Andy Dalton (QB, CIN) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups

BALLER MOVE: Add in 2QB Leagues

OWNED IN: 8% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: Second start for Andy Dalton after getting the reins of the Bengals back, and second game scoring around 15 points (he finished 14.2 this past Sunday while he had 15.8 in Week 13). Dalton has always been a gunslinger and he’s never been afraid to air it out, so the only thing that is missing from his game right one is the upside of a couple of scores here and there. He proved he is going to keep throwing the ball as many times as he can (38 attempts against the Browns this Sunday) and finished the day with 262 yards (22 completions) and an interception yet he couldn’t throw any touchdown.

In his Week 13 game against the Jets, Dalton finished with the opposite outcome: one touchdown and no interceptions. The rest of the numbers, though, were pretty similar to those he posted this past weekend: 243 yards on 22 completions (37 attempts). There isn’t any doubt what Andy Dalton is and what Andy Dalton will be ROS. Dalton is a 15-point floor quarterback good for 2QB or deeper leagues with upside to break the 20-point mark if he gets helped by his receivers with extra yards after the catch, or if he can throw for two or more touchdowns. He did it three times before being benched, so he clearly has the ability and the tools to make it happen again.

New England will visit Cincinnati next week and the Patriots are needy of a win after losing two in a row. Even accounting for the Patriots good pass-defense, Dalton won’t shy out of throwing high volume passes once again, and New England’s defense has shown some flaws lately. If you’re not convinced of adding Dalton or playing for next week but can pick him up and keep him in your roster until Week 16, though, you might be in for a winning strategy. The Bengals play Miami in Week 16 and the Dolphins have the sixth-worst defense against QBs, so Dalton might have his best game of the season there.