NFL 2018: AFC North – Projected Starters – Fantasy Football

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals

QB – Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger has had an interesting offseason after the Steelers drafted his heir apparent, Mason Rudolph, in the third round. Roethlisberger has flirted with retirement in recent years so its hardly surprising that the Steelers are looking to the future. That being said, Roethlisberger has shown he still has what it takes to be top 12 QB in this league. With a wealth of weapons at his disposal, I expect Big Ben to put up solid numbers yet again.

RB1 – LeVeon Bell

LeVeon Bell is one of the best Running Backs in the league. He will dominate the backfield in touches again, with the players behind him on the depth chart getting very little action. Bell is going as one of the top 2 picks in the majority of redraft and PPR fantasy leagues this offseason. Just keep an eye on his contract situation. He is holding out of OTA’s and could be a little rusty if he doesn’t participate in preseason.

RB2 – James Conner

James Conner is nothing but a handcuff in fantasy leagues in case Bell gets injured. If he does go down with an injury, Conner could have a big season, as DeAngelo Williams had in 2015, rushing 200 times for 11 TDs. He might be worth a pick in the later rounds of drafts.

WR1 – Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown is the best Wide Receiver in football. Despite his relatively diminutive size, he has shown he can torch all of the best corners in the league. Brown consistently puts up big numbers for the Steelers and fantasy Owners. Brown is a top 6 pick in redraft leagues and could go even higher in PPR leagues. I expect him to have around 110 catches for 1600 yards and double-digit TDs.

WR2 – Juju Smith-Schuster

2017 was a breakout year for the rookie, Juju Smith-Schuster. The exciting youngster finished the season with 58 catches for 917 yards and 7 TDs. He showed his big play ability with a 97-yard touchdown against the Lions in week 8. He has quickly become Roethlisberger’s number 2 target on this team, so much so that the Steelers felt they could trade away Martavis Bryant. I expect JuJu to have a similar stat line to last season, but a 10-15 catch increase wouldn’t surprise me. That being said, his current ADP of 4.06 is still a little too high for me.

WR3 – James Washington

James Washington was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2018 draft. Washington should slot straight in as the 3rd WR in this offense. He has the chance to start opposite Brown if the Steelers decide to keep Smith-Schuster in the slot. If so, then Washington could have some value in fantasy leagues this season.

TE – Jesse James

Jesse James is likely to start the season as the Steelers number 1 Tight End. However, he will be pushed by last years acquisition Vance McDonald. Many experts have McDonald projected as the higher fantasy scorer this season, and if he gets the nod ahead of James, he could have good value in fantasy drafts.