The Steelers fell flat this week against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they did still have some players produce solid fantasy performances.
Going into this week many would have expected the Steelers to score more points on the offensive side of the ball due to the fact that the Raiders have been known for not being the strongest defensive unit in recent years. However, the Raiders defense has looked like a different unit thus far this year, and the Steelers found this out the hard way.
While the team as a whole struggled to get things going, the Steelers did have a few standout performers this week, while many offensive players did not live up to expectations.
Three Steelers award fantasy owners in Week 2
Diontae Johnson missed some time due to injury during the game, however, he received 12 targets, and turned those targets into nine receptions for 105 yards. His game was highlighted by a 41-yard reception down the sideline and helped him get a total of 19.5 PPR points. However, Johnson did get hurt on the final play of the game, so his status will be worth monitoring throughout the week.
As for Juju Smith-Schuster, despite only having 41 yards receiving, his target share continues to make him valuable in PPR leagues, as he tallied six receptions. Smith-Schuster added a three-yard rushing touchdown to give him 16.4 points in PPR formats.
Despite a continued pattern of clogged running lanes, Najee Harris also contributed a solid fantasy day in PPR formats. He tallied 38 yards rushing, five receptions, 43 yards receiving, and a receiving touchdown. That stat line gave Harris a total of 19.1 points in PPR leagues.
Roethlisberger lays another fantasy dud
For the second straight game, Ben Roethlisberger failed to reach 300 yards passing and only threw a single touchdown. He also added an interception this week, while only scoring 14.8 fantasy points. At this point in his career, Roethlisberger can’t be relied upon as a consistent starting fantasy quarterback.
As for the tight end position, Eric Ebron’s days as an ownable fantasy tight end seem numbered. Between drops, inefficient play, and the emergence of Pat Freiermuth, it seems it’s only a matter of time before Freiermuth completely takes over the reins as the number one tight end. Freiermuth caught all four of his targets for 36 yards, while Ebron failed to bring either of his two targets. Look for Freiermuth’s role in the offense to continue to grow as the season goes along while becoming increasingly fantasy relevant. Meanwhile, Ebron looks to be a touchdown-dependent play in fantasy at this stage in his career.
The Steelers will look to turn things around this week at home against the Bengals and get back above .500. Roethlisberger and company will look to get things clicking on the offensive side of the ball against their divisional foes.