The Roethlisberger fantasy impact
By Bob Metz
With all of the drama surrounding Ben Roethlisberger this past offseason and his 4-6 game suspension to start the year, I thought I would take this opportunity to talk about what a lot of fantasy players are wondering: What impact will this have on my fantasy team? While some of you may steer clear of Steelers WR’s and QB’s because of this, others are in keeper leagues and may already be locked into having Big Ben or Hines Ward on their teams.
I have 2 simple words for you: DON’T PANIC! Why would I say this? Simple. The Steelers’ passing game probably won’t be as proficient this season, but it has nothing to do with Big Ben not being there for a few games. The loss of Santonio Holmes has more fantasy impact than Ben’s suspension. Even with Ben playing, the Steelers’ passing game would have taken a bit of a hit, although not very much. Holmes proved 2 years ago that he is a viable #1 WR (at least in Pittsburgh. Mark Sanchez is no Big Ben) and with this loss, the Steelers have chosen to – at least so far – go with what they have as opposed to signing a big free agent WR or acquiring one in a trade. This leaves Mike Wallace, who did a great job as the #3 WR replacing Nate Washington to step up to the #2 slot opposite Hines Ward. I don’t believe that Wallace will be a problem, but I don’t expect him to replace Holmes’ production.
Even with this, I still believe that Hines Ward will be a fine #1 WR this season and Wallace a viable #2. Wallace is being tutored by Hines Ward to get better, and I can think of no better WR to take him under his wing. Check out my 2010 NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL MOCK DRAFT, so you can see where I have them ranked.
As for the QB situation, Byron Leftwich figures to be the favorite after he filled in pretty well when Ben and Charlie Batch were out 2 seasons ago. There is no guarantee however because if Batch gets healthy he may get the start, or they could go with Dennis Dixon, who impressed last year in a game against Baltimore in a prime time game. A game which Pittsburgh nearly won. If the Steelers’ brass wants insurance long term, they may let Dixon get some more experience to ready him as the future backup or starter if Ben messes up again. Either way, you’ll still be ok with Ben assuming he stays out of trouble the rest of the year if you can get him later as your #2 QB and keep him in your hip pocket. A lot of owners may be rightfully leery of drafting him, and you might find yourself a bargain near rounds 7 or 8. By then you should already have a #1 QB and Ben could be a great backup value pick in mid-to-late rounds.
As for the QB filling in those first 4-6 games, I’d advise against drafting him unless you get him toward the end of your draft. After all, there is no guarantee the same QB will start all 4-6 games, and after that, he’ll be worthless to have on your roster. Don’t reach for him! In leagues where you start 2 QB’s however, there may be some value in getting the guy to start the year. Just don’t paint yourself into a corner and have to drop him in week 4 and then find yourself struggling to find a good backup from the waiver wire/free agent list.
With all of this in mind, popular belief is that the Steelers are possibly going back to their smash-mouth roots and running the ball more. Still, the NFL has become a passing league and you still have to pass the ball some to win, and the Steelers have to face the Bengals and Ravens, both of which aren’t easy to run against. There’s no telling what will happen, but my message to you is not to press the red button on the Steelers’ fantasy value.
Remember: It is a long season and barring the unforeseen, Ben should be starting 10-12 games this year. Plenty of time to be worth a spot on your roster.