Playing in his fewest games since 2010, a litany of injuries threw
a wrench into what could have been a truly remarkable fantasy season
for Big Ben. Oddly enough, despite finishing 21st overall in quarterback
scoring, Roethlisberger scored the same exact points-per-game (23.6)
last year as he did during his top-5 season in 2014. Injuries and
subsequent missed games have been a hallmark of Ben’s career.
During his impressive 12-year career he has only played a full 16
games just three times. Luckily for fantasy owners, Roethlisberger
is also one of the toughest guys in the league, able to shrug off
injuries and play at an elite level even in pain and discomfort.
His game, and stature in the pocket make him a candidate for big
hits, and his size and bravery in the pocket often lead to lower
leg injuries. In an effort to be more agile, Ben has worked hard
this offseason to shed weight and be lighter on his feet.
What helps maintain Roethlisberger’s elite fantasy value is the
draw dropping arsenal of skill players at his disposal. A healthy
Le’Veon Bell, and an always motivated Antonio Brown give Big Ben
a duo of all-pros to funnel the offense through. The year-long suspension
of supremely talented Martavis
Bryant will certainly be a blow, but Roethlisberger had over
700 yards passing and 4 touchdowns in two games without him early
in the year and the addition of Ladarius Green, and development
of Sammie Coates should certainly help offset the loss. With an
aggressive play caller in Todd Haley, and a goal of 30 ppg for the
offense, Roethlisberger should again be in line for a top-10 fantasy
season as long as he remains upright for 15-plus games.
RB Le’Veon
Bell (2015 RB Rank - No.47 14.5 FPts/G)
A lost season bookended by a suspension and a devastating knee injury
leave this former fantasy darling in an interesting place. While
his talent and dual threat role in a high powered offense gave fantasy
owners visions of Marshall Faulk, Bell could certainly be the latest
poster child for the fragility of running backs in the NFL. Injuries,
especially to knees, can turn all-pros into also-rans in short order.
Bell’s game is predicated on patience and quick twitch speed
and agility, and should he lose any measure of quickness or power
he could quickly become a fantasy cast-off.
All reports of his recovery have been positive, as earlier this
spring he tweeted a video of himself dunking a basketball in explosive
fashion. And while dunking a basketball is a far cry from outracing
linebackers, or pushing a 600 pound pile of grown men, Bell’s
rehab seems to be right on track. Bell employed some high tech medical
therapy (blood flow restriction therapy) in order to enhance the
rehab of his knee injury. A therapy originally used to treat injured
war veterans, Bell seems to be enjoying a successful return from
his torn MCL. He participated in individual drills during OTAs,
and coaches and teammates continue to expect Bell to be as good
as new come Week 1.
With the dearth of difference making dual threat running backs in
the NFL, Bell is certainly worth the risk in the 1st round of fantasy
drafts. DeAngelo Williams is sure to siphon some work away from
Bell in an effort to keep him fresh, but I haven’t seen anything
that tells me it will be enough to drop Bell from the top 5 at his
position.
Up until 2014 when Justin Forsett literally came out of nowhere
to rush for 1,200-plus yards and 8 touchdowns, I would have never
believed it possible for a running back to have a renaissance season
later in their career. Breakouts usually come from obscure young
players early in their careers, not journeymen in their 10th year.
But from out of nowhere was exactly where DeAngelo came in 2015.
Signed as veteran insurance, Williams was a more than admirable
fill-in for the suspended, and then injured Le’Veon Bell.
He rushed for the 3rd most yards, and 2nd most touchdowns in his
career, and soaked up a career high 40 receptions for 347 yards.
Williams turned out to be the ultimate handcuff for Bell owners,
as he was nearly as good as the real thing. Age, and a long recovery
from a late season foot injury are reminders that a season like
2015 is a very unlikely repeat, but Bell owners simply have to make
handcuffing Williams a priority.
We learned in 2015 that the best way to slow down Antonio Brown
was beat the heck out of his quarterbacks. In the four games played
with Michael Vick or Landry Jones as his quarterback, Brown averaged
only 4 catches a game for 58 yards and no touchdowns. In the 12
games with Roethlisberger, Brown exploded for nearly 10 catches
a game and more than 130 yards to go along with 10 total touchdowns.
While Julio Jones relies on a freakish speed/size combination, Brown
is the rare outside receiver that is under 6 feet tall. He uses
his elite speed, quickness, and agility to beat coverage and make
plays close to the line of scrimmage, as well as deep down field.
As long as Roethlisberger remains under center, Brown should challenge
the NFL record for receptions in a season. After setting career
highs in 2015 with 193 targets, 136 receptions, and 1,834 yards,
there isn’t a single receiver I’d take over Brown, and
would easily make him the first overall pick again in PPR leagues.
And the offseason all-star award goes to Sammie Coates! It seems
that on a weekly basis a coach, beat writer, or teammate is talking
up the second-year receiver from Auburn. Is the hype warranted for
a player who showed up out of shape last season, and languished
on the bench all year and only totaled 1 catch in the regular season?
This is an important question fantasy owners have to ask themselves
going into the 2016 season. On most offenses a player like Coates
doesn’t warrant much thought or discussion. But on a high powered
offense like Pittsburgh who just lost a big piece of the passing
game for the season, Coates’ role needs to be examined. While Coates
has little pro tape, and a short unassuming college resume, he offers
a ridiculous combination of size (6’1, 212) and speed (4.4). The
offseason reports of his dedication and preparation have been stellar,
but there was a ton of hype surrounding teammate Markus Wheaton
two off-seasons ago and he failed to live up to it. I really like
Coates as a late round flyer with upside.
Aside from a silly 9-catch 201-yard performance in Week 12, Markus
Wheaton was a fantasy dud for a majority of the 2015 season. With
nine 1 or 2 catch games last season, it was clear Wheaton wasn’t
a major focus of the passing game. His physical limitations don’t
make him a threat for big plays, and he’s simply best as a
slot receiver than can convert a few 3rd downs per game. Although
he did net a career high 5 touchdowns and the loss of Bryant for
the year means Wheaton moves up the depth chart, Darius Heyward-Bey
plays as a better deep threat, and second-year player Sammie Coates
offers much more upside, especially after the catch. It’s
clear the Steelers simply view Wheaton as an interchangeable piece,
and I just don’t foresee the big role ahead that would make
Wheaton fantasy relevant.
A big development has surfaced since I covered Green in a free agent
fantasy impact article earlier this spring. That development was
off-season ankle surgery that has put Green on the sideline for
OTAs and mini-camp. Not a great look for a guy coming into a complex
offense that was already having a difficult time making an impact
in the NFL over his first four seasons. Despite his seemingly yearly
quest to “break out”, Green finally finds himself in
a role he should be able to flourish in. For years the athletically
challenged Heath Miller was able to carve out 100-target, 50-catch
seasons in this offense, and one would assume those would be the
floor for Green. I’m still intrigued by Green, especially
at such a fickle fantasy position, but pay close attention to his
health, and role on the offense this summer in camp before you devote
a significant draft resource to him.
A few months ago I wouldn’t have imagined spending time covering
James. But with Ladarius Green recovering from surgery, James is
going to have a chance to show the Steelers what he brings to the
table. The 6’7 behemoth from Penn State is a gifted athlete
and would be an intriguing look should Green’s recovery not
go as planned. I wouldn’t expect a high reception volume,
but he might have some value in touchdown heavy leagues if he were
to earn starter’s playing time.
