AJ Green

Week Seventeen Analysis: A.J. Green did not score for the fourth time in the last five weeks, but did manage an impressive 10 catches and 116 yards last weekend against the Steelers. The Bengals have punched their ticket to the playoffs as the sixth seed and are locked in there, so we could see could see a reduced workload for Green on Sunday. The Ravens did hold the Giants wide receivers to a fairly quiet day last week, but have allowed four touchdowns to wideouts in the last three weeks. I'm worried about Green getting pulled since there's nothing to play for, so I've knocked him down in the rankings.

Week Sixteen Analysis: After nine straight games with a touchdown, followed by three games without scoring, A.J. Green started his newest scoring streak last week in Philadelphia. He gathered six catches for 57 yards and the score in a ho-hum return to relevance, but he'll have a chance to improve again this week against the Steelers. In his previous matchup with Pittsburgh, Green caught only one ball for eight yards, but it happened to go for a score. I can say with some certainty that he should shatter those receptions and yards marks this week. The Ike Taylor-less Steelers defense has given up five wide receiver touchdowns in the last three weeks and allowed their first 300-yard passing outing to Tony Romo last week.

Week Fifteen Analysis: After scoring a touchdown in nine straight games, A.J. Green has now been held out of the end zone in three straight. What's more concerning is that his yardage totals in the last three weeks have gone from 111, to 85, to 44 yards. Fortunately, Philly's secondary is the biggest waste of money since I dropped $40 on the Atari 2600 version of E.T.. Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are a part of a secondary that has allowed seven different wide receivers to score in the just last four weeks.

Week Fourteen Analysis: AJ Green hasn't scored in the last two weeks but has averaged 98 yards in those outings. I'm not worried about Green at all though. He's had 85 or more yards in each of the last five games, and will be facing off against a suddenly struggling Dallas defense. The Cowboys secondary started the season red hot, allowing only four touchdowns to wide receivers through their first eight games. However, things have turned lately as Dallas has given up six touchdowns to enemy wideouts in just the last four weeks.

Week Thirteen Analysis: A.J. Green's streak of nine straight games with a touchdown ended last week against the Raiders, although the 111 yards he had was a solid parting gift. As the band Semisonic once said, "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end," so the new streak starts this week in San Diego. The last two weeks are a prime example of the Chargers' pass defense. Last week they allowed Torrey Smith to go off for 144 yards and the previous week Brandon Stokley, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas were each held under 56 yards, but each scored a touchdown. It's clear that the Chargers can give up both high yardage totals and scores, leaving Green in the driver's seat for a great game.

Week Twelve Analysis: A.J. Green is getting closer and closer to Jerry Rice's record of 13 straight games with a touchdown reception, as he's now scored in nine straight. He's already blown past his touchdown total from last season and is one reception shy of tying his total from all of last year. If you can live with 85 yards and a touchdown every game, that's exactly what you're getting from Green. He's now hit both of those milestones in six of his last eight games. His opponent, the Raiders, have allowed exactly two touchdowns to opposing wide receivers in each of the last three weeks. That includes allowing both Torrey Smith and Lance Moore to each hit paydirt twice in their last two weeks.

Week Eleven Analysis: You can count on a few things in life. There's death, taxes, the sun rising in the east, January Jones turning in the most wooden acting performances of the year, and A.J. Green scoring on Sunday. The unstoppable Green has now topped 85 yards in five of his last seven games and scored in eight straight games. This week Green takes on a Kansas City squad that has allowed an opposing number one wide receiver to score in each of the last four games. The Chiefs are also allowing the highest yards per reception average to wideouts and are allowing a wide receiver to score on 16 percent of their touches.

Week Ten Analysis: A.J. Green has now scored in an unreal seven consecutive games. While the record is still far off in the distance with Jerry Rice scoring a receiving touchdown in 13 consecutive games, it's impressive that Green as made it to the midpoint in just his second pro season. What's more is that Green has now had seven or more receptions in five games and 99 or more yards in half of his eight contests this season. He has a fantastic opportunity to keep the streak going this week when the Bengals host the Giants. In the last five weeks the Giants have allowed over 185 yards per game to opposing wide receivers and they've allowed five wideouts to top 100 yards or score on them in just the last three games.

Week Nine Analysis: Only two wide receivers have had more than five catches against the Broncos this season and both of them, Roddy White and Wes Welker, have each topped 100 yards and scored. Over the course of seven games that's quite impressive as a defensive unit. So why do we like A.J. Green this week? First, Denver corner Tracy Porter may not play. Second, Green has now had six or more receptions in five of his last six games and scored a touchdown in six straight games. The Bengals are going to force the ball to Green, no matter who is covering him. Green's had double digit targets in five of seven including a matchup with Joe Haden three weeks ago. He's becoming matchup proof.

Week Seven Analysis: A.J. Green continues to tear through NFL defenses as if he was a F5 tornado going through a Wichita Falls RV park. Last week in Cleveland, Green had his first two-touchdown game in his career and he extended his games with a touchdown streak to five. Green has now been targeted 11 or more times in five of six games this season, has topped seven receptions four times and topped the century mark in yardage three times. He's an every week starter, including this week, as he goes up against a flagging Steelers defense that has allowed five wide receiver touchdowns in five games, after giving up just eight all last season.

Week Six Analysis: A.J. Green has certainly emerged as a top tier wide receivers in the fantasy game. He is one of only five players in the NFL who is averaging more than 11 targets per game and one of only five players averaging more than seven catches per game. This week he faces a Cleveland team he beat for seven catches, 58 yards and a score in Week 2, but that was the first game of the Joe Haden suspension. The Browns allowed nine touchdowns to wide receivers in the four games that Haden was suspended, but only allowed eight touchdowns to wideouts in their previous 17 games, with Haden.

Week Five Analysis: At the beginning of fantasy draft season, doubters of A.J. Green cited his mediocre quarterback play and his one touchdown over the final six weeks of last season as reasons not to rank him in the upper tier of wide receivers. Those doubters are now in denial, as Green started the season with an average of seven catches and 107 yards over the first four games. When you throw in that he's scored a touchdown in each of the last three weeks, it is gravy or icing or whatever topping or condiment best signifies awesome success. This week Green gets a struggling Dolphins defense that has allowed 118-yards or more to Andre Johnson, Santonio Holmes and Andre Roberts in the last four weeks and has allowed a wide receiver touchdown in nine of their last 10 games.

Week Four Analysis: In the last 25 years of NFL games, only on 77 other occasions has a player met or exceeded each of A.J. Green's astounding numbers from last week (nine catches, 183 yards, one touchdown). So while it's not a once in a lifetime kind of game, it's a thrice in a season type of game. The Jaguars defense went from holding Andre Johnson to only three catches and 21 yards in Week 2, to allowing 235 yards and a touchdown to Indy's wide receivers. Obviously this trend is in the wrong direction and makes little sense. Last year Green beat the Jags for five catches, 90 yards and a score. I look for Green to expand on those numbers this week.

Week Three Analysis: A.J. Green found himself in the end zone for the first time this season last week against the Browns. Not only that, it was Green's first touchdown since Week 13 of last season, we he hit the rookie wall. His lack of end zone dances wasn't due to a lack of opportunity as Green was targeted eight or more times in seven of his last eight games. This week he faces off against a Redskins defense that just lost two of their best players, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker, for the season. That doesn't bode well for a secondary that allowed Danny Amendola to grab 15 catches for 160 yards last week.

Week Two Analysis: The Browns' secondary was solid despite giving up 306 yards in Week 1. Michael Vick needed 56 pass attempts to accomplish that yardage and Joe Haden and company picked off Vick four times. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Joe Haden starts his four-week suspension this week, taking the strongest piece out of a solid defensive backfield. I think I can hear A.J. Green singing show tunes somewhere, because no one can be happier than Green right now. While Green posted some decent numbers against the Browns last year, people need to remember that his only catch in last year's season opener against the Browns was a 41-yard touchdown off of a tipped ball and that he only had four total receptions in two games versus Cleveland. An absence of Haden will surely boost Green's reception totals, and Andy Dalton's confidence in letting the ball fly.

Week One Analysis: While A.J. Green may have been one of the darlings of your draft, we're in the real fantasy world now, and this is a serious matchup! While Green put up consistent numbers last season, his one matchup against the Ravens yielded one of his worst performances. With only had two catches for 26 yards against Baltimore, his worst performance of the year.. Last season Baltimore did not allow any games in which there were two wide receiver touchdowns and they allowed only four wide receivers to top the 100-yard mark) which I guess you could say is a silver lining on Green's dark cloud matchup.

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