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ANALYSIS: Going into the season, the Bengals' receiving core behind A.J. Green was unpredictable. Headlined by first round pick John Ross and last year's surprise rookie Tyler Boyd, who had 600 yards last year as a rookie, Brandon Lafell was nearly an afterthought. However, here we are 11 weeks into the season and Lafell has secured a comfortable spot as the No. 2 receiver in the Bengals offense. In fact, over the last three weeks Lafell has had the same number of targets as Green, although that includes the game Green was suspended before halftime.
Lafell has 31 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns on the season and is coming off a six-catch, 95 yard game that included his second touchdown of the season. However, being the No. 2 receiver behind a dynamic threat like Green, and with a quarterback as inconsistent as Andy Dalton, is less than ideal going forward.
The steady number of targets and increased production over the last few weeks makes Lafell an option in deeper PPR formats, as he should continue to haul in a few catches a game. Don't be surprised to see rookie John Ross eat into his targets later in the season though, especially if the Bengals get eliminated from postseason contention.
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