It's draft time for the 2018 Fantasy Football season, and we've got a look at which Pittsburgh Steelers should be drafted, and which should be avoided if you're planning to take home the championship.
For this list, we looked at ESPN's Top 300 PPR fantasy players on Aug. 20. The number rankings are likely to change as preseason continues. We will update this story if any of the listed players are impacted by an injury.
1 - Le'Veon Bell:
Bell had more than 400 touches (rushing attempts and receptions) in 2017 which produced nearly 2,000 total yards and 11 TD, and for that reason alone he's more than worthy of the No. 1 overall ranking. The downside, however, is that because the Steelers used the franchise tag on him, Bell isn't expected to be involved in the preseason workouts at all, which could hurt his productivity.
5 - Antonio Brown:
Brown is the No. 1 ranked receiver by ESPN PPR standings, and anyone who's played Fantasy the past few seasons knows why: He's unstoppable. Even with two missed games last year, he scored a league-leading nine touchdowns. If Brown can stay healthy, and that depends on how you feel about the 'Madden Curse', this year you can expect more than 100 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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53 - JJ Smith-Schuster:
On about a dozen other teams, Smith-Schuster might be the go-to receiver, but with the Steelers he's Big Ben's third-best option. In his rookie season last year, he put up 58 catches, 917 yards and 7 touchdowns. His knack for big players, six 40+ yard receptions in 2017, make this 21-year-old a solid No. 2 receiver for most Fantasy squads.
139 - James Washington:
Washington is a rookie with a lot to prove on this season's Steelers offense. He was taken in the second round, a good sign, but with two proven pass catchers ahead of him he might not see the ball that often. In his first two preseason starts, he hauled in seven passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Historically rookie wide receivers don't make a big impact in the Fantasy Football world, but Washington is worthy of a late round pick given his skill set and his role in a potent offense.
116 - Ben Roethlisberger:
Big Ben arguably has more weapons at his disposal than at any time in his career, so if he starts 15 or 16 games, he should post Top 10 fantasy stats of 4,000 passing yards and about 30 touchdowns. While his overall stats have been very good, Ben has struggled in some road games during the past two seasons which could mean you need a solid backup QB if you're picking Roethlisberger. The Steelers also have a new offensive coordinator, but their recipe for success likely stays the same.
186 - Chris Boswell:
Since taking over the Steelers kicking duties in 2015, Boswell has averaged two field goals per game, converting 90 percent of his attempts despite playing half his games at Heinz Field, a stadium considered one of the most difficult on kickers. Barring injury to himself or other main components of the Steelers offense, a top 10 finish in Fantasy points for kickers seems likely in 2018.
197 - Vance McDonald:
McDonald comes in as ESPN's 19th ranked tight end, and considering this is a position where most teams only start one player he's generally not worth a second look. McDonald has a foot injury right now, and missed several games due to injury last season which leads to concern about his reliability. An injury to one of the Steelers other catch passers could jump his value up significantly, but for the time being he's unlikely to be drafted in many leagues.
209 - James Conner:
Conner is the definition of a handcuff pick if there ever was one. Bell is the clear No. 1 choice this year, but without any reps in the preseason and a history of substance abuse suspensions there is some risk. Conner, isn't without risk himself. The Pitt graduate suffered a torn MCL in December of last year and missed the team's lone playoff game. He says he's back at 100 percent, but he might not see the field except in garbage time.
Not Ranked - Steelers D/ST:
The Steelers defense and special teams finished in the top 10 last season, but they're far from reliable. The loss of Ryan Shazier late last season has an impact, but even if he were healthy the Steelers are a matchup-based play. With that said, four games against the Browns and Bengals looks pretty juicy.
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