Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football: Start ’em/Sit ’em vs the Saints
By Dan Gilliam
Fantasy football season is nearly over, and if you’re panicking over last minute decisions, check out these players in the Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints matchup.
The stakes are very high this Sunday as the Steelers meet the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints, with the best record in the NFL, will secure the number one seed in the NFC plus home-field advantage with a win. The Steelers need this win to help their cause to remain in the playoff hunt as they only possess a half-game lead over the Ravens in the AFC North. If you need to know who to start and sit then here are my Steelers vs Saints start and sit recommendations for the game.
Start
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger – Big Ben has been solid all year and has thrown 2 TD passes all but twice since week 8. In those other games, he threw 5 TDs (week 10) and only 1 in week 12. He did have 462 yards passing though in that game.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara – In PPR scoring Kamara is gold but he had been held under 20 points the last few games until he scored 23 last week. He is a threat every time he touches the ball to score even though he shares opportunities with Mark Ingram his volume is still very high. Start him with confidence.
Jaylan Samuels – Conner has been ruled out so Samuels will get most of the work. He rushed for 142 yards last week and is used out of the backfield as a receiver so I am expecting RB 2 numbers.
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas – He has developed into one of the best WRs in only his second season but his fantasy production has been a little inconsistent this year. The Saints offensive struggles have really hurt Thomas, as well as the inability of another WR option to take the pressure off. The last three games he has had at least 8 targets.
Antonio Brown – The best WR in the NFL should never sit. The last two games were under 15 PPR points but the game before that he had 31. I expect him to have a big game, Brown is third in the NFL in targets.
JuJu Smith Schuster – He has really come into the limelight this year and is fifth in the NFL in targets. In the last 4 games, he has scored 30+ point games TWICE. Juju has been listed as questionable to make sure he is active before you hit submit for Sunday.
Sit
Drew Brees – I know that you think I am crazy but I don’t trust Brees. In the last three games, he hasn’t thrown for more than 203 yards and has an INT in every game. I can’t trust him if I am fighting for a championship.
Tight ends for both squads – I am not recommending to play the Steelers TE Vance McDonald or Ben Watson for the Saints. I would not suggest it in your title game but if I had to start one I would choose McDonald.
Mark Ingram – In the last four games, he has not scored over 12 PPR points.
Saints WR not named Michael Thomas – I mentioned this above but the Saints have not had consistent production from their WRs besides Thomas.
Steelers Defense – They are so up and down it is hard to know which unit will show up. I don’t trust them even against a struggling Saints offense and they are not getting the turnovers that would be a good option to start them.
Saints Defense – They are on a tear and since week 9 they have not allowed more than 17 points. I still don’t suggest them against a really good Steelers offense.
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This contest is pitting my two Super Bowl picks against each other and I think it will be a highly entertaining game. The fact that it also sports two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks even adds to the intrigue. If both teams play to their potential, this might be a real barn-burner. I wish you luck in your fantasy championship, I hope this article helps you bring home the trophy.