A.J. GREEN - WR CINCINNATI BENGALS

Start him

Despite a disappointing Week 1 effort from the Cincinnati Bengals, I believe there are a few good takeaways from the game. We saw the playmaking ability that Joe Burrow brings to an NFL offense. We also saw that A.J. Green made it through the whole game without any setbacks to the hamstring injury that bothered him throughout the offseason. Going into Week 2 matchup against a more favorable Cleveland Browns defense, I believe that A.J. Green will be a top-25 WR.

Week 1 was not a pretty game to watch on either side of the ball for Cincinnati. However, if you dig into the numbers, it looked good from an A.J. Green perspective. He led the team in targets, yards and receptions. All of this despite the fact that he only played in 66% of the team’s offensive snaps. This was the plan going into Week 1 as reported by NFL.com’s Kevin Patra who said going into the week that “the plan is for A.J. Green to play limited snaps as head coach Zach Taylor wants to monitor Green’s snap count”. While this may be a concerning trend if it continues, I look at it as a positive for the possibility of Green going forward. His production is not tied to a high snap count and is linked more with his ability as a playmaker and a reliable veteran receiver for the rookie QB. Mix all of this with the matchup against a Cleveland Browns team that looked lifeless on both sides of the ball against the Ravens and I believe A.J. Green is set up to cash in in Week 2.