The Bengals will look very similar on offense this season. The quarterback position is unchanged and the only change to the running game is the departure of Larry Johnson. Antonio Bryant was signed to take on the team’s WR2 job, while Jordan Shipley was drafted to compete with Andre Caldwell for the slot job. Dezmon Briscoe was also drafted and Matt Jones was signed to compete with Jerome Simpson for the WR5 job. The team used its first round pick in April’s rookie draft to solidify the tight end position by selecting Jermaine Gresham.

QB: Carson Palmer : 303-of-489, 3455 yards, 23 TD, 14 INT, 38 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD – Palmer disappointed most fantasy owners last season, but it shouldn’t have been a total shocker when you consider that this team relied heavily on Cedric Benson and the run game. The Bengals should rely on the pass game a bit more in 2010, however, now that Bryant, Shipley, and Gresham are in the mix. Still, Palmer is a mediocre QB2 at best.

One of the most relied on backs in football last season, Cedric Benson will be expected to carry a majority of the load again in 2010.

RB: Cedric Benson : 336 carries, 1379 yards, 8 TD, 35 targets, 26 receptions, 203 yards, 1 TD – Benson was one of the most relied on ball carriers in the league last season and that should be the case again in 2010 after the team failed to find him some help during the offseason. Bernard Scott is expected to be the RB2, but the team was obviously not happy with him in 2009 considering they signed troubled Larry Johnson during the season. Benson is risky when you consider his injury history and the poor start to his career, but he is a top 10 back in all formats when he is active.

WR: Chad OchoCinco : 126 targets, 70 receptions, 1015 yards, 7 TD – OchoCinco has enjoyed a busy offseason, but it wont change the fact that he will be heavily relied on by Carson Palmer again this season. The addition of Bryant will take off some of the load, but the vet should still be in line for 70 receptions and 7 scores. He’s not a WR1 anymore, but he’s still a middle-of-the-pack WR2.

WR: Antonio Bryant : 86 targets, 47 receptions, 701 yards, 5 TD – The move from Tampa Bay to Cincinnati won’t mean a ton more looks for Bryant. The Bucs actually threw the ball more than the Bengals did in 2009 and, although there is more stability at the QB position in Cincy, Bryant is now the second option in the pass game behind OchoCinco.

WR: Andre Caldwell : 71 targets, 45 receptions, 404 yards, 3 TD – Caldwell earned a roster spot on many fantasy teams last year after racking up 8+ targets three times in the first 6 weeks as Palmer’s slot man. He returns to the same role in 2010, but could be out of a job at some point during the season if Jordan Shipley develops as expected. Shipley should see 35+ looks in the slot regardless, so don’t expect another repeat performance from Caldwell.

TE: Daniel Coats : 40 targets, 24 receptions, 213 yards, 2 TD – Gresham is the future, but Coats still appears to be the present. The Bengals did not rely on the tight end much in 2009 and they have Coats, Gresham, 2009 draft pick Chase Coffman, and recent signing Reggie Kelly all competing for playing time. Obviously you should avoid this situation at all costs in redraft leagues—at least until Gresham is officially named the starter.

Runningbacks:

Leonard Weaver – Weaver, a fullback, went for 100 total yards and a score against the Falcons on Sunday, but note that he touched the ball only 7 times. In fact, in the 6 games Brian Westbrook was inactive this season, he’s averaged just under 7 looks a game. 7 yards per touch is nice, but you can’t expect much on fewer than 10 touches.

Advice: Should not be starting anywhere and should only be owned in the deepest of leagues.

Sammy Morris – Morris is healthy and back in the lineup, which doesn’t bode well for the stock of Laurence Maroney. Morris carried it 9 times on Sunday and was targeted twice, racking up 65 total yards.

Advice: He’s not someone you want to be starting right now, but should be on someone’s bench in 12+ team leagues.

Larry Johnson – Some people still seem to be unclear about his role, so I’m going to clarify it for you: He’s a backup running back who is not, and I repeat, not a threat to Cedric Benson (as can be seen in the week 13 boxscore). Johnson is worth a bench spot in case Benson re-injures himself. In that case, Johnson could see 15-20 looks in an offense that loves to run. That said, even if Benson goes down, Bernard Scott will still steal some of the looks.

Advice: As mentioned, he’s worth a bench spot in all formats, but shouldn’t be starting in any league as long as Benson is active.

Runningback Committees:

Jerome Harrison/Chris Jennings – With Jamal Lewis’ season—and possibly career—over, Harrison and Jennings take over the running back duties for the remainder of the season. Most felt that Jennings would handle much of the workload with Harrison apparently in Eric Mangini’s doghouse, but it was Harrison who had 21 looks in week 13 compared to just 7 for Jennings. Harrison was ineffective in the run game (3.5 YPC), but racked up 62 yards on 7 receptions and scored twice. Jennings, meanwhile, averaged over 5 yards per carry on 5 attempts.

Advice: Harrison is worth a look as a flex player in most formats, especially in PPR. Don’t expect to see 10+ targets every week, but he should see his share with the team usually playing from behind. Jennings is only worth a bench spot in deep leagues.

Rock Cartwright / Quinton Ganther / Marcus Mason – Because Clinton Portis is now officially done for the season, the Redskins running back mess is worth looking into if you’re in need of some help at the position. Cartwright is clearly the top dog so far with 35 looks over the last 2 games, including 28 of the team’s 47 carries by runningbacks. That being said, Ganther was more effective on 5 fewer carries against the Saints on Sunday and could see an extended look during the team’s final few games. The same can be said for Marcus Mason, who despite only 6 carries (8 looks) over the last 2 games, could be in line for a few extra “audition” carries.

Advice: Cartwright has racked up 18 and 17 looks, respectively, over the last 2 games and so he is worth consideration at the flex spot in most formats if you need a body. Ganther is not a bad speculative add in deeper leagues and Mason should only be owned in extremely deep leagues.

Justin Fargas / Darren McFadden / Michael Bush – 27 total carries over the last 2 games for Fargas is more than McFadden (15) and Bush (4) combined. Considering that he’s been effective on those carries (128 yards total), one would have to imagine that they’d continue along with him as their RB1 as long as they are competitive.

Advice: Fargas is worth flex consideration in 12 team standard leagues. McFadden should be owned in dynasty leagues, but is worth no more than bench spot in deeper leagues at this point. Bush has no value unless one of the top 2 are injured.

Wide Receivers:

Kenny Britt – 20 total targets over the last 2 games and a receiving touchdown in three straight for the rookie. The Titans won’t continue to pass the ball 43 times a game like they did the last two weeks, but Britt should still see 7-8 targets most weeks.

Advice: Worth consideration in 16 team leagues, but you shouldn’t feel too comfortable quite yet, especially considering that this team will be running the ball more than they have been and the inconsistency of Britt’s looks this season.

Devin Thomas – I touched on Thomas last week in my ‘Things you should know’ feature, as a player who was seeing more looks, but was unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact this season. He sure made me look silly with 7 receptions on 7 targets for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’d call that fantasy relevant. Thomas has be targeted 20 times total over the last 3 games and is seemingly earning the trust of Jason Campbell.

Advice: You shouldn’t feel comfortable with him as your WR3 in standard leagues quite yet, but he’s certainly worth a bench spot. He should certainly be owned in dynasty leagues considering his age and potential.

Sam Aiken – Aiken should be getting some attention after putting up 80+ receiving yards each of the last two games. Although he was looked at a healthy 10 times versus the Saints two weeks ago, you won’t see anything close to that most weeks considering that Wes Welker and Randy Moss see double-digit targets almost every game. On the year, Aiken is averaging only 3 looks a game, which is exactly what he saw in week 13. Fortunately for his owners (there’s not too many of you), his only reception of the three looks was an 81 yard touchdown.

Advice: Worth a speculative bench spot in deeper leagues and is a desperation start candidate in those same leagues just because of the Patriots’ offensive potential.

Brian Robiskie – Finally getting into the action, the rookie and pre-season sleeper favorite caught 4 of his 5 targets for 69 yards on Sunday and is back on the waiver wire map. It would be surprising not to see plenty of balls thrown his way as the season winds down, but he’s still competing with and likely behind Harrison, Jennings, Cribbs, Massaquoi, and Stuckey for looks.

Advice: Only worth a spot in dynasty leagues. If you’re in a very deep redraft league and looking for a deep sleeper for your bench, he should be a candidate.

Tight Ends:

Jermichael Finley is sure to be a hot Waiver Wire add this week, but make sure you put in a claim if you need help at tight end.

Jermichael Finley – Finley is going to be a hot commodity this week after a huge 2 touchdown game on national television Monday night. I’ve been on the Finley bandwagon for quite a while, so you know I think you should put in a claim if you are shaky at tight end. He’s quickly becoming one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite weapons with 24 targets total over the last 3 games. He’s caught an impressive 17 of those passes for 158 yards and 3 scores. He missed some time with a leg injury earlier this year, but don’t let that scare you away from one of the game’s top young fantasy tight ends.

Advice: Finley will be a borderline top 10 tight end the rest of the way and should be treated accordingly.

Fred Davis – Sticking with the Redskins theme, next on my list is Fred Davis. I’ve talked about him previously, but only now is he officially a starter for the rest of the season after Chris Cooley was finally placed on IR. Davis has been targeted 9 times each of the last 2 games, which is a lot for a tight end. He has 9 catches for 96 yards over those 2 games and scored a touchdown in both. That’s 10.3 and 11.3 fantasy points, respectively, in standard scoring leagues.

Advice: If he’s unowned and you are struggling at tight end, he is a pretty solid option considering the looks coming in. Don’t start him over a top tight end, but if you are bouncing around between John Carlson and Dustin Keller, Davis should be in your lineup going forward.

Evan Moore – Moore burst onto the scene with 11 targets, 6 catches, and 80 yards in his NFL debut Sunday. Robert Royal, Michael Gaines, and Greg Estandia are also tight ends on the roster, but Royal and Gaines are struggling with injuries and Estandia was a healthy inactive in week 13.

Advice: Not worth a look in any but the deepest of leagues. You’d have to imagine he will see more looks after a great debut, but his contributions will be limited in this, a poor, but improving offense.

Kickers:

Garrett Hartley – This one is pretty straightforward. Hartley has replaced John Carney as the kicker of the NFL’s most potent offense.

Advice: A top 5 kicker in all formats as long he remains the starter.

Recommended by ‘The Fifth Down’ blog on the website of the New York Times.

Some player notes from around the NFL:

Quinton Ganther/Marcus Mason – Ganther and Mason appear to be rotating as the spell back in Washington while Rock Cartwright is the feature back. Neither has much value, especially considering Portis should return over the next few weeks.

Devin Thomas – Another Redskin who is seeing an increase in playing time, Thomas has been targeted 17 times over the last 3 games and is quietly taking over as the 2nd most productive WR in Washington. Keep an eye on him, but he is unlikely to be fantasy relevant this season.

Matt Moore – Moore is the new starting QB in Carolina with Delhomme gone to the bench. Considering Moore’s inexperience and the fact that Carolina is the 3rd run-heaviest team in the NFL, you shouldn’t expect him to be relied on much, which means he isn’t even worth a bench spot in most leagues.

Dante Rosario – 7 targets each of the last 2 weeks for the tight end, but he’s still sharing the tight end load with Jeff King and Gary Barnidge. Also consider that the team throws the ball very little and they are making a change at quarterback. He’s not worth your time.

Jermichael Finley – Fellow TE Donald Lee scored the only touchdown by a Packers’TE in week 12, but Finley was targeted more (6-to-4) and is averaging around 7 looks a game when healthy. The Packers offense is on a roll and Finley will be a big part of it down the stretch. Unless you have a top tight end, he’s someone to consider starting.

Kahlil Bell – Bell burst onto the scene when he put up 81 yards on 4 carries 2 weeks ago, but he carried it just once in week 12. His only value right now is as a handcuff to Matt Forte.

Justin Forsett – Forsett is now owned in most leagues, but consider that Julius Jones will be back at some point. It’s hard to say whether or not the team will give Jones his starting job back, but you have to imagine Forsett has earned a bigger share of the workload. Keep an eye on each player’s looks once Jones returns.

Sam Aiken – Aiken was actually the team’s leading receiver in week 12 with 10 targets, 7 catches, and 80 yards, but note that Julian Edelman was inactive and that Wes Welker and Randy Moss are both still on the roster. Aiken is unlikely to approach those numbers again this season, but will continue to have at least some value as the slot receiver in this pass heavy offense.

Lex Hilliard – 13 total looks over the last 2 games isn’t much, but consider that the only thing between him and the starting RB job on the league’s 2nd-run heaviest team is an injury to 32-year-old Ricky Williams.

Considering his situation, Lex Hilliard should be considered for a spot on your bench in most leagues.

Mike Thomas – Will continue to be overshadowed by Mike Sims-Walker and Torry Holt, but consider that he’s caught 83% of passes thrown his way (best in the NFL for WRs with 30+ targets) and is only a rookie. He’s seeing 5-6 looks most weeks and should be considered a sleeper to explode if he sees more action late this season.

Larry Johnson/Bernard Scott – Johnson put up 100 rushing yards in week 12 and Scott has over 200 rushing yards the last 2 weeks, but don’t kid yourself. When Cedric Benson is healthy and returns to action, he will a majority of the carries. At that point, you should expect only 3-6 carries a game for each, which means very little fantasy value.

Chris Jennings – Jerome Harrison was active in 12 after spending a few weeks as a health scratch so that Jennings could have a shot at the RB2 role. This bumped Jennings back to the RB3 role and it’s anyone’s guess what Mangini will do going forward. Regardless, Jennings is not a player you should be rostering.

UPDATE: (Wednesday Dec 2) – It appears that Jamal Lewis will be heading to IR, which means Jennings could now be the starter in Cleveland. Snatch him up before someone else does if you’re in a deep league or desperate for RB help.

Chris Chambers – Chambers is probably owned in your league, but it’s worth noting that he has caught 74% of the 23 balls thrown his direction since joining the Chiefs and has scored on almost 18% of those catches. Although the fact that he was targeted a total of only 9 times over his first 2 games in KC was a concern, Cassel has now thrown his way 14 times total over the last 2 games.

Malcom Floyd – The man who replaced Chambers as a starter in San Diego is not seeing the same success that Chambers is enjoying in Kansas City. Floyd is being targeted only 3-5 times a game and although he did put up 85 yards in week 12, it was on only 3 catches (4 targets). Floyd has potential in this potent offense, but right now he’s not seeing enough looks.

Darren McFadden/Justin Fargas/Michael Bush – The Raiders running back situation might be the hardest unit to dissect in the league. Fargas wasn’t even active early in the year when McFadden and Bush were carrying most of the workload, but now Fargas seems to be the top runner of the group (sounds a lot like 2008-09) having carried it a team-high 20 total times over the last 2 games. McFadden has been the better bet in PPR leagues, however, over the last 2 weeks, racking up 9 looks and 7 catches despite only 12 carries. Bush, meanwhile, has only 7 looks (all carries) over the last 2 weeks.

AFC NORTH

Cleveland Browns
There is a heated quarterback battle between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. I will save the breakdown of each quarterback for another time. There isn’t going to be much deference between the two therefore you won’t see much change in the entire team’s fantasy production.

Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison- The Browns running game really struggled last year and having Quinn or Anderson behind center is not going to solve that issue.

Braylon Edwards, David Patton, Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi, Steve Heiden- I could throw passes to Braylon Edwards and he would drop 5 out of 10. This group will have the same fantasy numbers no matter who is the starting quarterback.

Phil Dawson- No change in the kicking games production.

Cleveland Defense- Same production by the defensive unit.

Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco is at his local gas station when a few people start to poke fun at his uni-brow. A fight ensues and Flacco breaks his nose and will be out for a few weeks.

Troy Smith- Smith has a career total of 80 yards passing. The Ravens will have another inexperienced quarterback at the helm. Smith will not put up impressive fantasy numbers, the Ravens are a running team.

Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, Le’Ron McClain- This group will see the same amount of carries and production.

Derek Mason, Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, Kelly Washington- Flacco’s extremely strong arm benefits Clayton, so Flacco’s injury will have an affect on his production. Mason will put up good numbers either way and deserves a spot on your fantasy roster.

Todd Heap, LJ Smith- Heap will loose some opportunities with the addition of LJ Smith but there production will not vary with Troy Smith running things.

Steven Hauschka- There will be not changes in the production of the kicking game.

Baltimore Defense- The defense will remain dominate.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Due to Big Ben’s legal troubles a judge sentences him to keep his hands to himself, therefore not allowing him to put his hands under center. Charlie Batch is now the starting quarterback.
Charlie Batch- Batch is a game manager that will not put up big fantasy numbers.

Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore- The Steelers were a running team before Ben’s situation and now they will have to focus even more on the ground attack. Expect more carries for all.

Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Sawn McDonald, Limas Sweed- Ward and Holmes will put up decent numbers but nothing spectacular. They are going to get fantasy playing time depending on the weekly matchups.

Heath Miller- Miller is in the same boat as the receivers. With Batch Pittsburg will only throw the ball 15-25 times a game with most of those targets going to Ward and Holmes.

Jeff Reed- The offense will have a lot less production therefore a lot less field goal and extra point attempts.

Pittsburgh Defense- This will still be one of the top 3 fantasy defenses.

Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer attempts to race the same horse the wide receiver formally known as Chad Johnson raced and tears his hamstring. JT O’Sullivan is now the starting quarterback.

JT O’Sullivan- Has no business being a starting quarterback in the NFL or on your fantasy team.

Cedric Benson, Justin Leonard- Benson had a decent year last year with an equally pitiful quarterback so expect alright numbers but nothing great. Benson will be at best a spot starter for your team.

Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry, Reggie Kelly- I guess the one good thing is that JT O’Sullivan likes to take risks and throw it deep, so Ochocinco may have some opportunities. However, I expect Ochocinco to miss Palmer and disappear on a lot of plays. Coles will put up similar numbers as Houshmanzadeh did last season.

Shayne Graham- With a less effective offense comes less opportunities for the kicking game.

Cincinnati Defense- The defense will have a lot more points scored on them as a result of the offense not being able to sustain drives.

The Cincinnati Bengals cut RB Kenny Watson today, which all but cements Brian Leonard as the handcuff to starter Cedric Benson. The release of Watson also allows rookie RB Bernard Scott to solidify his spot as the team’s third option at tailback and further increases his sleeper potential. The Bengals also let go of backup FB JD Runnels today.

Complete Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Depth Chart

In other news from this past weekend, WR Billy McMullen was cut by Seattle. Also, Philadelphia TE Cornelius Ingram and Cleveland WR Syndric Steptoe both suffered season-ending injuries.