CINCINNATI (vs. N.O.)
The Bengals probably won't win this game, but they might finish with above-average numbers. New Orleans is 7-1 but has a flawed defense that's bottom-10 in yards. Only five teams have allowed more points. The Saints have held lesser offenses ...
... to 2 TDs each (Browns, Giants, Washington) but every other team has scored at least 3 TDs against them. Cincinnati will play without A.J. Green, which is worrying, but top-10 numbers are possible. The Bengals are playing at home, and their offense has averaged 3 TDs per game this year. ... With A.J. Green sidelined, Tyler Boyd sure looks good. He's been outstanding anyway. In his last seven games, he's been just as good as Green, averaging 85 yards, with 5 TDs. He looks like a shoo-in for top-10 receiving numbers against this defense. Those scouring the waiver wire can also think about John Ross. He's had some problems ...
This report is taken from today's Week 10 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 17 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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... with injuries and inconsistency, but he's got the speed to score from anywhere on the field. This is the kind of game where he might show up big. If you're looking for a Week 10 fill-in, he's probably the best high-upside option available. Other pass catchers also presumably will see more balls. C.J. Uzomah has caught only 2 passes for 13 yards in the last two games, but he caught 6 for 54 back in Week 6 against the Steelers. Alex Erickson seems like a capable enough slot receiver. ... We'll call it an average matchup for Joe Mixon. That might surprise some, with New Orleans ranking No. 1 against the run, but they don't seem to actually be that good. They've played against a lot of lesser running teams and have had leads in a lot of games. They've allowed a rushing touchdown in all but one of their games. Playing at home, Mixon might be just fine. With A.J. Green out, he should catch plenty of dumpoff passes (particularly if the ground game stalls or the Bengals fall way behind). The Saints did a great job smothering Todd Gurley on pass plays last week (his 6 receptions went for only 11 yards) but doesn't necessarily mean Mixon can't be effective as a pass catcher. When Saquon Barkley caught 6 passes against New Orleans back in Week 4, they went for 56 yards. For the year, Mixon averages 85 rushing and 19 receiving yards, with 5 TDs in six games. There's no compelling reason to sit him down this week. ... Andy Dalton is having a solid year. He's averaging 268 passing yards, and he's on pace for 34 TDs -- slightly more than 2 per week. He'll have to play this week without A.J. Green, and that's definitely a downer (losing the No. 1 mismatch piece in the offense) but this a lesser pass defense he's facing. The Saints rank next-to-last in pass defense, giving up 325 yards per game, with multiple touchdown passes in over half of their games. Dalton is very much still in play for 280 yards and multiple touchdowns. ... We're ranking Randy Bullock as a below-average kicker. He's always had issues with accuracy and pressure kicks, and Cincinnati nowadays seems to be taking on water. Bullock scored 10 points in each of his first two games. He's averaged only 5.5 in his last six. The Saints don't have a high-powered defense, but only five teams have allowed fewer kicking points. ... The Bengals Defense has no value this week. With the Saints having a great offensive line and a Hall of Fame quarterback, they're just not making many mistakes right now. New Orleans has allowed a league-low 9 sacks and is the only team that has thrown only 1 interception.