Week 10 vs Houston
Andy Dalton was very sharp last week completing 78 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdowns without an interception. He has gone three weeks without eclipsing the 300 yard mark, but still has been very consistent and has put up impressive fantasy stats.
Dalton will face the Texans this week, who are 23rd in aFPA to quarterbacks so this matchup at home seems to favor the Bengals QB. Start Dalton as a top-5 fantasy quarterback for Week 10 as he is one of the best plays at the position of the week.
Week 9 vs Browns
Andy Dalton wasn't at his best in Pittsburgh, but his team managed to pull off a win late. He did throw for 231 yards, but only had one touchdowns and two INTs. Even though he has put up big games this season, you have to wonder if the consistency will go away as it has in the past for Dalton.
Dalton has great matchup Thursday against the Browns, who are 28th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Historically, however, Dalton has not fared well against Cleveland with 11 TDs and 11 INTs in eight career starts. Still, we love Dalton this week and he should give owners a top-5 quarterback performance. Start him in all leagues and formats.
Week 8 vs. Pittsburgh
In his last start, Andy Dalton had his 300-plus passing yard streak (three straight) stopped with 243 yards. However, he did throw three scores without a pick. The Bengals are coming off their bye week and facing rival Pittsburgh on the road.
Dalton has not been good against the Steelers historically, but he not been this consistent during his career like we have seen in 2015. The Steelers are 17th in aFPA, so it's not the type of defense the Bengals have faced in Pittsburgh in the past. It's probably safe to say Dalton is playing his best football this year. He has 14 TDs and 2 INTs and has been one of the best fantasy QBs. Start him in all leagues and formats against Pittsburgh.
Week 6 vs Bills
It was the third straight 300+ passing yard game for Andy Dalton last week as he also threw two touchdowns and one INT. Dalton has remained impressive and consistent, something that has been an issue at times in his career.
He will face a very tough Buffalo defense this Sunday. The Bills are ranked 6th in aFPA to quarterbacks and are at home which makes them even more dangerous.
We have big enough sample size this season to say Dalton should keep putting good numbers up, even against a tough opponent on the road. Start him as a solid QB1 for Week 6.
Week 5 vs Seattle
Andy Dalton continues to perform at a high level. He threw for 321 yards for his second straight 300-plus yard passing game. However, last week was the first game he did not throw multiple touchdowns. Can he continue the consistency that has been a problem throughout his career? It might be tough this week.
Dalton will face the Seahawks defense which is 5th in aFPA to quarterbacks. The one saving grace is the game is in Cincy and not Seattle. But still, it is a tough matchup for any quarterback. Although Dalton has earned a top-10 fantasy QB ranking, it might be wise to sit him this week because of the Seahawks. We rate him as a high-end QB2 for Week 5, so if you don't have any other options, Dalton could still have some fantasy impact.
Week 4 vs Kansas City
Week 3 was another great performance for Andy Dalton as he managed to beat his nemesis Baltimore. He threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception being his only fantasy blemish. The numbers have been consistent through the first three weeks, which has not always been the MO for Dalton.
The Bengals host KC which looks good for Dalton again. The Chiefs are 32nd in aFPA to quarterbacks and Dalton is playing at a high level. He has worked his way to a low-end QB1 for Week 4 and should be a solid contributor to your fantasy team.
Week 3 at Baltimore
Andy Dalton is off to a good start in 2015. He has completed 68 percent of his passes for 483 yards and five touchdowns. The bigger number is zero interceptions. Can he keep playing like this over 16 games?
It will be a true test this week against a team he has struggled historically against. The Ravens are not the defense they used to be, but still are good enough to give Dalton some problems, especially since Baltimore knows him so well. We aren't buying into Dalton's strong start yet, but an impressive game on the road at Baltimore could start to convince us. Dalton rates a solid QB2 for Week 3.
Week 2 vs Chargers
Andy Dalton threw for 269 passing yards with a 73.5-percent completion rate, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in Week 1. While it was against the lowly Raiders, Dalton still looked good and you can't dictate who your opponent is.
Dalton will face San Diego at home this week. The Chargers were below-average with their pass defense in Week 1 against Detroit, so the matchup is favorable for the Bengals. Even after a solid Week 1 performance, Dalton is still not a QB1 for Week 2. Keep him on the bench.
Week 1 vs Raiders
Andy Dalton begins his fifth season as the Bengals starting quarterback. Even with a good matchup in Week 1 against Oakland, Dalton still only rates as our 18th ranked quarterback. The NFL experts (as well as the public) still aren't true believers in Dalton. Plus, Cincinnati is a run-first team. Keep Dalton on the bench for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Andy Dalton begins his fifth season with Cincinnati having started every game since he was drafted out of TCU in 2011. Dalton has played like a top-tier quarterback at times, especially in the regular season. The Bengals still believe he is their man as they have not brought anyone to compete with him for the job. He had a career best 64.2 completion percentage and put up overall numbers that still put him in the upper half of quarterbacks in the league. But...
Fantasy Downside
Dalton's numbers took a serious nosedive from his best season in 2013. Part of the issue might have been the way the Bengals ran their offense under Hue Jackson, but that excuse doesn't help your fantasy team. He threw the fewest passes of his career. His passing yardage total came down almost 900 yards. He threw 56 completions of 20+ yards in 2013, and that number dropped to 33 last season. And Dalton threw 14 less touchdowns. The one thing that was better last year was the 17 interceptions he threw (3 less than 2013), but take the less attempts into consideration.
Bottom Line
So, which Andy Dalton will we get in 2015? His ADP is 174, so the consensus is we will see more of last year's version. That puts him a low-end QB2 on traditional rosters. However, he could be a good risk as your No. 2 if you don't get one of the top-tier quarterbacks. We know he will play every snap and will put up big games here and there during the season.
