Mohamed Sanu, Brandon Tate's Fantasy Outlook After AJ Green's Injury

An injury to A.J. Green might hurt the Cincinnati Bengals, but it should open more opportunities for other targets in the team's passing game.   

The Bengals official Twitter account provides the news on the toe injury for Green:

Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com noted the receiver's updated status:

Of those other targets, Mohamed Sanu and Brandon Tate appear to be the most likely breakout targets for Andy Dalton. That instantly makes both players intriguing options moving forward for fantasy owners needing help at the position.

For Sanu, the third-year receiver was already targeted five times in the team's season opener, registering four receptions for 36 yards. He also added four rushing yards for an even four points in fantasy.

Sanu was already a prime candidate for a flex target prior to Green's injury, as Ty Miller of DynastyLeagueFootball.com notes:

"

Mohamed Sanu could very well be a sneaky flex option this week. With Eifert out, those intermediate targets are gonna be distributed around.

— Ty Miller (@Ty_In_StL) September 13, 2014"

Week 2 marked a breakout performance for Sanu with Green out. Not only was he a home-run hitter as a receiver with a 76-yard touchdown, but also passed a 50-yard bomb to Tate.

ESPN Stats & Info notes how rare the performance was for Sanu:

All in all, Sanu compiled three catches for 84 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals. In terms of fantasy points, his passing numbers added up to 16.4 points in ESPN standard leagues.

While the pass may have came as a shock to fantasy owners, Sanu has been known to throw deep balls for the Bengals. Field Yates of ESPN points out his statistics as a passer:

Tate, on the other hand, is still somewhat of an unknown commodity. The former North Carolina receiver has never put up huge numbers and has just four career touchdowns during his previous five years in the league.

Catching a 50-yard pass from Sanu might prove to be more of a fluke for Tate than it was for his fellow receiver. If Tate can step up and help fill the role for the Bengals, he should also put up decent numbers for fantasy owners. But without past results on his side, Tate is likely behind Sanu in the team's passing game.

Moving forward, the health of Green will obviously be crucial to watch. As owners try to scoop up either Sanu or Tate, Green being on the field will dramatically reduce their effectiveness.

Cincinnati is still waiting on the return of Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert, who is dealing with an elbow injury, so Sanu might still be a viable option. But before snatching up either target, knowing the fate of Green will be crucial.

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.