Week 13 vs. Denver Broncos
A.J. Green has been practicing and is expected to play his first game since Week 8. He continues to be a model of consistency for Cincinnati with a four-reception game being his lowest of the season. Green will have a new quarterback throwing to him as Jeff Driskel replaces the injured Andy Dalton.
Green will face the Broncos who are 12th in aFPA to wide receivers. The quarterback situation hurts his value as he will return for Cincinnati, but he only rates as a high-end WR3 or a flex for Week 13. We will see how healthy Green is and how Driskel plays in his first NFL start.
Week 8 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A.J. Green now has three straight games with double-digit targets, including a season-high 14 last Sunday. He recorded his second 100+ receiving yard game in the last three, but he failed to score a touchdown for the third straight game. Even with the emergence of Tyler Boyd, Green remains QB Andy Dalton's favorite target.
Green will face a Tampa Bay defense that is ranked 31st in aFPA to wide receivers. Considering the game plans the Bengals have been going with in recent weeks, Green should see plenty of action again. Start him as a top-five fantasy wide receiver for Week 8.
Week 7 at Kansas City Chiefs
Good news for A.J. Green owners. He received double digit targets for the second straight week. He had seven receptions for 85 yards against Pittsburgh, so his numbers have been good the last two weeks, but he now gone two straight games without a touchdown after scoring five in the first four games.
Green will face a Kansas City defense that is 17th in aFPA to wide receivers. He will get similar targets and catches in Week 7 so start him as a top 5 fantasy wide receiver in al leagues and formats.
Week 6 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
A.J. Green recorded his first 100+ yard receiving game of the season, but it was only the second time this season he didn't get into the end zone. He also had a season-high 10 targets on Sunday.
Green will face a familiar Steelers defense. In 13 games against Pittsburgh in his career, Green has double-digit targets in 8 of them and three times he has had double-digit receptions. The Steelers are 21st in aFPA to wide receivers, so look for a big game from Green in Week 6. Start him as a top 5 fantasy wide receiver in all leagues and formats.
Week 5 vs. Miami Dolphins
A.J. Green now has gone four games without a 100-yard receiving outing and averaging five catches per game. However, he does have five touchdowns already and still in QB Andy Dalton's sights with at least eight targets per game.
Green will face a Miami defense that is 22nd in aFPA to wide receivers. He is due for a big game in all stats and plays well at home. Start Green as a top 5 fantasy wide receiver for Week 5 in all leagues and formats.
Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons
A.J. Green sat out the second half of last week's loss to Carolina with a groin injury. He still had five receptions for 58 yards and is expected to play this week against the Falcons. Green is off to a fast start and continues to be the Bengals' most explosive player.
The Bengals face the Falcons this week, who are ranked 28th in aFPA to wide receivers. Despite the favorable matchup and the claim Green will play, we still worry if he is 100 percent. This could impact his outing on Sunday and brings his ranking down to that of a high-end WR2 instead of his usual WR1 ranking.
Week 3 at Carolina Panthers
Five catches for 69 yards would be considered a down night for A.J. Green most weeks, but add in three touchdown receptions and his fantasy owners were smiling like a butcher's dog. Green was unstopabble in the first half against the Ravens and the NFL is still trying to figure out how Baltimore, who is very familiar with Cincinnati could let him get into the end zone that often in one half.
Green is a special player. Even though he has been only targeted 17 times through two weeks, he still is putting up decent overall numbers. This week, he will face a Panthers defense ranked 27th in aFPA to wide receivers. With the favorable Week 3 matchup, Green rates high in the fantasy rankings. Start him in all leagues and formats as solid WR1 against Carolina on the road.
Week 2 vs. Baltimore Ravens
It wasn't a surprise that A.J. Green caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown in the opener against the Colts. He was targeted a team-high eight times and continues to be QB Andy Dalton's go-to guy in this offense.
Green will face familiar division rival Baltimore this week. Last season, he only recorded seven catches for 91 yards in their two meetings. However, he has averaged almost 82 receiving yards per game during his career against the Ravens—whose defense is very good.
Start Green in all leagues and formats this week, despite the tough matchup. He thrives against good competition and he rates as a solid WR1 for Week 2.
Week 1 at Indianapolis Colts
A.J. Green is still an impact receiver—even at age 30. He will be a 1,000-yard receiver again and is still the premier offensive weapon on the Bengals. Green is one of the safest picks in the draft every year as he has stayed healthy and puts up consistent numbers.
It's a very good matchup for the Bengals' pass offense. Expect big numbers from Green and the end zone is very a distinct possibility to help those fantasy numbers.
Start Green in all leagues and formats as a top fantasy receiver for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
A.J. Green continues to be a model of consistency. He eclipsed 1,000 yards in receiving yards for the sixth time in his seven-year career (in 2016 he missed six games but still had 964 yards). He was targeted 143 times last season, which shows the Bengals consider him to be their main playmaker. He averaged 14.4 yards per catch—which is close to his career average. No doubt, he is still a major factor in the Cincy offense.
Fantasy Downside
Green just turned 30, so the age could start to become an issue. There is also the question of the Cincinnati offense. Is Andy Dalton on the downside of his career? If yes, that could impact Green. Another factor is the Bengals don't have another legitimate threat at the wide receiver position. When tight end Tyler Eifert is healthy, that takes some attention away from Green, but Eifert's availability has been an issue in recent seasons.
2018 Bottom Line
Green might not be in the top five as far as wide receivers but he is definitely in the top 10. He really has not shown any signs of slowing down and, except for the six games he missed two seasons ago, he has stayed healthy. His ADP is 19 overall, which actually might be a little low. Don't be afraid to grab him as the fifth or sixth wide receiver on the board—he will definitely be a solid WR1 on your team.
