The Week 1 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders pits a veteran team against a young up-and-coming squad. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 1: Bengals-Raiders featuring A.J. Green, Jeremy Hill and Derek Carr
We break down the Week 1 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders.
Cincinnati Bengals
Wide receiver A.J. Green struggled with injuries last year and missed three games. At times he seemed unable to find his rhythm with quarterback Andy Dalton and he scored just six touchdowns last season, which represents a career low. This year represents an opportunity to step into the lineup fully healthy. Green is still one of the most dynamic pass catchers in the game and he should be a big factor for the Bengals as the team heads to California to open the season.
Green will be aided in the offense by running back Jeremy Hill. Hill entered his rookie season last year in a time-share situation with teammate Giovani Bernard. A breakout performance in mid-November against the Jacksonville Jaguars shifted things in Hill’s favor and this year he’s the No. 1 guy. Fantasy owners will definitely like what they get out of the sophomore running back to start the season.
Oakland Raiders
For the first time in a long time, the Oakland Raiders head into the 2015 season with reason to be optimistic. This year’s positive vibes rest on the shoulders of quarterback Derek Carr, who will get a chance to prove himself as a bona fide fantasy option in his second season. He’ll need to be more consistent without a doubt, but having highly touted wide receiver Amari Cooper on the team should help Carr complete a few more passes and improve on his statistics. He’s definitely more of an upside play at this point, but 2015 may be the year that he realizes his potential. The Bengals’ secondary played quarterback’s tough last year, so it may be wise to wait a few weeks on starting Carr for now.
One player worth starting in Oakland’s lineup immediately is running back Latavius Murray. Murray has the hands of a wide receiver thanks to his time spent playing the position in college. His potential in PPR leagues is definitely there and a matchup against the Bengals could see him catch a steady stream of screen passes and pick up lots of fantasy points for his owners.
