Le'Veon Bell was atop my Fantasy rankings before word came out that he was appealing a three-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy.

And he still is. For now.

The NFL appeals process has worked out for Fantasy owners before. Remember when Ben Roethlisberger once appealed a suspension and had it knocked down a couple of games? Or when Richard Sherman had his suspension completely thrown out? Let's be patient -- none of us are drafting anytime soon anyway.

That said, it does seem like some sort of suspension for Bell is likely. Might be one game (like former teammate LeGarrette Blount got), might be two games.

So what if he is? Would you completely rule him out as a first-round pick because you won't be able to start the season with him? Or, would you be accepting and still take him because of his potential?

If it's me, I'm still taking him -- even if it's at No. 1 overall -- provided that I know who will start in his place, where I can draft him and that I like the matchups he'll play in.

We don't know the Steelers schedule yet but we do know that DeAngelo Williams was signed this offseason, presumably to start in Bell's place. Obviously they're not the same kind of player but Williams is capable of handling around 15 carries in a game with some catches mixed in. He won't do what Bell could do -- Bell is faster and nimbler -- but he could certainly find the end zone and potentially average a decent number of yards per touch along the way.

The schedule is a factor, too. We'll start Bell against anyone in football but if the Steelers wind up with a tough start to the season, then Williams won't be very good. If the matchups aren't so bad, then Williams should be okay. Point of reference: The Steelers play two games each against AFC North division rivals and one game each against the AFC West, NFC West, Colts and Patriots.

Maybe that will tip your scales away from drafting Bell.

Another big problem is that everyone will know about Bell's suspension and view Williams as a short-term fix at running back. Those owners who wait for rushers will keep an eye out for Williams because they can begin the season with him as a starter and then find someone off waivers to plug in once Bell is allowed to play. And they won't have any problem taking him in Round 9 or later.

Which is why if you commit to taking Bell, you must also commit to taking Williams somewhere between Rounds 7 and 8. And it's never fun to commit two picks to one spot in your lineup.

So there's a lot riding against Bell, but we've been in situations like this before. Josh Gordon was once suspended for a pair of games to start a season and Fantasy owners punted on him because of it. He went on to score more Fantasy points that any other receiver, posting 10-plus Fantasy points in 10 of 14 games.

Great Fantasy players deliver no matter who they play or who they play with, and Bell qualifies as one of those greats. He has hit the 10-plus mark in 21 of his last 26 games. Even with the suspension and the schedule being what it is, are you sure you want to give up on a player who delivers quality numbers over 80 percent of the time?