A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Should we count on A.J. Green having a bounce-back season in 2020?
When he’s healthy, A.J. Green is among the best wide receivers in football. There are plenty of reasons the Cincinnati Bengals used the No. 4 overall pick to draft him out of the University of Georgia in 2011. In his first seven seasons, Green made the Pro Bowl every year. However, he has only played in nine games in the last two seasons combined. Can he be trusted again in fantasy?
The Fantasy Footballers looked at who could be bounce-back candidates in the 2020 fantasy football season. While Andy Holloway and Mike Wright were high on Green being that guy in 2020, Jason Moore wanted no part of it. Moore believes Green’s recent injury history and his being on the wrong side of 30 don’t help his case to be a viable starter in fantasy this season.
Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice.
As for Holloway and Wright, they see his ADP as WR29 and think that’s way too low for a borderline Pro Football Hall of Famer. If Green can play close to 16 games as the Bengals’ No. 1 wide receiver option, he’ll approach 85 catches and 1,300 yards. Those are numbers worthy of being in your starting lineup without batting an eye. Health is the key here with Green.
A.J. Green had success the last time he played with a rookie quarterback.
While Moore pokes holes in the idea Green can be successful with a rookie quarterback in Joe Burrow throwing him the football, keep in mind Green and draft classmate Andy Dalton were rookies together on the 2011 Bengals. They had a great rapport, forming one of the most underrated quarterback/wide receiver tandems in NFL history.
Let’s factor in Bengals head coach Zac Taylor will be in his second season leading the team. The former Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback stems from the Sean McVay coaching tree, as he worked under the Los Angeles Rams coach previously before getting the job. Look for Taylor to have an even better grasp of what he’s working with on his team in year two.
In his NFL career, Green has averaged slightly over 80 yards per game. If he plays in 12 games for the 2020 Bengals, he’ll be in the vicinity of breaking the 1,000-yard receiving threshold for the first time in years. It used to be an annual occurrence for him prior to being bitten badly by the injury bug. If you think the injuries are behind him, Green could be a steal with your sixth or seventh pick.