Pittsburgh Steelers Daily Fantasy Team Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total – 8.5

The Steelers came back from a 3-3 start in 2014 to finish 11-5 and win the AFC North on the back of impressive seasons by Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Despite huge seasons by their big trio, they managed to have just the 12^th-best offense in the NFL and scored just 20.3 points per game. Either Brown or Bell led the team in receiving yards in every single game, and the main issue with the Steelers was the lack of a consistent third weapon for QB Ben Roethlisberger. Coming into the 2015 season, this is a team with high hopes, but they are still mired in a tough division with Cincinnati and Baltimore. There are some weapons who may emerge in the upcoming season in Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant, as well as newly-drafted Sammie Coates. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, star RB Le'Veon Bell has been suspended for the first 3 games of the 2015 season, and DeAngelo Williams looks to be the most likely to step into the starting role in his absence.

Impact Fantasy Players

Antonio Brown – Depending on who you ask, Brown is arguably the most consistent WR in the entire NFL. Last season, he hauled in 129 balls on 182 targets for a whopping 1,698 yards and 13 scores. Not only did Brown best the 100 yard mark 9 times last season, he didn't have a single game with less than 72 yards receiving. You can't be much more consistent than he was in 2014. He is an elite talent and has proven to be a handful for any defense, as evidenced by the fact that there wasn't a single team that slowed him down during last year's campaign.

Football Outsiders (FO) ranked him as the #1 wide receiver last year in terms of DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement), and it wasn't even close (554 to Jordy Nelson's 487). He also caught a whopping 71% of balls thrown his direction, a number that was only below Emmanuel Sanders and Randall Cobb, who were both at 72%.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) Brown also tied with Jordy Nelson with the 7^th-highest YPPR (yards per route run) among all receivers with 2.66.

Le'Veon Bell – Bell single-handedly carried not only the Steelers, but many DFS teams to victory in 2014 with incredible performances. He totaled 254 yards and a score against New Orleans in Week 13, then followed it up with a 235 yard and 3 score performance against Cincinnati. These performances were key to leading the Steelers to the AFC North crown, and his presence will be sorely missed by the Steelers in the first 3 weeks.

Football Outsiders ranked him 5^th among all running backs with a 205 DYAR in 2014, and PFF still has him ranked as the top overall RB option, despite the suspension to kick off this season. He is an elite talent who should have little trouble stepping back in and replicating his impressive 4.7 YPC, which was among the league leaders in 2014. His 2,216 yards from scrimmage was second only to DeMarco Murray, and was also the 22^nd highest in NFL history.

Impact Fantasy Rookies

Sammie Coates – In his final 2 seasons at Auburn, Coates totaled 76 catches for 1,643 yards and 11 TD and could become an instant spark for this Steelers offense. Martavis Bryant emerged with 8 TD grabs last season, but only finished with 31 catches, including the playoffs. The Steelers need a consistent option opposite Brown this season, and if Bryant struggles, Coates may get the promotion into his spot and be a benefactor of some of Roethlisberger's 8.14 YPA. Only 3 QB attempted more passes than Big Ben last season, so there is plenty to go around for the rookie to get involved.

Storylines

Obviously the biggest storyline for the Steelers coming into 2015 is Bell's suspension, but there will be a lot of new faces on the defensive end. Long-time Steelers S Troy Polamalu, LB Jason Worilds and Ike Taylor retired in the offseason, and the team releases DE Brett Keisel. Replacing this veteran leadership may prove to be tough for a defense that ranked 18^th in the NFL and allowed 23 points per game in 2014.

Staying afloat while Bell sits out will be key to the Steelers' ability to return to the postseason in 2015. They are hoping that newly drafted Bud Dupree and Doran Grant can shore up some issues on the defensive end and bring the black and gold defense back to being the feared defense of the past.

Stock Watch

Up – Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger is far from an unknown, but he has been an inconsistent DFS quarterback at times. Despite throwing for 4,952 yards and 32 TD last season, Big Ben had 7 games with less than 300 yards passing. In Weeks 8-9, he totaled 862 yards and 12 TD against the Colts and Ravens. He has significant upside, and should provide a ton of value in the early going with Bell on the sideline. Expect him to air it out in Weeks 1-3 especially.

Down – Martavis Bryant

Not that Bryant is incapable of having a big season, but with just 26 regular season catches, he is in danger of losing some targets to newcomer Sammie Coates. Bryant showed some inconsistencies at times last season, which made him a tough player to roster in DFS. It will be interesting to watch how involved he is in the offense in the preseason and to begin the year, especially now that he has Coates and newcomer Darius Heyward-Bey battling for targets.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

We all know the story with Antonio Brown by now. He may just be the most consistent WR in all of football, and has elite upside to boot. Ben Roethlisberger is capable of taking over a game at any time, and he is an elite option in your DFS tournaments. Le'Veon Bell is also an elite option at RB, but as mentioned earlier, will miss the first 3 weeks of the season due to a suspension. If you're playing a season-long league, don't let him fall too far. Despite the suspension, he still has tremendous value.

As far as the fringe options go, Martavis Bryant, Sammie Coates and DeAngelo Williams (while Bell is out) are intriguing options. It remains to be seen how the offense will run without their top playmaker, but these guys are worth a look in the meantime, since there will be plenty of touches to go around.