a good QB now, he never really was, and something tells me he’s not reaching a new level at age 30. Outside of AJ Green, he has a plethora of mediocre options and a bad coach. Dalton can work as a streamer, but nothing more. The Bengals should have looked for a franchise QB for the past two seasons, but instead, they’re comfortable with a league average QB. That’s what I dream about at night – being average.
RBs
Joe Mixon – I think out of all the rookie RBs last year, Mixon was the most disappointing. After months of offseason hype, and trying to sweep his ugly past under the rug, Mixon went out and mediocred all over the field. He averaged just 3.5 yards a carry, and while he caught 30 passes, he did nothing to separate himself from any other backs on the roster. Now, he’s far and away the most talented back here, and the Bengals want him to be the bell cow, deserved or otherwise. This means he should be a solid RB 2. I’m not completely sold. I keep hearing about his talent, but haven’t seen it at the NFL level. Sure, last year wasn’t a strong Bengals team, but I also remember when Trent Richardson was the best RB prospect since Jim Brown. Hype and collegiate success doesn’t always translate to the pros. Mixon is a huge upside, low floor player, likely one that deserves fantasy leagues. Be careful.
Giovanni Bernard – Bernard was always a Bloggin Hood favorite, but there comes a time when you have to admit it’s time to move on. So, this year, Bernard will likely not be a top 5 back in the rankings.
I do think he’ll still be useful in PPR leagues. Mixon had 30 receptions last year, but the whole point of having Gio on the roster is to receive. He could catch 50 while being the change of pace back. That’s a valuable bench player and bye week fill in. I think when he as healthy, he showed a lot more than Mixon last season. Unfortunately, Bernard is coming off an injury, and has never shown the ability to be the lead back on a team. He’s a good back, but not one you need to draft in the first 10 rounds.
Mark Walton – The Bengal’s fourth round pick is going to be one of the most buzzy sleeper names in fantasy, especially from those who don’t believe in Mixon. He had an awful combine, but seemed like an all around back who could usurp the lead back position if Mixon falters. As of now, there’s no reason to think the Benglas won’t roll out Mixon, but if he’s ineffective, Walton is probably the next guy to get the majority of the carries. Keep him in mind, but don’t go crazy. He’s still a third stringer.
WRs
AJ Green – Green’s “disappointing” season had him finish just under 1,100 yards and score eight times. The main reason for this disappointment is that these numbers were well below his pace from an injury shortened 2016. I’m not going to try to sell you on Green – he’s a guaranteed 1,000 yards and 8 TDs if he plays even 14 games. I just don’t know what his upside is. He’s in the latter half of the WR1s for me. Despite my reservations for Jones, I would still have to take Julio first. However, based on draft position, I definitely see myself having more shares of AJ Green this year, if that makes any sense (It doesn’t).
My main point is Green is still an elite player, and despite what’s around him, he’ll still produce elite numbers.
Brandon LaFell – In a perfect world, LaFell won’t make the team, and the Bengals can unleash the next two receivers. In a Marvin Lewis world, look for LaFell to play 16 games, struggle to crack 500 yards, and drop 10 meaningful first downs. There’s no fantasy value in LaFell. He’s listed to anger you for the potential he’s blocking. How dare he try to make a living.
Tyler Boyd- I don’t know why, especially after his sophomore season, but Boyd seems like a guy who can be a solid fantasy option. After a 54 catch rookie campaign, his totals fell to 22, with injuries and DNPs being the main issue. The DNPs are the biggest concern, especially since, surprise surprise, Marvin Lewis remains the head coach. There’s no guarantee at an expanded role, but seriously, who’s ahead of him for the #2 role? Brandon LaDrop? He’s a name to stash, not draft.
John Ross – The man who could have won an island, Ross had more rushing attempts (1) than catches last year. That’s not good for anyone. Ross was a top ten pick so he should get some opportunity, but maybe drafting a player early strictly from running the fastest straight line without NFL equipment on isn’t the brightest idea? Check another one in the box for comfortably tenured coach Marvin Lewis.
TEs
Tyler Eifert – According to the Bible, Jesus once revived the deceased Lazurus. At this point, I don’t think the power of Christ can keep Tyler Eifert healthy. He’s a touchdown machine when he’s healthy, but only a modern miracle is going to change that. Unless he’s your last pick, don’t bother.
Cleveland Browns
You want a reason to believe? The NRA is jealous of those guns
Even when things look up for Cleveland, they are still pretty terrible. For a brief moment a few years ago, sports revolved around Cleveland. The Cavs won a Championship (mostly due to Draymond’s delayed, series defining suspension, but who’s counting) and the Indians lost in a 7 game thriller to the Cubs. Despite this, the Browns did nothing but lose. Since this revival of the city, the Browns only won a single game. Now, LeBron left Cleveland, and the Indians are back to being forgotten (despite their talent). Hey Marvin Lewis, you should move to Cleveland. They love the status quo even more.
The Browns likely screwed up the draft, where they had two of the first four pick. They took Baker Mayfield first overal and who knows if he’s a star or Johnny Manziel 2.0. They also failed to take the obvious Bradley Chubb, and opted for a Cornerback. They better hope that CB is a lockdown defender, or else they’ll be picking at the top of the draft… Like they do every year. Can’t we just assign like the #3 pick to the Browns every year? It’s like getting a tax break for donating to charity. Think about it, NFL.
But we’re not here to mock the Browns… OK, we’re not only here to mock the Browns. There’s actually some really talent here to discuss.
QBs
Tyrod Taylor – The Browns are adamant that Taylor is the starter on the team, and that will likely be true until they go into the bye 0-10. Assuming this is true, Taylor actually has fantasy appeal as a streamer. He’s not much of a thrower, but he provides valuable rushing yards, and he doesn’t turn over the ball – an underrated fantasy asset for QBs. I never understood why default settings are so lenient on QB turnovers. They should be way more costly. Taylor is basically a 3,000 yard passed and 500 yard runner over 16 games. That’s a solid stream level QB, especially with the weapons he has to use.
Baker Mayfield – I don’t know if Baker will make it in the NFL, but I can see him being useful as a streamer at the end of the year. He’s not going to be shy about proving his doubters wrong and he’ll certainly chuck it whenever he can. Remember, those turnovers, especially picks, don’t hurt you that much (still very stupid), so don’t be afraid to stream Mayfield late in the year if he shows flashes.
RBs
Carlos Hyde – This was a head scratching decision in real-time, even before the draft. Carlos Hyde, basically a slightly richer man’s version of Isaiah Crowell, was inked to a lucrative deal. Hyde is a good running back, but never stays healthy, and is the type of player smart teams avoid paying big money to. The Browns then went out and drafted Nick Chubb at the top of the second round, creating more confusion. I can’t see Hyde keeping the starting role for long, mainly due to his injury history. The man never finishes a season. However, there’s a talent issue too. Hyde’s the best all around back on the roster, but Chubb is probably a better between the tackles runner, and Duke Johnson is the better pass catcher. I think the team would be better using the two backs and never have signing Hyde. I guess there’s a reason the Browns pick early every year.
While I’m not excited to draft Hyde, there could be sneaky value here. If he free falls, drafting him in a mid round, say the 8th, could net you a starting running back for at least a few weeks. Remember, focus on weeks 1 and 2 before worrying about the playoffs. Unless the rules have changed in the off-season, you need to qualify for the playoffs to participate.
Nick Chubb -Chubb is actually one of my favorite stash players this year. I don’t have high confidence in Carlos Hyde staying healthy, and Chubb should get a lot of work once he’s out of the way. He is not going to be a factor in the passing game, but volume should keep him relevant. I know, I know, a run only back on a bad team is usually disastrous, but I think the Browns might be in a lot of games this year. They won’t win any of them, but they’ll keep it close, making the running game relevant for 4 quarters. Again, don’t reach, but I think people will fear the muddy waters on the backfield and you’ll get a nice discount.
Duke Johnson – Presumed to be the safest running back on the roster, I’m not in on Johnson this year. Johnson’s whole game is based on receptions, where he’s averaged around 60 a year, and never catching less than 50 in a season. Now, Jarvis Landry is on the roster, and while Johnson got a decent amount of money, Landry is one of the 5 highest paid receivers in the league. Since their routes are very similar, I’d anticipate Landry getting more of the short, safe targets than Johnson. At best, they both cut into each other’s usefulness. Johnson remains draftable, but he’s no longer a lock and loaded PPR option.
WRs
Josh Gordon – Ah. The most uneven, difficult player to rank in all of fantasy. I mean, there’s a chance Goddell is planting contraband in his locker right now and he’ll be banned from the league. Be careful Josh, one glass of Port could have you back selling cars.
Gordon’s 18 catch, 335 yard doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up when you realize he hadn’t played since 2014. Projecting for 16 games, he would have had over 1,000 yards. You can throw away his TDs numbers since the QB play was so awful. Any combo of Taylor and Mayfield has to be better. I think Gordon can serve as a sky-high upside WR 2, but know the floor is being forced to the CFL. I expect in every league, somebody will reach for him in the 3rd, which is a bit too early for me. The upside of the #1 WR in fantasy is gone, but he could be a WR1 even on the Browns. I expect the target share to heavily lean Gordon.
Just don’t start drinking lean, Josh.
Jarvis Landry – We’re only 2/3rd done with the Browns and I’m going to question another decision. Maybe it wasn’t a great move to take somebody from the METS front office.
Landry’s role is to move the chains by catching short passes that are almost running plays. There’s value here as it helps a QB find rhythm, convert first downs and gets a player in space. It’s also a brutal position to fill and there’s a lot of bone crushing hits that occur from the middle of the field – where the majority of routes are run. Nobody can deny Landry’s PPR usefulness, but there’s no guarantee it continues this year. The Browns have said they want to use Landry more down the field this season. I think he’s capable of more than short routes, but it’s not his bread and butter. Also, Landry is shifting teams, and he’ll be the number #2 option for the first time. There’s a chance he loses targets to other players as well. Duke Johnson was basically Landry out of the backfield, so I think Landry will be overvalued, unless the Browns stink scares off other players. It probably should.
Corey Coleman – When he’s healthy, Corey Coleman is a pretty good player. He just never seems to be healthy. I don’t think there’s going to be anymore breakout in Cleveland now. The moment seems to have passed. But there’s risk with Josh Gordon. I mean, he could run into Johnny Manziel again and there goes two more seasons. Coleman is the guy who’d become the WR1 in Cleveland. There’s slight hype for Antonio Callaway, but if I was going for a Cleveland long shot, it would be Coleman.
TE
David Njoku – I was ready to break my TE rule and get excited about one before his third year. Njoku would be catching passes from Tyrod, who uses the TE, or Mayfield, who will need a safety valve as a rookie. When you factored in the pedigree and defenses shading to Gordon, it seemed like a logical breakout. Then the browns signed Landry and everything went to crap. Njoku is now a fringe back end starting fantasy TE. I still like him, and he’s the type of risk I’ll take, but he’s not the slam dunk I was hoping for.
