Through three weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals couldn’t have asked for much more, winning all three of their games and sitting atop the AFC North. The Kansas City Chiefs have far more to worry about, having lost two straight since a Week 1 win. The Chiefs play the Bengals Sunday, really needing a win to get back on the right track.
Fantasy football advice, Week 4: Who to start/sit for Chiefs vs. Bengals
The Bengals are off to a 3-0 start, sitting atop their division, The Chiefs, meanwhile, are a supremely disappointing 1-2.
From a fantasy perspective, these two teams come into Sunday healthy; no real contributors on either side appear on the weekly injury report. The biggest name on either side is wide receiver Albert Wilson, dealing with a shoulder injury, and he has a total of three catches on the season and should play anyway.
The Bengals will host Sunday’s game between the two teams, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at the fantasy names to consider:
CHIEFS
Start ‘em: Through three games, Jamaal Charles has 18 fantasy points a game and is as much a monster as ever. ... Most of Jeremy Maclin’s fantasy production in Week 3 came in garbage time, but at least he showed he could do it. He’s a low-end WR2. ... Travis Kelce remains near the top of the tight end rankings, with more than 12 fantasy points per game.
Sit ‘em: After a 22-point Week 1, Alex Smith has combined for that total in his last two games. He’s not a reasonable fantasy option. ... Cairo Santos’ fates have been tied to the Chiefs’ overall results. When they won, he did well. When they were close, he did okay. When they lost, he wasn’t useful at all. You want a kicker who can produce no matter how his team does. ... The Chiefs’ defense struggled mightily against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. This Bengals team isn’t the Packers, but it’s a strong offense that should pose problems.
BENGALS
Start ‘em: One more week. Jeremy Hill gets one more week to show what he showed last year and in Week 1. Then we start seriously dropping him in the rankings. ... A.J. Green more than tripled his season fantasy production with his monster Week 3. He won’t put up 34 every week, of course, but he’s as much of a superstar as ever. ... You’re still starting Tyler Eifert in most leagues, but keep an eye on him; take out his game against Oakland and he’s only been decent, not special.
Start ‘em?: It’s been a great start to the season for Andy Dalton, whose average of 23 fantasy points a game ranks near the top of the league. It’s hard to imagine him continuing at that pace, but he’s pushing for weekly start consideration. ... The slide of Hill coincides with the rise in fortunes for Giovani Bernard, who is at worst a flex play right now. ... Marvin Jones showed his promise of 2013 in Week 3, and has double-digit fantasy production in back-to-back weeks. ... Mike Nugent’s kicking numbers haven’t coincided with the team’s offensive ones. He’s no sure thing.
Sit ‘em: The returns of Jones and Eifert have rendered Mohamed Sanu an afterthought. ... The Bengals’ defense is better for real football than for fantasy.
SUMMARY
Start in every league: Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce, Jeremy Hill, A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert
Start if you’re desperate: Andy Dalton, Giovani Bernard, Marvin Jones, Mike Nugent
Bench: Alex Smith, Cairo Santos, Kansas City defense, Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati defense
