Cedric Benson Suspension: Bengals RB a Fantasy Football Dud for Next 5 Weeks

Bad news for fantasy football owners with Cedric Benson on the roster: The Cincinnati Bengals 'back is back in NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's doghouse.

Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports reported via Twitter that Benson is facing a three-game suspension from the league office for violating the personal conduct policy during the lockout.

Benson spent the offseason dealing with old assault charges and racking up new ones. His most recent transgression—a fight with a former roommate—landed him in jail for five days just before the start of the 2011 season.

Benson will appeal the suspension, and because the hearing is not until next Tuesday, he will be available to play against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Benson's stay doesn't mean you should rush to add him to your team if you don't already have him, or even start him if you do. After ripping up the Browns for 121 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, Benson took a significant step back against the Broncos, with just 59 yards in Week 2.

Don't expect Benson's downward skid to stop against the Niners. San Fran currently sports the top run defense in the NFL, allowing opponents a measly 54.5 yards per game on the ground. Granted, a two-game sample size does not a defensive monster make, especially when one of those performances came against the lowly Seattle Seahawks.

That being said, Cincy is still only middle of the pack in rushing, and Benson figures to face eight men in the box while the Niners dare rookie quarterback Andy Dalton to beat them.

As for the suspension, it's difficult to say whether or not Benson will actually be successful in his appeal, though it's reasonable to suspect that he will have to sit out three games at some point. Benson has a long track record of arrests and off-field misconduct, dating back to 2008 when he was with the Chicago Bears. No one should be surprised, then, if/when Benson doesn't see the field for the Bengals against the Bills, Jaguars and Colts.

If nothing else, Benson is guaranteed not to play in Week 7, when the Bengals have their bye. After that, he'll still have four more games against the traditionally stout run defenses of the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In other words, Benson is a fantasy football liability, not only for the next month or so, but also for the rest of the season. If you've got him, drop him. If not, don't bother picking him up.

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