Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football: Start ’em/Sit ’em vs the Falcons

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an off and on fantasy football season, but Week 5 brings lots of potential to your lineup.

Quarterback:

Ben Roethlisberger: Start

Ben Roethlisberger did not play particularly well last week. I think he should bounce back this week. The Atlanta Falcons defense is incredibly banged up right now dealing with a ton of injuries, and can’t really slow anyone down right now. Matt Ryan and the offense are clicking, however, leading me to expect a shootout against a Steelers defense that has been underwhelming so far. The Steelers are going to have to score a lot to win this game which bodes well for Big Ben’s fantasy production.

Running Back:

Le’Veon Bell: Sit

Bell said he is coming back after the bye week. He might have a chance to actually become fantasy relevant sometime this season.

James Conner: Start

Conner is another guy who should benefit from a defense absolutely decimated by injuries. The Falcons linebackers have been hit hard by the injury bug and one of their best run defenders, Grady Jarrett has already been ruled out for the game. The Steelers offense has gone away from running the football in recent weeks. Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner has stated that he plans to fix that immediately. Look for Conner to have a solid game this week.

Wide Receiver

Antonio Brown: Start

Antonio Brown hasn’t had any of the huge games you expect from him yet, but he has still been very productive. Even in weeks where he is a disappointment he still scores in the top twenty of all wide receivers. AB is a must-start every week, especially this one in a game that will likely involve a lot of offense and scoring.

JuJu Smith-Schuster: Start

JuJu had a down week against the Ravens last week. I expect him to be a very strong option again this week. He has developed a very strong connection with Ben Roethlisberger this season and has seen a ton of volume in Randy Fitchner’s offense. In a game where all signs point to high fantasy point totals JuJu is definitely a player, you want on your team.

James Washington: Sit

I am leaving Washington as a sit this week because I don’t think he is a consideration in standard ten team leagues. I can see him being an option as a flyer in deeper, larger leagues. In this game, I can see a possibility for Washington to surprise as a flex for a team with injury or bye week issues.

Ryan Switzer: Sit

The jack of all trades is receiving more and more attention in the Steelers offense. I really like what Switzer brings to the team but I don’t see him as much of a fantasy option in most leagues. He could be a flex play in a deep league for someone looking for a flyer but I think that James Washington has more upside in that role.

Tight End

Vance McDonald: Start

McDonald is finally starting to separate himself as the lead pass-catching tight end on this team. He is not being asked to block very frequently and is being used as a receiver a lot more. He has had solid volume for the past few weeks and that should only improve this week against a beat-up Falcons linebacker group.

Jesse James: Sit

Jesse James seems to be losing out to Vance McDonald for the Steelers tight end targets. His week two explosion makes his point totals look a lot more favorable than they actually are. I would prefer to have Vance McDonald on my roster going forward.