If the point of Fantasy Football is to dominate opponents with highly productive players, there are few teams better than the Steelers. Averaging 26.4 points per game, the Steelers boasted the top receiver in any format, another receiver who finished 2015 with four 11-plus point Fantasy outings over six matchups, a quarterback with 20-plus Fantasy points in seven of 12 games and a running back group that didn't deliver a 10-point performance only three times in 16 weeks. The system works.
Everything would be perfect in Pittsburgh if none of their players were suspended. Unfortunately that's not the case - top-shelf running back Le'Veon Bell is expected to sit out the first four games of the season and Martavis Bryant, the slim-but-speedy receiver for the Steelers, is suspended for the entire 2016 season. Both were forced out after failed or missed drug tests, and in the case of Bryant it was a third failed test since entering the league.
Bryant's absence is a biggie - without him, defenses don't have to worry about the deep ball quite as much. It'll make yards after the catch less of a certainty for the Steelers and will definitely impact Ben Roethlisberger's numbers.
Bell's absence is temporary, plus the Steelers still have a reliable replacement in DeAngelo Williams, so the team can make do without him for the first four games. If Williams plays like he did in 2015, there won't be a major drop-off in numbers.
It all adds up to Fantasy owners giving Ben Roethlisberger the benefit of the doubt. Whispers about his consistency fell by the wayside when he recorded 20 or more Fantasy points in 8 of 12 games last year. His health remains a factor but with a good group of receivers, an adequate run game to balance the play calling and a schedule void of many difficult matchups, he's still in the Top 10 quarterback conversation, if not the Top 5.
Someone will get a great bargain after the 50th pick on Draft Day.
Without a suspension, or even with a small suspension, Le'Veon Bell is just too good a player to pass up. But being forced out for the equivalent of a month can't be ignored, nor can the reliability of DeAngelo Williams, nor can be the way Bell's last two seasons have ended. When he comes back in Week 5 against the Jets, Bell should be the lead back with a shot at 15 to 20 total touches, but it's not guaranteed. There's no telling how game-ready he'll be and there's no doubt Williams should still keep at least a small role in the offense, especially if he keeps up his torrid pace from last season. Throw in Bell's shaky knees and he's just too risky to take in Round 1. Some wouldn't touch him in Round 2. Round 3 is a great value but chances are someone in every league will target Bell in Round 2. That same person will likely go after Williams, but no one should assume he'll get drafted as a typical handcuff. Fantasy owners who like to wait to draft running backs will target Williams as soon as Round 7. That means if you draft Bell early you might have to burn up a Round 6 pick on Williams just to lock up the backfield. It's one worth locking up - Steelers running backs have posted 10-plus Fantasy points in 34 of their last 42 games.
The receiver best suited to capitalize from Martavis Bryant's absence is Wheaton. Talked up last season as a player to watch by several Steelers -- including Roethlisberger -- Wheaton played a lot of snaps but didn't get bombarded with targets: seven in the season opener, eight total in the three games that followed (while Bryant was suspended) and 79 for the season. What catches your eye with Wheaton is his receiving average -- 17.0 yards per catch. Catching touchdowns of 72 and 69 yards will pump that number up a lot, but it's those deep balls that Wheaton should continue to see with Bryant out of the picture. That's on top of whatever else he'll get as the No. 2 receiver. His competition for playing time are second-year wideout Sammie Coates and career underachiever Darrius Heyward-Bey. It all adds up to Wheaton as an intriguing sleeper worth a shot after Round 10.
This is one of the most intriguing players in Fantasy this summer. Green has long been a sleeper tight end in Fantasy who couldn't consistently get the targets to make him a Fantasy stalwart in San Diego. Not behind Antonio Gates, anyway. But there's no one in his way in Pittsburgh, where the other tight ends are into blocking, not catching. Green is a plus blocker, so he'll play a lot, but his ability to split the seams will appeal to Roethlisberger -- it's something he's never really had from his tight ends. It also creates another mismatch in the red zone as Green is 6-foot-6. Big Ben should love him. It's entirely possible Green doesn't just put up career-high numbers but in fact double what he did last year. That would be over 70 catches, over 850 yards and eight touchdowns. With targets up for grabs in Pittsburgh, it's possible. Green might be off the board right around 80th overall.
