Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
In an ugly game in windy Cleveland, the Browns held on to a 27-19 win. The Bengals out-gained the Browns 451-333, won the time of possession battle 34:31-25:29, and won the turnover battle 2-1. However, Andy Dalton’s turnover was an interception for a touchdown, and the Bengals settled for field goals while the Browns scored touchdowns. The Browns won’t feel great about this win, but will ultimately take it as they go to 6-7 on the year.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
- Andy Dalton: 22/38, 262 yards, 1 INT, 2 sacks | 3 carries, 11 yards
Andy Dalton is what he is at this point, a system quarterback that needs weapons around him to be a fantasy-relevant quarterback. Dalton threw behind an open Auden Tate that tipped off his hands and was returned for a pick-six, and while the cold and wind certainly didn’t help, it was a mistake that he can’t make. Dalton took a red zone sack to end a drive and too often had to settle for field goals in a winnable game. With the ground game consistently ripping of solid games, Dalton should have been better than he was today. With a matchup against New England next week, Dalton should be on waivers in all standard leagues.
Running Backs
- Joe Mixon: 23 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 40 yards
- Giovani Bernard: 4 carries, 15 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 31 yards
Joe Mixon looked like a running back playing for a team in the playoff hunt, not for a team playing out a one-win season. Mixon ran hard and with emotion, breaking tackles and fighting for extra yards all game. He let his emotions get the best of him early on, drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty that cost his team 15 yards. He seemed to be on the sidelines for the next drive as punishment, but was quickly back and into his usual workload thereafter. The Bengals found ways to get Mixon to the perimeter, and it was successful against this Browns defense. Cincinnati even schemed a deep shot pass to Mixon where he may have had a step on the defender, but Dalton underthrew him for an incomplete pass. Giovani Bernard spelled Mixon from time to time, including for the two-minute drive to end the first half, but Mixon dominated the work overall. After a disastrous start to the season, Mixon has turned things around in the second half of the season. The Bengals will continue to feature Mixon throughout the remainder of the season, as he is their best offensive weapon.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Tyler Boyd: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 75 yards | 1 carry, 7 yards
- Alex Erickson: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 45 yards | 1/1, 26 yards
- John Ross III: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 28 yards
- Auden Tate: 4 targets, 1 reception, 16 yards
- Tyler Eifert: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 49 yards
- C.J. Uzomah: 2 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
Tyler Boyd started the game out on a positive note, catching a 21-yard pass on the first play of the game and adding a 14-yard catch later on in the opening drive. Boyd would receive five of his six targets and four of his five receptions in the first half, only to disappear in the second half. Boyd was held to one reception for eight yards in the second half despite clearly being the Bengals’ best pass-catching option. With the focus on getting the ball to Mixon on the ground, the whole passing game took a backseat. Boyd will be a scary play next week against the Patriots and is most likely a low-upside WR2/3.
Alex Erickson filled his typical short-range option role and even contributed a 26-yard pass on a trick play to Bernard. Erickson lacks upside on this poor offense and is best left on waivers. Auden Tate had several contested ball opportunities that he was unable to corral and left the game early after suffering what looked like a significant ankle sprain. The injury will likely end any hopes of fantasy-relevance for the rest of 2019. John Ross III returned from injury and was quiet throughout. He caught a 24-yard pass on the Bengals’ final drive, but otherwise made his biggest impact on a downfield holding penalty on a big Mixon run. Ross could find his way into fantasy relevance over the next few weeks, especially if Tate’s injury is serious. But he will be too risky to trust, and certainly can’t be played against the Patriots next week.
Tight end Tyler Eifert was largely absent until the final two drives, where he caught three of his four passes. Along with C.J. Uzomah, both players can be left on waivers, even at a shallow tight end position.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
- Baker Mayfield: 11/24, 192 yards, 2 INT, 1 sack | 2 carries, 13 yards, 1 TD
Baker Mayfield did not look good in this one, and while some of his performance can no doubt be chalked up to the cold and wind, Mayfield does play in Cleveland, so this will be something that he needs to deal with frequently. Mayfield was a bit frantic in the pocket at times, including in the red zone. He did score a rushing touchdown where he took off and dove for the pylon, helping an otherwise dismal fantasy day. Mayfield threw what could have been a devastating third interception up eight points near the end of the game, but the play was reversed on challenge to defensive pass interference, taking the pick off the board. Baker sailed a few passes, including one of his interceptions, and forced a few balls into heavy coverage to Odell Beckham Jr. At the end of the day, this is a team that focuses on its running backs and the ground game, and Mayfield doesn’t have the volume or efficiency to be a dependable fantasy option.
Running Backs
- Nick Chubb: 15 carries, 106 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 11 yards
- Kareem Hunt: 9 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 40 yards
The Browns frequently had both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt on the field at the same time, with Chubb acting as fullback occasionally. The Browns didn’t feed Chubb as much as I would have liked, and while he had a solid fantasy day, owners were likely hoping for more. Chubb broke free for an electric 57-yard run in the third quarter where he broke tackle after tackle and was finally brought down at the 3-yard line. Hunt would get the touchdown, salvaging his fantasy day. Chubb and Hunt are carrying the offense at this point, so expect both to be involved, with Hunt living off passing game work and Chubb getting the traditional running back work.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Jarvis Landry: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 76 yards
- Odell Beckham Jr.: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 39 yards
- David Njoku: 3 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
- Ricky Seals-Jones: 1 target, 1 reception, 22 yards
Odell Beckham Jr. was noticeably in pain during this one, and it was revealed leading up to the game that he has been playing with a sports hernia that will require surgery in the off-season. Beckham caught an 18-yard pass on the Browns’ first play of the game but was quiet afterward. Beckham had a near catch down the sidelines on a ball thrown too close to the boundary and was hung out to dry on a pass into triple coverage that he couldn’t hold onto. Now that we know Beckham is playing with a serious injury, his struggles make more sense. Beckham isn’t a reliable fantasy option at this point, but a matchup in Arizona next week may entice fantasy owners to go back to Beckham one last time.
Jarvis Landry continues to be the de facto number one receiver for the Browns, leading the team in targets, receptions, and yards this week against the Bengals. He soaked up the high percentage targets in this one on crossing routes, which is about all that the Browns can manage in the passing game at this point. With Beckham largely a decoy through most of the game, Landey took advantage of his opportunities in a game that Mayfield completed only 11 targets.
David Njoku returned from injury to be the Browns’ most targeted tight end and was targeted on a goalline fade that fell incomplete. In a struggling offense, however, Njoku will be hard-pressed to find fantasy production the rest of the way.
-Erik Smith