The most stressful time of the Fantasy Football season is coming up fast. These upcoming games will play a crucial role in determining if your squad makes the playoffs or competes in the losers bracket. If you've been both patient and lucky, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver AJ Green is sitting on your bench as he recovers from his ankle injury.
Green will return to the field after the team's Week 9 bye, but his first game won't be easy. You should continue exercising patience with Green, as the dynamic receiver will eventually help your team in a big way.
The Bengals will face the division rival Baltimore Ravens in Week 10. The Ravens are known for fielding a monstrous defense, but that isn't the case this year. They're allowing 22 points a game, right around the NFL average. At first look, this is great news for Green. But it's hard to ignore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
Humphrey has developed into one of the premier man coverage corners in the league, and it's shown this year. Humphrey has allowed less than 70 yards in all but one game. Unfortunately for Green, Humphrey will almost definitely be shadowing him the entire game.
While matchups are important for receivers, quarterbacks are even more crucial to success. In his first game of 2019, Green won't have longtime Bengals starter Andy Dalton throwing him the ball. Instead, it will be rookie fourth-round pick Ryan Finley.
Finley was terrific in the preseason, but that doesn't mean anything now. It will be Finley's first start, and conditions couldn't be worse. The offensive line is absolutely horrific, and the run game is nonexistent. If Finley wants to win his first start, he's going to have to throw for it, and everyone knows it.
This may sound great for Green's potential, but it's the opposite. With the defense free to send blitzes and disguise coverages, Finley is bound to struggle. Without any support system, the rookie quarterback won't be able to get the ball to his receivers, much less the one who's covered by Marlon Humphrey.
Though the outlook is grim for Green in Week 10, it does get better. In the three weeks after the Ravens game, the Bengals face the Oakland Raiders, the Steelers, and the New York Jets. The Jets and Raiders are great matchups for wideouts, and Green will certainly have knocked off the rust by then.
Stay patient, and you'll have a strong wide receiver two on your team for the playoffs.
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