{"id":54134,"date":"2018-11-29T06:45:25","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T11:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=54134"},"modified":"2018-11-29T15:38:04","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T20:38:04","slug":"fantasy-football-what-to-expect-from-a-j-green-with-jeff-driskel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/11\/29\/fantasy-football-what-to-expect-from-a-j-green-with-jeff-driskel\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football: What to Expect From A.J. Green With Jeff Driskel"},"content":{"rendered":"

The fantasy football playoffs are about to start, yet one of the leagues biggest stars is a massive question mark. Cincinnati Bengals<\/a> wide receiver A.J. Green<\/a><\/strong> will reportedly return to the field in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos<\/a>. While you\u2019d normally start Green without thinking twice, the longtime Bengal has a lot working against him. For one, Green is coming off a fairly serious foot injury and might not be 100%. Additionally, Andy Dalton<\/a> <\/strong>injured his thumb<\/a>, forcing untested journeyman Jeff Driskel<\/a><\/strong> into the starting lineup.<\/p>\n

Green represents one of the biggest gambles in Week 13. He has the potential to take over any game and put up top-five wide receiver numbers. However, his injury and Jeff Driskel\u2019s inexperience could lead to a dud of a game. With so many variables surrounding Green, let\u2019s take a look at what fantasy owners should expect from Green against the Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n

Fantasy Football: What to Expect From A.J. Green In Week 13<\/h1>\n

Green\u2019s Health<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with the easiest thing to predict: Green\u2019s health. Green injured his toe in late October and hasn\u2019t seen the field since. However, the Bengals receiver declared himself \u201cgood to go\u201d for Week 13, so he should be back on the field this Sunday.<\/p>\n

Obviously, nobody is 100% at this point in the football season, but Green shouldn\u2019t be at risk of re-injury. The Cincinnati Bengals, once in the heart of the playoff race, have taken a serious turn for the worst. Once 4-1, the Bengals have dropped to 5-6 and are essentially out of the playoff race. They\u2019ve suffered serious injuries across the board and everyone in the organization is well aware this just isn\u2019t their year.<\/p>\n

If the Bengals were in the thick of the playoff race, they might have tried to rush Green back. However, since it\u2019s clear there\u2019s no hope for this Bengals team, there\u2019s no reason to accelerate Green\u2019s rehab. If he\u2019s playing, it\u2019s because he\u2019s feeling confident in his body and his overall state of health. Expect Green to be at or near 100% for Sunday\u2019s matchup against the Broncos.<\/p>\n

The Quarterback Dilemma<\/h2>\n

This is the risky part. The age-old fantasy football philosophy says to start your studs whenever they\u2019re capable of playing. While that can be sound advice, that theory will be tested with Jeff Driskel at quarterback.<\/p>\n

Driskel hasn\u2019t seen much action in his NFL career, yet his track record leaves a lot to be desired. Initially signed as the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> sixth-round pick in 2016, Driskel never made the roster after failing to \u00a0<\/strong>beat out Christian Ponder<\/a> <\/strong>for the backup spot. The Bengals claimed him off the waiver wire and he\u2019s remained in Cincinnati ever since.<\/p>\n

The good news here is that Driskel has had three years to learn and understand the Bengals offense. The entire playbook should be fair game, which is a positive for Green\u2019s value. The downside is that nobody knows what Driskel can bring to an offense. Outside of a few garbage time snaps, Driskel hasn’t played at the NFL level. With minimal game tape to look at, let\u2019s take a dive back into who he was at college.<\/p>\n

Driskel\u2019s Scouting Report<\/h2>\n

Driskel is an athletic quarterback who\u2019s prone to scramble to get out of trouble. When he does throw the ball, he\u2019s best throwing short passes inside the numbers. He has the arm strength to push the ball to the sidelines but doesn\u2019t have the accuracy to do it consistently.<\/p>\n

In his limited sample size, Driskel has played exactly to that scouting report. Per SharpFootballStats.com, Driskel has attempted 30 passes to the short portion of the field or the deep middle of the field. He\u2019s completed 22 of said passes for 239 yards, one touchdown, and a 107.5 passer rating.<\/p>\n

However, he has struggled on deep passes outside the numbers. Driskel has attempted five passes in those directions and is still waiting on his first completion. Granted, he\u2019s played less than a game of professional football, but this performance aligns perfectly with his scouting report. It\u2019s safe to assume that this is what we expect from Driskel moving forward. Now, let\u2019s look at how Green\u2019s strengths align with Driskel\u2019s.<\/p>\n

How Green and Driskel Mesh<\/h2>\n

Green is a fantastic player no matter where he\u2019s targeted, but he\u2019s had his most success in the short portions of the field and the deep middle. So far on the season, Green has 33 receptions for 400 yards, four touchdowns, and a 106.7 passer rating when targeted in those parts of the field. This all adds up to a 56.3% success rate, which is above the league average.<\/p>\n

Additionally, most of Green\u2019s targets have come where Driskel likes to throw it. Per SharpFootballStats.com, just over 83% of Green\u2019s targets have been in the short portion of the field or in the deep middle. This is obviously great news for his fantasy production, as he\u2019s doing the grand majority of his damage in the areas of the field where Driskel can consistently connect. The Bengals won\u2019t need to adjust their offense, and Driskel won\u2019t have to make uncomfortable throws. This duo should naturally mesh well together.<\/p>\n

Looking At the Denver Defense<\/h2>\n

Adding to Green\u2019s fantasy value is his matchup. We\u2019ve already established that most of Green\u2019s production will come in the short parts of the field or the in deep middle. Fortunately, the Denver defense has struggled all season long to defend these portions of the field.<\/p>\n

So far in the season, Denver has allowed 237 completions for 2,596 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in the short field and in the deep middle. The high turnover rate could be a worry if you\u2019re starting Driskel for some reason, but that won\u2019t negatively impact Green. As far as his production is concerned, an interception is really no different than an incompletion. The Broncos are prone to giving up receptions, yards, and touchdowns in these portions of the field. Green is more than capable of capitalizing on this matchup, and Driskel should be able to find him consistently.<\/p>\n

Last Word on A.J. Green<\/h2>\n

Green, normally one of the safest bets in fantasy football, is not without risk in Week 13. The Bengals wide receiver is coming off an injury which cost him multiple games and will be catching passes from a new quarterback against the Broncos. These serious concerns have left fantasy owners wondering what to do with their star wideout as the fantasy football playoffs begin.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Green should continue to be his regular self when he gets back. The Bengals are essentially out of playoff contention, so there\u2019s no reason to play Green. Yes, they\u2019re technically alive, but they\u2019re lying to themselves if they think this team is capable of making a playoff push. A.J. Green would not be playing if there was a serious risk of re-injury, simply because there\u2019s nothing left to play for. It\u2019s safe to expect him at or near full strength leading into the game.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Jeff Driskel should be able to get the ball to Green. Driskel struggles to push the ball to the deep sideline and can be effective when throwing short or deep over the middle. This aligns with how Green has received the grand majority of his targets and yards. Driskel is certainly a step down from Dalton, but Green should be able to produce regardless.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Denver\u2019s defense struggles to stop these types of passes. They allow completions, yards, and touchdowns on a frequent basis to these portions of the field, which is great news for Green. He\u2019s healthy, he\u2019s a dominant receiver going against a favorable matchup, and Driskel should be competent enough to get him the ball. Unless you\u2019re absolutely stacked at the wide receiver position, make sure to put Green in your lineup.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>