Steelers vs. Redskins: fantasy outlook
By Remy Retro
The Steelers 2016 season gets under way on Monday night with Pittsburgh travelling to meet the Washington Redskins.
The 2016 preseason provided an extremely small sample size of what the offense will look like this year, but it clearly showed that with Ben Roethlisberger under center the ball will be moved through the air with relative ease.
The “Killer B’s” as they were colorfully dubbed last season look like a real threat to opposing defences, and when all in the lineup are pretty much a must-start each and every week.
Of course fans will have to wait until Week 4 for the talented trio to be on the field together, but in the meantime, there is no reason that DeAngelo Williams shouldn’t do a fine job filling in at running back as he did a season ago.
The Steelers’ fantasy landscape does change with the loss of Heath Miller to retirement and Martavis Bryant to suspension. Bryant was player I had listed as one to keep at the conclusion of last season, however, circumstance makes him unusable this year.
Fantasy fans like Steeler fans were excited about the addition of Ladarius Green in the off-season. However, injuries are keeping him off the field and most likely off of your squad, for now. That being said, there will still be some other players that can help you week to week.
Must Starts: Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, DeAngelo Williams
The opener is Monday night in primetime, and the Steelers will look to start strong while on the road. The offense should be in the no-huddle a lot and I wouldn’t leave any of these three on my bench.
Former Carolina Panther Josh Norman will be covering Antonio Brown. He had one heck of a matchup with Odell Beckham last season. But I do not believe he will be able to get under Brown’s skin as he did the Giants’ receiver.
Might’s: Eli Rogers, Jesse James
Eli Rogers is a quick, shifty slot receiver who is comfortable with Roethlisberger. This will be his first real game as a Steeler and he may turn out to be a special player this year.
James could have 4-6 catches underneath where the Washington defense was not good last season, and is a red-zone threat with his size.
Misses: Steelers Defense/Special Teams
While I think the offense should come out humming in the opener, the defense is a far bigger question mark. Much like last year, I think they will take time to gel as a unit.