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The Cincinnati Bengals finished first in the AFC North with 10-7 record and made a run to the Super Bowl. A fantastic year for this squad from the Queen City as they look ahead and attempt to make a repeat run in 2022. They’ve made the most important moves this off-season revamping this offensive line for quarterback and Comeback Player of the Year, Joe Burrow. DraftKings Sportsbook currently has the win total set at 10 for the 2022 season.
Not too many skill-player shake-ups for Cincinnati this offense season. The Bengals lost tight end CJ Uzomah to the New York Jets and picked up former first-round pick Hayden Hurst in free agency. They also lost a depth piece wide receiver, Auden Tate, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
In this series, we will look at the most important fantasy football position battles for each NFL team. Opportunity is king in fantasy, as you can’t produce fantasy statistics without getting on the field. So, the first step when looking for value plays is to project — correctly — which players will win training camp battles.
Here’s a look at our picks to win the training camp battles for the CITY TEAM ahead of your 2022 fantasy football drafts.
TE battle
Hayden Hurst vs. Drew Sample
Hayden Hurst was a former first-round pick who has played in four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and most recently the Atlanta Falcons. Hurst’s most productive season came in 2020, the only season he wasn’t playing behind Mark Andrews or Kyle Pitts. He recorded 571 receiving yards on 56 receptions and had six touchdowns that year.
Drew Sample shouldn’t be too much of a competition for Hurst. In his three years with the Bengals, Sample has 460 yards, 74 targets, and one touchdown. He is an asset to this Bengals team but will not be fantasy relevant in 2022.
Our pick to win: Hayden Hurst
If you lose out on the big tight-end names in fantasy for the 2022 season, Hurst could be a good late-round starter for you to pick up. While he is competing against one of the best receiving trios in the league plus Joe Mixon for targets, he joins Joe Burrow and an improved offensive line.