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The Week 7 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals features an interstate rivalry renewed. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Cleveland Browns
It doesn’t seem to matter who is playing quarterback for the Browns, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor just continues to produce. He caught nine out of 13 targets for 75 yards and two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. The fact the Browns were playing from behind had a lot to do with his production as Cody Kessler was forced to throw the football. The unfortunate part about his performance is that Pryor suffered a hamstring injury in the contest. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to play in Cincinnati. If he does not, tight end Gary Barnidge would be the only pass catcher on the team with any significant fantasy value. If Pryor does play, he’ll likely be helping the Browns come from behind again. That scenario may result in double digit targets for Pryor again in Week 7.
Regardless of Pryor’s health status, running back Isaiah Crowell should see a steady stream of touches against Cincinnati. He only has 38 yards rushing on 22 carries in the last two weeks combined but it’s hard to do anything out of the backfield when your team has to throw the football. If Cleveland again finds they have no choice but to do that, teammate Duke Johnson might make for a better fantasy play against the Bengals. Crowell’s ability to surpass his projected totals hinges heavily on game flow.
Cincinnati Bengals
Coming into the season, the Bengals were expected to be contenders in the AFC North. Now with a 2-4 record there are more questions than answers to be found. One bright spot of late for the Bengals has been running back Giovani Bernard. Bernard isn’t going to get fantasy owners much in standard formats, but he has added value in PPR leagues. He has totaled at least 94 yards in each of the last two games. Last week he reached exactly that number of yards on 19 touches. Bernard likely won’t see as many targets against Cleveland because there won’t be a need for it, but he has outplayed teammate Jeremy Hill lately. It’ll be interesting to see whether Bernard pushes through his projections against the Browns.
Wide receiver A.J. Green certainly has a shot at doing so on any given Sunday. He’s been targeted at least eight times in every single game this season. The downside is that he’s only found the end zone once in the last five games. Green is as explosive, dynamic and athletic as they come. Cleveland represents a tasty matchup. Their defense just isn’t what it used to be. Four different receivers have notched at least 114 yards against the Browns this year. If Green does that he will definitely go way above what his projections would suggest.