The Cincinnati Bengals are likely going to have AJ Green on the sidelines again in Week 7 and that is tough for fantasy football owners and makes names like Mohamed Sanu, Brandon Tate and Greg Little options to replace Green at WR, as he could be out for an extended period of time with a foot injury for quarterback Andy Dalton.
Green is likely to be out for Week 7, but head coach Marvin Lewis opened the door for him to play, saying that there is a "shot" that Green could be in the lineup for Week 7 against the Colts. According to Pro Football Talk, Green is dealing with a toe injury and there is a chance he could be sidelined this week after missing Week 4 and Week 6 on the schedule. Mohamed Sanu has played very well even when Green is on the field and he could be a solid option for fantasy owners to start if Green remains out.
Brandon Tate made an impact in the game over the weekend and he could be a deep league option for owners, while Greg Little was signed off the free agent market to help with depth. Little and Tate are only considered to be options for teams in deeper leagues, but if an owner is desperate with Green out and Sanu is gone, they could be worth a pick up. Green has been one of the most consistent players in the league since being drafted and this is the first time in his career that he has had to miss time with an injury.
Sanu is the best option for fantasy owners with Green out, as he has shown that he can handle the load as a WR1. Andy Dalton has been throwing the ball well and he has a good relationship with Sanu and that has been clear over the past few weeks with Green hobbled. Sanu had 11 catches for 120 yards and a TD in the game against the Panthers, which ended in a tie. Sanu has had problems with drops in the past, but he has been much better this season and he comes in after being targeted 15 times in the game against the Panthers.
Sanu has 27 catches for over 350 yards this season in five games and he is already on pace to set career highs after posting them last season. Sanu had 47 catches last season for 455 yards and two scores and he has already bested the TD numbers. Over the past three weeks Sanu has had at least five catches in each game and he has 20 over the last three games for over 200 yards. Sanu is the top pick up and start option if Green is out for this week.
Little is not expected to do much in the offense, while Tate could be a solid option for owners in deeper leagues. With Marvin Jones out, Tate could step up and he comes in after catching four balls on Sunday for 38 yards and a TD. Last season Tate had just one catch, but this season he already has 10 for 112 yards and while he is mostly a special teams player, he could be valuable if he can get on the field on offense more for the Bengals.