It was a sad year for Steelers fantasy owners
By Tommy Jaggi
There were high hopes for Pittsburgh fantasy players this season, but here’s why most Steelers ended up being irrelevant in fantasy football.
Just last season, Steelers offensive players were the kings of fantasy football. Ben Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown were in the top 10 in both receiving yards and receptions, and James Conner had a breakout season. Even Vance McDonald had fantasy relevance.
However, it crazy how fast things can change. In just one season’s time, all of the aforementioned players have been completely irrelevant on fantasy squads this season.
A team lives and dies by the quarterback position, and the same is to be said for fantasy purposes. When Big Ben went down for the season with an elbow injury back in Week 2 against Seattle, it not only halted his production, but it had a ripple effect on players throughout the team.
JuJu and Conner have been the biggest disappointments this year. While both players have missed significant time with injuries this season, neither has been half as efficient when called upon in 2019.
JuJu remarkably managed 111 catches for 1,426 yards and 7 touchdowns last year when Ben and Brown were in the lineup. However, that production was more than cut in half this season. Some believed JuJu would lead the league in receiving this year, but even before the injuries, he was on pace for a very modest season.
Conner was the same way. After compiling nearly 1,000 yards and 12 on the ground to go with his 55 catches and 497 yards through the air, James Conner was expected to have another very good season. However, with Ben out of the game, teams were able to stack the box against the Steelers. As a result, the 2018 Pro Bowl running back hasn’t been nearly as effective.
Vance McDonald was another player who many expected to have the best year of his career. Though he played just over 50 percent of the Steelers snaps in 2018, Jesse James recently left to join the Detriot Lions, and many thought Vance would see an uptick in targets. But with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at the helm for most of the season, McDonald has seen significantly fewer looks and his on track to finish with under 10 yards per catch for the first time in his NFL career.
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Things could bounce back for fantasy owners next season. With Roethlisberger set to return and James Washington and Diontae Johnson becoming viable flex options in deeper leagues, perhaps 2020 will be a year worth owning a Steelers fantasy player.