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Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst is looking solid this season. The Bengals have used him as their TE1 in all eight games. Cincinnati are playing their Week 9 game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Like every game this season, Hurts will once again start for the Bengals.
The NFL is in its ninth week and many fantasy football managers are in tricky situations as six teams have byes. In the preceding eight weeks, several athletes have failed to live up to expectations or have suffered season-ending injuries.
After eight weeks, Cincinnati are 4-4 and will be hoping for a dominant performance against the 2-6 Panthers. The Bengals suffered a 13-32 loss to the Cleveland Browns last week and need to put that behind them here. Hayden Hurst recorded four receptions from four targets for 42 yards in the defeat. He has had an okay season so far, starting all eight games and recording 33 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase has been ruled out of the Week 9 game, which could see Hurst getting more attention from Joe Burrow. Hurst hasn't scored a touchdown in his last three games, but that could change here. He ended last season with 38 fantasy points, thus earning an average of 2.9 fantasy points per game. This year looks different, and although Hurst seems to have a low ceiling, his floor is higher than that of most other tight ends.
If you have him on your fantasy roster, then you should start him this week. Unless you have Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce, of course. The Bengals have a good chance of winning the game and putting up big points. Hurst could be the ideal TE to help you through this week with so many teams on their byes.
Hayden Hurst's timeline
Hayden Hurst is playing his fifth season in the NFL and first with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started his NFL journey with the Baltimore Ravens when they drafted him in the first round (25th overall) in 2018. He played two seasons with the Ravens, where he started four of the 28 games he featured in. He recorded 33 receptions for 512 yards in those two seasons.
In 2020, he signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons and played two seasons with them. Last season, he appeared in 13 games, while recording 26 receptions for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He was acquired by the Bengals this offseason and has played eight games so far, recording 33 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
Hayden Hurst will look to cement his spot as the starting tight end for the Bengals for years to come. If he is to do so, he will need to record some big numbers in the remainder of this campaign.
