The Daily Blitz: Ben Roethlisberger

Showing posts with label Ben Roethlisberger. Show all posts

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Pittsburgh Steelers Week 18 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Pittsburgh Steelers rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Average ranking: 17 (16th)
Best ranking: 16 (Multiple)
Worst ranking: 18 (Multiple)

Below you will find a Week 18 roundup for the Steelers in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 18

New Year's resolution: Figure out Ben Roethlisberger's replacement

Is it Mason Rudolph? A first-round rookie? Dare I say, Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson? With the wealth of issues to fix on the offensive line for next season, it probably isn't the latter, but the Steelers have to figure something out. With Roethlisberger prolonging his career, the Steelers have procrastinated on the quarterback succession plan, but the assignment is due. The run game also enters the offseason needing significant help for the third year in a row, but all of that starts with determining the next signal-caller. -- Brooke Pryor

NFL.com -- Rank: 18

Ben Roethlisberger was the story on Monday night at Heinz Field, but it was the Steelers' stars of today and tomorrow who kept the team's playoff hopes alive. Najee Harris ran for 188 yards and the game-sealing score, while T.J. Watt closed in on NFL history with four sacks (he has 21.5 for the season) in a 26-14 win over the Browns. That's a season sweep of Cleveland, the team that ended Pittsburgh's 2020 season in embarrassing fashion last January. Big Ben's chances of extending his career beyond Sunday ride on a win over the Ravens coupled with a Colts loss to the Jaguars.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 16

They are still alive in the playoff chase. If they beat the Ravens this week and the Jaguars beat the Colts, they are in. It's a long shot, but it's possible.

USA Today -- Rank: 16

OLB T.J. Watt doesn't get enough love. A half-dozen games with multiple sacks and 21 1/2 total in just 14 games? Reggie White-esque, the ultimate compliment.

The Athletic -- Rank: 17

Future MVP: Outside linebacker T.J. Watt may be about to win Defensive Player of the Year -- his performance Monday night against Cleveland, when he sacked Baker Mayfield FOUR times, might have sealed it. In 2022, he'll be the face of the Steelers as Pittsburgh moves into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

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Thursday, September 30, 2021

Pittsburgh Steelers Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Pittsburgh Steelers rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Average ranking: 20.8 (T-20th)
Best ranking: 20th (Multiple)
Worst ranking: 22nd (CBS Sports)

Below you will find a Week 4 roundup for the Steelers in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 21

Ben Roethlisberger's performance through three games is only surprising if you ignore his age and the offensive line's many red flags. The offense is undeniably bad, but that doesn't fall entirely on Roethlisberger. Even with his limited mobility, he is still the best quarterback on the roster, with Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins being the others. Roethlisberger has been hit 22 times in three games, and some bad passes are the result of near-constant duress or miscommunications with receivers. But the biggest indictments of his slow start are the coverage sacks and the interceptions during the loss to the Bengals. Roethlisberger has to be smarter with the football if he is going to spur an offensive turnaround. -- Brooke Pryor

NFL.com -- Rank: 20

We learned just how much T.J. Watt means to the Steelers' defense on Sunday. Pittsburgh entered its matchup against the Bengals with a sack in an NFL-record 75 straight regular season games. As Watt watched from the sideline with an injured groin, the Steelers' streak was unceremoniously halted by a pedestrian Cincinnati line that had struggled to keep Joe Burrow upright a week before against the Bears. While the defense sputtered, the offense remained stuck in neutral. This was particularly apparent on an 18-play, 88-yard, nine-minute drive that ended with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh was still down 24-10 after the Chris Boswell kick, with a chunk of the second half now lost for good. The Steelers have big problems on offense with no easy solutions.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 22

This is a bad team right now. The offense doesn't scare anybody. In fact, it's a downright mess. How did they beat the Bills?

USA Today -- Rank: 20

After a Week 1 aberration, Pittsburgh has sunk to last place in the AFC North, thanks largely to an O-line that's been as bad as forecast. Rookie RB Najee Harris is actually averaging more receiving yards (49.7) than rushing (41.0) per game.

The Athletic -- Rank: 21

Surprise! The Steelers' confidence in an aging Ben Roethlisberger was misguided. But perhaps this isn't really a surprise at all. (We watched the film of Roethlisberger's 2020 season.) Now, after a particularly futile offensive effort in a home loss to Cincinnati, the Steelers are having to answer questions about potentially benching Roethlisberger. But for who? Mason Rudolph? Dwayne Haskins? Old Ben it is, we guess.

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Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: QB Options Heading into Week 2

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be rostered in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

With that said, here are some quarterback waiver-wire options to consider heading into Week 2 (Yahoo! % rostered in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by our preference to add.]

1. Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints (44%)

Two years removed from his 2019 YOLO campaign of 5,109 yards and 30 interceptions, both of which led the NFL, Winston has begun his tenure as the Saints starting quarterback with elite efficiency. Despite what should have been a difficult matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Winston and the Saints made it look easy as he threw five (yes, five!) touchdowns on only 20 pass attempts. Obviously, his 25.0 TD% will regress. While he only threw for 148 yards, Winston also added six carries for 37 yards.

The overall talent level of the pass catchers is a concern, especially while Michael Thomas is on the PUP list. But all of their games won't be 35-point victories either, so this week could mark his season low for pass attempts in a game. Winston is in the top-15 mix the rest of the way.

2. Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (44%)

The same applies to Justin Fields, rostered in 51% of Yahoo! leagues and therefore ineligible for this post, but Lance's value increases weekly as we continue to move closer to a likely transition to the rookie as the starter. Lance took a few snaps and threw a touchdown on his only pass attempt in Week 1. Even though he gained only two yards on three carries, Lance has elite dual-threat upside that will allow him to become a weekly top-10 option once he replaces Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter.

The 49ers have a Week 6 bye, the earliest possible bye. Perhaps that makes for the most logical transition point. The only concern is the 49ers continue to employ a rotation where they use Lance on occasion, as the 49ers have one of the league's best rosters and Kyle Shanahan may prefer to keep the steady hand of a veteran quarterback until next season.

3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (39%)

Roethlisberger had a quiet Week 1 performance -- 18-of-32 for 188 yards and a score in an upset win over the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers may not lead the NFL in pass attempts again this season, but Big Ben has one of the most talented WR trios (Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster) at his disposal and he will get softer matchups coming up. The Steelers will face the Raiders, Bengals and Packers in their next three games.

4. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (7%)

While there may be no such thing as a moral victory, it surely was an impressive near comeback for the Lions on Sunday. Down big, Goff needed to sling it 57 times; only Dak Prescott (58) threw it more this week. The former No. 1 overall pick finished with week with nearly 30 fantasy points as he threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers. The Lions are going to be big underdogs most weeks (double-digit underdogs vs. GB in Week 2), which could lead to many more high-volume outings for Goff.

Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 2

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Sunday, August 29, 2021

2021 Fantasy Football Projections: Pittsburgh Steelers

Our 2021 Fantasy Football Projections will be viewable by both position and team.

Below you will find our 2021 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	604.8	390.1	4233.6	30.54	10.28	26.2	27.5	0.26	275.25
Mason Rudolph	42	25.9	281.4	1.95	0.95	4.4	5.5	0.02	17.83

Ben Roethlisberger: After re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal, Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger return one of the league's best wide receiver trios. In addition, only the one-win Jaguars (66.2%) threw it on a larger percentage of plays than the 12-win Steelers (65.48%) in 2020.

Not pushing the ball down the field the way he had in the past, Big Ben's 9.5 Y/C and 6.3 Y/A in 2020 were the lowest of his career (excluding a two-game 2019 season). Part of that was by design and The Athletic's Ed Bouchette highlights why those peripherals may be better in 2021.

Given that the Steelers used their first-round pick to draft Najee Harris, Alabama's all-time leading rusher, fantasy managers should expect a greater emphasis towards the run in 2021 even though Harris offers a three-down skill set that Roethlisberger could utilize in the passing game.

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Najee Harris	271.2	1166.2	8	53	408.6	2.6	247.58
Benny Snell	52.5	212.6	1.31	9.2	65.5	0.2	41.47
Anthony McFarland Jr.	39.4	161.5	0.85	6.7	51.9	0.3	31.59
Kalen Ballage	24.1	97.6	0.6	5.8	40.6	0.3	22.12
Derek Watt	1.1	3	0.02	1.2	9	0.1	2.52

Najee Harris: The all-time career rushing leader in Alabama history, Harris rushed for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns and added 43 receptions for 425 yards and four more scores last season. With few holes in his game, Harris will step in as a Week 1 workhorse. Given the team's propensity to feature its lead back, Harris has the chance to outperform his ADP.

Benny Snell: There is competition on the depth chart, but Snell -- or whichever back ultimately slides into the RB2 role -- would become a top waiver-wire add if Harris were to miss any time, especially given how the team historically features one back.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Diontae Johnson	88.8	973	6.9	3.3	14.9	0.02	184.71
Chase Claypool	69.3	952.7	7	10.9	35.4	0.87	180.68
JuJu Smith-Schuster	79	871.4	6.5	0	0	0	165.64
James Washington	24.1	336.4	3.3	0	0	0	65.49
Ray-Ray McCloud	15.4	151.3	0.4	4.4	33	0.09	29.07

Diontae Johnson: Tied with Davante Adams and Keenan Allen, no receiver had more games with double-digit targets than Johnson (10). The second-year receiver averaged only 10.5 Y/R, but he turned his 144 targets into 88 catches for 923 yards and five touchdowns. While he needs to cut down on the drops, Johnson should be one of the league's most-targeted wideouts in 2021 even though the team re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Chase Claypool: Claypool scored 11 touchdowns -- nine receiving and two rushing -- in the regular season and added two more receiving scores in the team's playoff loss to Cleveland. Re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal takes some steam out of Mapletron's upside in year two, but it wouldn't surprise me if he performed as the team's most productive wideout in 2021.

JuJu Smith-Schuster: After averaging 65.5 and 89.1 yards per game, respectively, in his first two seasons with the Steelers, Smith-Schuster has averaged 46.0 and 51.9 per game in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The Steelers re-signed Smith-Schuster to a one-year contract and he is a WR3 (both in fantasy and on his own team).

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	45.3	467.3	3.9	92.78
Pat Freiermuth	16	164.8	0.9	29.88
Zach Gentry	2.1	22.6	0.1	3.91

Eric Ebron: In his first season with the Steelers, Ebron finished with 56 catches for 558 yards and five touchdowns. Given the team's talented trio of wide receivers and the likelihood that the Steelers run more often in 2021, Ebron's year-over-year numbers will likely dip.

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Monday, August 9, 2021

Fantasy Football Projections 2021: Pittsburgh Steelers

Our 2021 Fantasy Football Projections will be viewable by both position and team.

Below you will find our 2021 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	604.8	390.1	4233.6	30.54	10.28	26.2	27.5	0.26	275.25
Mason Rudolph	42	25.9	281.4	1.95	0.95	4.4	5.5	0.02	17.83

Ben Roethlisberger: With Pittsburgh re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal, Roethlisberger has one of the league's best wide receiver trios at his disposal. Only the one-win Jaguars (66.2%) threw it on a larger percentage of plays than the 12-win Steelers (65.48%) in 2020, per Team Rankings.

At this stage of his career, however, he no longer pushes the ball down the field -- his 9.5 Y/C and 6.3 Y/A were the lowest of his career (excluding a two-game 2019 season). The Athletic's Ed Bouchette highlights why those peripherals may be better in 2021, but given that the Steelers used their first-round pick to draft Najee Harris, Alabama's all-time leading rusher, fantasy managers should expect a greater shift towards the run in 2021.

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Najee Harris	273.4	1175.6	8.07	53.2	419.9	2.8	251.37
Benny Snell	54.7	221.5	1.37	9.2	65.5	0.2	42.72
Jaylen Samuels	24.1	95.2	0.3	12.5	88	0.4	28.77
Anthony McFarland Jr.	35	143.5	0.47	5.2	36.1	0.1	23.98
Derek Watt	1.1	3	0.02	1	9	0.1	2.42

Benny Snell: While there is some competition on the depth chart, Snell -- or whichever back ultimately slides into the RB2 role -- would become a top waiver-wire add if the team's first-round rookie misses any time given how the team historically features one back.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Diontae Johnson	87.4	957.2	6.8	3.3	14.9	0.02	181.83
Chase Claypool	68.6	948.2	6.8	10.9	35.4	0.87	178.68
JuJu Smith-Schuster	75.9	869.1	6.5	0	0	0	163.86
James Washington	24.1	336.4	3.4	0	0	0	66.09
Ray-Ray McCloud	15.4	133.2	0.4	4.4	33	0.09	27.26

Chase Claypool: Claypool scored 11 touchdowns -- nine receiving and two rushing -- in the regular season and added two more receiving scores in the team's playoff loss to Cleveland. Re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal puts a dent into Mapletron's upside in year two, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was the team's top-producing wideout in 2021.

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	46.8	483.1	4	95.71
Pat Freiermuth	14.6	149	0.8	27
Zach Gentry	2.1	20.3	0.1	3.68

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Sunday, July 25, 2021

Fantasy Football Projections 2021: Pittsburgh Steelers

Our 2021 Fantasy Football Projections will be viewable by both position and team.

Below you will find our 2021 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	606.3	391.1	4213.8	30.62	10.31	26.3	27.6	0.26	274.73
Mason Rudolph	42.2	26.1	282.7	1.96	0.95	4.4	5.5	0.02	17.92

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Najee Harris	273.8	1163.7	8.08	53.4	418.2	2.9	250.77
Benny Snell	54.8	219.2	1.37	9.2	65.2	0.2	42.46
Jaylen Samuels	24.1	92.8	0.24	12.5	87.7	0.4	28.14
Anthony McFarland Jr.	35	141.8	0.44	5.2	36	0.1	23.62
Derek Watt	1.1	3	0.02	1	9	0.1	2.42

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Diontae Johnson	87.6	953.3	6.8	3.3	14.9	0.02	181.54
Chase Claypool	68.8	944.3	6.8	11	35.8	0.88	178.49
JuJu Smith-Schuster	75.1	854.3	6.4	0	0	0	161.38
James Washington	24.2	335	3.4	0	0	0	66
Ray-Ray McCloud	16.5	143.9	0.5	4.4	33	0.09	29.48

Chase Claypool: Claypool scored 11 touchdowns -- nine receiving and two rushing -- in the regular season and added two more receiving scores in the team's playoff loss to Cleveland. Re-signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal puts a dent into Mapletron's upside in year two, but it wouldn't surprise me if he was the team's top-producing wideout in 2021.

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	46.9	481.1	4	95.56
Pat Freiermuth	14.6	148.4	0.8	26.94
Zach Gentry	2.1	20.2	0.1	3.67

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Friday, November 20, 2020

Week 11 Fantasy Football QB Start'em, Sit'em

The decision on which player to start, or sit, largely comes down to the options on your roster (and/or possibly the players available on your league's waiver wire).

As an example, Justin Herbert is listed below as a "start" for Week 11. And I'd certainly be comfortable going into Week 11 with him as my starting quarterback.

Then again, Herbert may be a "sit" for your team.

In other words, if you own both Patrick Mahomes and Herbert, you should start Mahomes and, in turn, bench Herbert.

For a more direct answer on whether we would start Player X over Player Y, check our Week 11 Fantasy Football Rankings. Instead of making those direct comparisons, the goal here is to highlight players that we like, or dislike, for the week.

Week 11 Fantasy Football QB Start'em

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. NYJ)

Once again, Herbert appears on this list. With the exception of Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, Herbert has scored at least 21 fantasy points in all of his starts. Over his past six games, the rookie has finished no worse than the weekly QB11 and has averaged 26.66 fantasy points per game.

In all eight games this season, Herbert has either thrown for 300-plus yards and/or accounted for multiple touchdowns. Even though he threw for a season-low 187 yards last week, he threw two touchdowns and rushed for another. The strong-armed mobile quarterback has averaged 22.0 rushing yards per game and scored three rushing touchdowns this season as well.

One potential concern is game script working against Herbert's fantasy production, as the Chargers are nearly double-digit favorites. That said, few teams have a higher implied total than the Chargers this week. Meanwhile, only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than the New York Jets this season.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (at JAX)

Big Ben will face one of those three teams that have allowed more fantasy points to the position than the Jets. Like Herbert and Chargers, Roethlisberger and Steelers are double-digit favorites and have one of the week's highest implied totals. The Steelers have one of the league's better trios at wide receivers with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool all ranked inside my top-15 fantasy wide receivers for the week.

Roethlisberger started relatively slow this season with seven consecutive games finishing outside of the top 10 weekly fantasy quarterbacks. That said, he has exploited back-to-back soft matchups against the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals by throwing for 300-plus yards and three-plus touchdowns in each game.

Cam Newton, New England Patriots (at HOU)

Heading into Week 11, Newton has only two 200-yard passing games and only three passing scores this season. In fact, he has thrown more than twice as many interceptions (seven) as touchdowns this season. Even so, he has finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in three consecutive weeks, four of his past five and six of eight games this season.

One of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, it has been Newton's rushing prowess that has helped him compensate for a lack of gaudy passing statistics. Newton has rushed for nine touchdowns this season and is tied with Atlanta's Todd Gurley for third-most in the NFL. Only Dalvin Cook and Kyler Murray have more.

While the Houston Texans have been middle of the pack in limiting fantasy production of quarterbacks, they rank last in the NFL in rushing defense (167.4 YPG allowed) and YPC allowed (5.2).

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. KC)

The Raiders are on a three-game winning streak and that has led to disappointing fantasy results for Carr. In those wins, Carr has thrown 25 or fewer pass attempts with 165 passing yards or less in every game.

Before that span, however, Carr had a five-game stretch where he scored more than 20 fantasy points in four games and threw for multiple scores in all five. One of those matchups was against the Kansas City Chiefs, where the Raiders were forced to keep up with the Patrick Mahomes-led high-powered offense. In that game, Carr threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns, both of which are season highs.

Even though the matchup is difficult on paper, a rematch against the Chiefs could lead to enough volume that pushes Carr into viable streamer territory in Week 11.

Week 11 Fantasy Football QB Sit'em

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (at CLE)

Wentz ended a four-game streak of games with multiple touchdowns as he failed to throw or run for a touchdown in Week 10 against the New York Giants. Wentz now has finished as the QB24 in back-to-back performances with a total of only 331 passing yards in those two games combined. It's not a daunting matchup against the Cleveland Browns this week and a healthier supporting cast around him is certainly a positive, but he'll remain outside my top 12 looking in as long as his struggles continue.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (at BAL)

Last week, the Indianapolis Colts ended Tannehill's five-game streak with multiple touchdowns and limited last year's NFL Comeback Player of the Year to a season-low 147 passing yards. Tannehill now has thrown for 158 yards or less in back-to-back weeks.

Even though he had thrown multiple touchdowns over a five-game stretch, Tannehill now has finished outside the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks in four consecutive weeks. With another tough matchup on the horizon, Tannehill is once again outside my top-12 quarterbacks for the week.

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (at TB)

Despite a soft matchup against the Seattle Seahawks last week, Goff was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. While he threw for 302 yards, he failed to throw a touchdown and ended the week with only 10.48 fantasy points.

Since starting the season with 23-plus fantasy points in three of his first five starts, Goff now has failed to score 17 fantasy points or finish higher than QB18 in four consecutive starts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

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Saturday, September 5, 2020

Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 Fantasy Football Projections

In addition to viewing our 2020 Fantasy Football Projections by position, we will post our preseason projections per team.

Below you will find our 2020 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for all 32 NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	520.1	334.2	3926.8	26.27	11.44	29.5	82.6	0.74	251.97
Missing virtually all of 2019, Roethlisberger is a QB2 that should produce QB1-type numbers on a per-game basis. GM Kevin Colbert improved the supporting cast around him by adding Eric Ebron in free agency and Chase Claypool through the draft.
Mason Rudolph	39.1	24.2	244.4	1.74	1.13	4.2	7.6	0.04	15.48

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
James Conner	231.9	985.6	8.7	29.1	244.4	1.02	181.32
Durability is an obvious concern as Conner played in only 10 games, several of which he exited early, in 2019 and he missed three games with a high-ankle sprain towards the end of 2018. While the team drafted Anthony McFarland in the fourth round, Conner is still the team's No. 1 back. If he can stay healthy, he should outperform his current ADP.
Jaylen Samuels	48.5	169.8	0.49	35.2	242.9	1.76	54.77
Samuels finished fourth on the team in targets (57) and second in receptions (47) last year. While Benny Snell may his Conner's direct backup, Samuels should get plenty of work as a receiver out of the backfield as a change-of-pace to Conner.
Benny Snell	63.2	249.6	1.26	7.4	57	0.15	39.12
The Athletic's Mark Kaboly has called Snell the "no-doubt No. 2 behind Conner" and said that "what hasn’t been talked much about are Snell’s hands."
Anthony McFarland Jr.	40.1	168.4	0.9	4.9	36.8	0.1	26.52
Conner has struggled with durability over the past couple of seasons, but McFarland, one of the team's two fourth-round picks, appears to be behind both Conner and Snell on the depth chart to enter the season.
Derek Watt	1.1	2.4	0.04	3.2	27.2	0.03	3.38

MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster projection

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
JuJu Smith-Schuster	78.4	1023.1	6.66	0	0	0	142.27
With Ben Roethlisberger lost for nearly the entire season, Smith-Schuster struggled to get anything going and finished with career lows in receptions (3.5) and yards (46.0) per game, yards per target (7.9) and catch rate (60.0%). A healthy Big Ben will lead to improved numbers in his age-24 season but likely far less than his career-best 2018 season (111/1,426/7) when he benefited from the presence of Antonio Brown as the WR1.
Diontae Johnson	64.5	790.1	5.81	3.2	20.8	0.03	116.13
As a rookie, Johnson posted team highs in targets (92), receptions (59) and touchdowns (five) and was second in receiving yards (680) as he finished as fantasy's WR41. Even though the team drafted Chase Claypool in the second round and JuJu Smith-Schuster missed several games, Johnson should post better year-over-year numbers in his second year with the Steelers, especially if Ben Roethlisberger is able to stay healthy.
Chase Claypool	41.6	555.4	4.26	0	0	0	81.1
Claypool provides the Steelers with a physical mismatch due to his size (6'4", 238 pounds) and athleticism (4.42 forty and 40.5" vertical). While he may start out as the team's fourth receiver, it's possible that he pushes James Washington for snaps in three-wide sets. Not only are teammates calling Claypool a "PROBLEM" (in a good way), The Athletic's Mark Kaboly recently wrote that "practice after practice, the rookie is making non-rookie-like plays after running non-rookie-like routes and making non-rookie-like catches."
James Washington	30.8	446.6	2.31	0	0	0	58.52
Washington led the team in receiving yards (735), but the addition of second-rounder Chase Claypool could (eventually) bump him down to fourth amongst the team's receivers behind Smith-Schuster, Johnson and (eventually) Claypool.
Ray-Ray McCloud	1.1	10.1	0.07	0	0	0	1.43

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	41.1	464.4	3.9	0	0	0	69.84
The 10th-overall pick in 2014, Ebron is still just 27 years old and only one season removed from his career-best 66/750/13 campaign with Indianapolis (Andrew Luck) in 2018. Touchdown regression was expected in 2019, but Ebron also averaged a mere 34.1 yards per game (the lowest since his rookie season) in an injury-shortened 11-game campaign. He should be more involved as a receiver than Vance McDonald, but Ebron is better-viewed as a mid-TE2 type as he transitions to a new team and offense.
Vance McDonald	24.9	262.7	1.87	0	0	0	37.49
Zach Gentry	1.8	14.8	0.09	0	0	0	2.02

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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football Projections 2020

In addition to viewing our 2020 Fantasy Football Projections by position, we will post our preseason projections per team.

Below you will find our 2020 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for all 32 NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	520.1	334.2	3926.8	26.27	11.44	29.5	82.6	0.74	251.97
Missing virtually all of 2019, Roethlisberger is a QB2 that should produce QB1-type numbers on a per-game basis. GM Kevin Colbert improved the supporting cast around him by adding Eric Ebron in free agency and Chase Claypool through the draft.
Mason Rudolph	39.1	24.2	244.4	1.74	1.13	4.2	7.6	0.04	15.48

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
James Conner	212.9	904.8	7.98	28	235.2	0.98	167.76
Durability is an obvious concern as Conner played in only 10 games, several of which he exited early, in 2019 and he missed three games with a high-ankle sprain towards the end of 2018. While the team drafted Anthony McFarland in the fourth round, Conner is still the team's No. 1 back. If he can stay healthy, he should outperform his current ADP.
Jaylen Samuels	50.6	177.1	0.51	35.2	242.9	1.76	55.62
Samuels finished fourth on the team in targets (57) and second in receptions (47) last year, but The Athletic's Ed Bouchette left him off his 53-man roster projection.
Anthony McFarland Jr.	84.3	354.1	1.9	9.8	73.5	0.2	55.36
Conner has struggled with durability over the past couple of seasons and McFarland has the potential to carve out a role where he's the second-most productive of the team's backs.
Benny Snell	33.7	131.4	0.59	2.1	16.2	0.04	18.54
Derek Watt	1.1	2.4	0.04	3.2	27.2	0.03	3.38

MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster projection

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
JuJu Smith-Schuster	77.5	1011.4	6.59	0	0	0	140.68
With Ben Roethlisberger lost for nearly the entire season, Smith-Schuster struggled to get anything going and finished with career lows in receptions (3.5) and yards (46.0) per game, yards per target (7.9) and catch rate (60.0%). A healthy Big Ben will lead to improved numbers in his age-24 season but far less than his career-best 2018 season (111/1,426/7) when he benefited from the presence of Antonio Brown as the WR1.
Diontae Johnson	64.5	790.1	5.81	3.2	20.8	0.03	116.13
As a rookie, Johnson posted team highs in targets (92), receptions (59) and touchdowns (five) and was second in receiving yards (680) as he finished as fantasy's WR41. Even though the team drafted Chase Claypool in the second round and JuJu Smith-Schuster missed several games, Johnson should post better year-over-year numbers in his second year with the Steelers, especially if Ben Roethlisberger is able to stay healthy.
Chase Claypool	39.9	532.7	4.09	0	0	0	77.81
Claypool provides the Steelers with a physical mismatch due to his size (6'4", 238 pounds) and athleticism (4.42 forty and 40.5" vertical). While he may start out as the team's fourth receiver, it's possible that he pushes James Washington for snaps in three-wide sets. Not only are teammates calling Claypool a "PROBLEM" (in a good way), The Athletic's Mark Kaboly recently wrote that "practice after practice, the rookie is making non-rookie-like plays after running non-rookie-like routes and making non-rookie-like catches."
James Washington	30.8	446.6	2.31	0	0	0	58.52
Washington led the team in receiving yards (735), but the addition of second-rounder Chase Claypool could (eventually) bump him down to fourth amongst the team's receivers behind Smith-Schuster, Johnson and (eventually) Claypool.
Ryan Switzer	4.2	27.3	0.13	2.1	6.3	0.02	4.26
Deon Cain	1.8	22	0.09	0	0	0	2.74

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	40.3	455.4	3.83	0	0	0	68.52
The 10th-overall pick in 2014, Ebron is still just 27 years old and only one season removed from his career-best 66/750/13 campaign with Indianapolis (Andrew Luck) in 2018. Touchdown regression was expected in 2019, but Ebron also averaged a mere 34.1 yards per game (the lowest since his rookie season) in an injury-shortened 11-game campaign. He should be more involved as a receiver than Vance McDonald, but Ebron is better-viewed as a mid-TE2 type as he transitions to a new team and offense.
Vance McDonald	24.9	262.7	1.87	0	0	0	37.49
Zach Gentry	1.8	14.8	0.09	0	0	0	2.02

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Monday, August 17, 2020

Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football Projections 2020

In addition to viewing our 2020 Fantasy Football Projections by position, we will post our preseason projections per team.

Below you will find our 2020 fantasy football projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for all 32 NFL teams

QUARTERBACKS

Player	Att.	Comp.	Yards	TD	INT	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Ben Roethlisberger	517.3	332.4	3905.6	26.12	11.38	29.5	82.6	0.74	250.64
Missing virtually all of 2019, Roethlisberger is a high-end QB2 that could produce QB1-type numbers on a per-game basis. GM Kevin Colbert improved the supporting cast around him by adding Eric Ebron in free agency and Chase Claypool through the draft.
Mason Rudolph	41.9	26	261.9	1.86	1.22	4.2	7.6	0.04	16.48

RUNNING BACKS

Player	Att.	Yards	TD	Rec.	Yards	TD	Points
James Conner	177.1	752.7	6.64	25.8	216.7	0.9	142.18
Durability is an obvious concern as Conner played in only 10 games, several of which he exited early, in 2019 and he missed three games with a high-ankle sprain towards the end of 2018. While the team drafted Anthony McFarland in the fourth round, Conner is still the team's No. 1 back, but it's likely to be more of a committee backfield even if Conner stays healthy.
Jaylen Samuels	67.5	236.3	0.68	37.5	258.8	1.88	64.87
Anthony McFarland Jr.	94.9	398.6	2.14	9.8	73.5	0.2	61.25
Benny Snell	42.2	164.6	0.74	2.1	16.2	0.04	22.76
Derek Watt	1.1	2.4	0.04	3.2	27.2	0.03	3.38

MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers 53-man roster projection

WIDE RECEIVERS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
JuJu Smith-Schuster	77.5	1011.4	6.59	0	0	0	140.68
With Ben Roethlisberger lost for nearly the entire season, Smith-Schuster struggled to get anything going and finished with career lows in receptions (3.5) and yards (46.0) per game, yards per target (7.9) and catch rate (60.0%). A healthy Big Ben will lead to improved numbers in his age-24 season but far less than his career-best 2018 season (111/1,426/7) when he benefited from the presence of Antonio Brown as the WR1.
Diontae Johnson	64.5	790.1	5.81	3.2	20.8	0.03	116.13
As a rookie, Johnson posted team highs in targets (92), receptions (59) and touchdowns (five) and was second in receiving yards (680) as he finished as fantasy's WR41. Even though the team drafted Chase Claypool in the second round and JuJu Smith-Schuster missed several games, Johnson should post better year-over-year numbers in his second year with the Steelers, especially if Ben Roethlisberger is able to stay healthy.
Chase Claypool	36.6	483.1	3.66	0	0	0	70.27
Claypool provides the Steelers with a physical mismatch due to his size (6'4", 238 pounds) and athleticism (4.42 forty and 40.5" vertical). While he likely will start out as the team's fourth receiver, it's possible that he pushes James Washington for snaps in three-wide sets.
James Washington	30.8	446.6	2.31	0	0	0	58.52
Washington led the team in receiving yards (735), but the addition of second-rounder Chase Claypool could (eventually) bump him down to fourth amongst the team's receivers behind Smith-Schuster, Johnson and (eventually) Claypool.
Ryan Switzer	5.3	34.5	0.16	2.1	6.3	0.02	5.16
Deon Cain	1.8	22	0.09	0	0	0	2.74

TIGHT ENDS

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD	Points
Eric Ebron	41.1	464.4	3.9	0	0	0	69.84
The 10th-overall pick in 2014, Ebron is still just 27 years old and only one season removed from his career-best 66/750/13 campaign with Indianapolis (Andrew Luck) in 2018. Touchdown regression was expected in 2019, but Ebron also averaged a mere 34.1 yards per game (the lowest since his rookie season) in an injury-shortened 11-game campaign. He should be more involved as a receiver than Vance McDonald, but Ebron is better-viewed as a mid-TE2 type as he transitions to a new team and offense.
Vance McDonald	25.8	272.2	1.94	0	0	0	38.86
Zach Gentry	2.7	22.1	0.14	0	0	0	3.05

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Thursday, January 6, 2022

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Sunday, August 29, 2021

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Monday, August 9, 2021

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Sunday, July 25, 2021

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Friday, November 20, 2020

Week 11 Fantasy Football QB Start'em

Week 11 Fantasy Football QB Sit'em

Saturday, September 5, 2020

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Wednesday, August 26, 2020

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Monday, August 17, 2020

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