Steelers fantasy football: Players to start or sit in Week 8

James Washington

Verdict: Sit ’em

While Johnson’s return was positive, it also led to the reduction of play from James Washington. While not the top option in the passing game, he benefits from being a great third option and one that can win deep. With Johnson returning though, that meant fewer snaps for Washington as the Steelers wanted to get Claypool on the field more.

It was evident early on that he is the odd man out here, and by the end of the game, his usage furthered that idea. In all, he saw 18 snaps for the offense. To put this in perspective, his lowest snap count before this was week two due when he only played 48 snaps. That means his snap counts were effectively halved with the Steelers receiver unit being fully healthy.

Given his decreasing role and the fact that he is most effective as a deep threat, and it seems clear that Washington is trending down for the Steelers. He has obvious talent, but he is going to see less and less playing time for the Steelers as the year goes on. Unless an injury occurs, Washington is the odd man out in this passing offense and should be completely off your starting spots as a result.

While owners set their lineups this week, keep these Steelers and Ravens options in mind as they could make or break your fantasy week. This game can result in a lot of fantasy points, so keep these players in mind heading into the week.