Fantasy Football Sleepers: Why Cedric Benson Will Go From Jail to Fantasy Star

You don’t feel comfortable drafting a player that spent the better part of the last week in jail?

What’s your problem?

Just because Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson decided to serve a portion of his 20-day jail sentence right before the season starts doesn’t mean you should avoid him.

The Bengals offense is not going to be generating a ton of big plays this year and will be relying on Benson to be their bell cow.

He’s gotten over 600 carries in his two full seasons with the Bengals and has rewarded them with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Benson only sports a 3.7 yards per carry average, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot to fantasy owners.

It’s about touches, and Benson projects to carry the ball 20 times a game. If Carson Palmer was still under center for the Bengals, Benson would not be catching many passes (45 in two seasons)—but with rookie Andy Dalton, it will be much different.

With defenses bringing the pressure early and often on the rookie, Dalton will be looking to dump the ball off at the first sign of trouble.

That means a ton of screen passes for Benson and a lot more value in PPR leagues.

Head coach Marvin Lewis has stressed how they plan on returning to the run-first look that won them the AFC North in ’09 and the team will only go as far as the durable Benson will take him.

That’s why it’s baffling to me to watch Benson drop all the way down into the fourth and fifth rounds.

Don’t be fooled by his legal issues, as the NFL has decided not to suspend him. He will go back to jail just for the bye week.

A proven back that will be the go-to option that will be churning out the fantasy points.

Take advantage of it.