Fantasy Football Hot Plays for Week 1
By Jon Dove
The Cincinnati Bengals Defense vs. the Baltimore Ravens Offense
This preseason wasn’t pretty for the Baltimore Ravens offense. They struggled to move the football and find any type of consistency. The hope is that things will get on track with Joe Flacco back in the lineup. However, he missed the entire preseason and will need to shake off some rust.
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Flacco’s presence will help, but the fact is the Ravens offense doesn’t have any true difference makers. Their most explosive weapon is Mike Wallace who could see extra coverage when Baltimore takes on the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati’s defense is flying under the radar and could be much better than expected. They have a lot of depth at each position and should have an improved pass rush. The additions of rookies Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson will immediately help the Bengals generate more pressure on the quarterback.
At cornerback, the Bengals will trout out three former 1st round picks in Dre Kirkpatrick, William Jackson III and Darqueze Dennard. These three are as talented as any wide receiver the Ravens can put on the field.
Cincinnati will be without Vontaze Burfict at linebacker, but should be able to manage with Kevin Minter and Nick Vigil. The takeaway here is that fantasy football players should try to avoid starting any of the Ravens offensive players.