The Cincinnati Bengals are in their bye week, and they have a change in mind for when they return to action in Week 10. The team is set to bench quarterback Andy Dalton and replace him with rookie Ryan Finley, according to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero.
Dalton and the Bengals have struggled in a big way. He has thrown for 2,052 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions through eight games. They’re not the worst numbers in the NFL, but the Bengals are looking for any kind of spark.
The Bengals spent the second pick of the fourth round on Finley this past April. The NC State product has yet to appear in a regular season game. He will make his debut at home against the Baltimore Ravens.
Fantasy football analysis: Bengals offense
This is a big change, even if Dalton has struggled. Finley is an unknown factor, and it is going to take some time to figure out how this impacts the Bengals fantasy weapons. The team hopes to get A.J. Green back after the bye, which would be huge for Finley. Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate are decent weapons, but it remains to be seen how much Finley downgrades or upgrades them. For now it is a downgrade, at least until we see what Finley can do.
Here’s an overview of Finley from his NFL.com pre-draft scouting report:
While Finley’s accuracy, production and mode of operation has been static over the last three years, his ability to improve in all areas has been impressive. He works well in a controlled environment, reads alignments and knows where the ball should go, but he failed to elevate his production against the best in-game competition and then again at the Senior Bowl. His intelligence and accuracy could find him work as a quality backup with the potential to find some future starts.