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ANALYSIS: John Ross was largely overlooked as a fantasy asset this offseason, despite Cincinnati's thin wide receiver depth chart and a large potential workload with A.J. Green on the sidelines. Since being selected ninth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, Ross has been a non-factor for the Bengals. In fact, Ross only recorded a career total of 210 receiving yards heading into Sunday's game.
Well, Ross broke out Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks in a big way. He burned Seattle's secondary for two touchdowns in the first half including a 55-yard deep ball from Andy Dalton. He finished the game with seven receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he led the Bengals with 12 targets.
With no concrete return date for Green, there is a big opportunity for Ross to produce big stat lines moving forward. Remember, he is still only 23 years old and is the same player who ran a historic 4.22 40-yard dash at the combine. His teammate, Tyler Boyd, had only 225 yards in his second season before breaking out with 1,028 last season and Ross's historic speed gives him an even higher ceiling. The aforementioned Boyd should not cut too much into Ross's production either, as he still received 11 targets himself on Sunday. Plus, the Bengals will probably find themselves playing from behind more than your average team. Everything seems to be pointing to be a potential breakout campaign for Ross.
However, his uninspiring production from the past two years, and the fact that he is not working with an elite quarterback are real concerns. Ross is the type of player who has flashed his intriguing talent before and not delivered. Still, Ross is well worth the risk. Particularly if you stashed Green in your draft, adding Ross in the short term is a smart play.
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