Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 8: Ravens vs. Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens 23-16 in Week 1, back when it looked like the Bengals were going to be an elite team. Since starting 3-0, though, the Bengals have gone winless over their last three contests to sit at 3-2-1, while the Ravens have won five of six since that game to sit at 5-2 through seven weeks. Sunday is the rematch of that Week 1 game.

The Ravens come into Sunday's game largely healthy from a fantasy perspective, with only tight end Owen Daniels (knee) on the injury report, and he doesn't appear to be at risk of missing Sunday's game. The Bengals have more to worry about. The Bengals are in somewhat worst shape. Running back Giovani Bernard was limited in practice through the week with a rib injury, but he's expected to play Sunday. Meanwhile, the status of wide receiver A.J. Green has gotten more and more pessimistic over the course of the week, and it looks increasingly unlikely he'll be back on the field due to his toe injury.

Start 'em: Seven games now, and Justin Forsett hasn't had fewer than six points in any of them; he has nine-plus in five of seven. He's a must-start. ... If you have Steve Smith Sr., congratulations on jumping onto him early in the season, and he's staying in your lineup. ... Justin Tucker has kicked for at least nine points in five games this year, including three in a row.

Start 'em?: In his last four games, Joe Flacco's fantasy scoring has gone 25-7-32-14, so good luck guessing what he's going to do. He's a mid-range QB2. ... Torrey Smith has raised his stock in recent weeks. He's still a low-end flex, but he's climbing the list every week. ... Owen Daniels finally put up a decent game in Week 7; he's a high-end TE2. ... The Ravens' defense has been decent since that first game against Cincinnati. Theoretically, the Bengals still have a decent offense, but we haven't seen that lately.

Sit 'em: He's put up decent numbers the last couple weeks, but Bernard Pierce is still a long way from fantasy usability.

Start 'em?: It's an interesting situation in Cincinnati, with the questions surrounding the status of A.J. Green. If Green plays, he's a must-start. If he sits again, Mohamed Sanu becomes a reasonable flex play. Just monitor the injury report.

Sit 'em: At least until A.J. Green returns, Andy Dalton needs to be benched. ... Jeremy Hill has some potential as long as Green is out, but it's hard to picture a scenario where you could use him. ... Jermaine Gresham has improved since Green has been out, but even his new baseline hasn't been usable. ... Until the Cincinnati offense shows it can do better, you can't use Mike Nugent as your kicker. ... The Bengals' defense had 27 fantasy points through three weeks. It has 15 now. Total. That's insane.

Start in every league: Justin Forsett, Steve Smith Sr., Justin Tucker, Giovani Bernard
Start if you're desperate: Joe Flacco, Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels, Baltimore defense, A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu
Bench: Bernard Pierce, Andy Dalton, Jeremy Hill, Jermaine Gresham, Mike Nugent, Cincinnati defense