Steelers vs. Saints: Fantasy Outlook

The Steelers are coming off of a much needed bye week; here is a quick look at the  fantasy implications of their matchup against the Saints.

This will be the Saints’ third game against an AFC North opponent in three weeks. The first two did not go the Saints’ way. Particularly, the Saints struggled with the powerful running games of the Bengals and Ravens.

The Bengals’ Jeremy Hill and the Ravens’ Justin Forsett combined for three hundred thirty-two yards rushing against the Saints during the last two games. This bodes well for Le’Veon Bell.

Before the bye week, Bell had the best performance of his short career, rushing for over two hundred yards against the Titans.

Look for the elite running back to continue his stellar work against the struggling Saints. Especially without the services of LeGarrette Blount, the Steelers will rely heavily on Bell.

The starting wide receivers that have gone up against the Saints have fared well. Torrey Smith, A.J. Green, and Anquan Boldin have all put in good performances in each of their matchups against the Saints.

Antonio Brown should have no trouble creating some opportunities for himself. Week in and week out, Brown proves that he is one of the best at what he does.

Brown and Bell look to help Ben Roethlisberger maintain his impressive home numbers. Big Ben has been great at home so far this year, and an extra week of preparation should make an impact.

Across from Ben, Drew Brees is playing well in his own right. The two quarterbacks have very similar numbers, and Brees is having a good season despite his team’s struggles.

The Steelers might be getting back some key defenders, but going up against Brees and his go to target, Jimmy Graham, could still prove a difficult task.

As with most of the matchups so far, I would stay away from the defenses here.