By Matt Papiernik, @Matt_Papiernik on Twitter
SteelerNation.com
There are several things that are certain in life. The list includes death, taxes, and fantasy football projections. The 2020 NFL season is looking more and more likely to happen as each day passes, which means it is looking more and more likely fantasy football happens. Everyone loves to draft their favorite Pittsburgh Steeler to their fantasy team, but is it a wise decision this year?
Fantasy football projections this early are always somewhat tough to do. There is still a lot of workouts and practices between now and the start of the season, so a lot of the depth chart is yet to be decided.
This off-season is very unique, and no one has any clue how teams or the NFL will address OTA's or training camp. One thing that likely will happen early on this season is that the veterans will have a bigger advantage.
Having experience in an NFL locker room, understanding the NFL playbooks, and likely already having your team be familiar with your skill set will be big advantages early on. Teams may be more hesitant to throw rookies or new additions into the fire if they aren't exactly sure how they mesh with the rest of the team. This may result in rookies not producing as much in terms of fantasy early in the season.
With all that said, let's take a look at what the Steelers fantasy stats may look like.
Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger - 4,650 Passing Yards, 29 TD's, 13 INT's. 60 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD. 285 Fantasy Points, QB #9.
- Big Ben is back! Don't expect the 5,000 yard and 34 TD outbreak he had in 2019, but he will definitely still be worth owning in most leagues.
Running Backs
James Conner - 210 Carries, 910 Rushing Yards, 11 Rushing TD's. 45 Receptions, 400 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's. 205 Fantasy Points (250 PPR), RB #10
- There is no doubt Conner is the Steelers lead back. However, he has health concerns and there is some added competition, but I still expect him to be very productive.
Benny Snell Jr. - 105 Carries, 450 Rushing Yards, 4 Rushing TD's. 12 Receptions, 100 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD. 72 Fantasy Points (84 PPR), RB #51
- Snell is going to get some carries this season after showing flashes as a rookie. However, he is much more likely to be only valuable as a handcuff as long as Conner is in town.
Anthony McFarland Jr. - 80 Carries, 430 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TD's. 15 Receptions, 180 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD. 66 Fantasy Points (81 PPR), RB #53
- McFarland will definitely add some big play ability to the Steelers backfield in 2020. However, I don't see him getting enough touches to be worth ever starting as a rookie.
Wide Receivers
JuJu Smith-Schuster - 90 Catches, 1,100 Receiving Yards, 8 Receiving TD's. 158 Fantasy Points (248 PPR), WR #11
- Smith-Schuster had a very disappointing 2019 season. However, most of that can be explained away by the play at the quarterback position. With a healthy Roethlisberger, there is no reason he won't bounce back to starting status in fantasy.
Diontae Johnson - 85 Catches, 1,150 Receiving Yards, 5 Receiving TD's. 145 Fantasy Points (230 PPR), WR #20
- Johnson led all rookies in catches last season, and that was with some of the worst quarterback play in the league. Johnson should flourish with Roethlisberger throwing him the ball.
James Washington - 40 Catches, 600 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's. 72 Fantasy Points (112 PPR), WR #62
- Washington was actually the Steelers leading receiver in 2019. That likely won't be the case in 2020, but he will have a couple games with a long TD to make him a solid dart throw.
Chase Claypool - 20 Catches, 300 Receiving Yards, 3 Receiving TD's. 48 Fantasy Points (68 PPR), WR #85
- Claypool will get a lot of attention in fantasy due to his draft pedigree. However, he likely won't have a significant impact in his first year in a somewhat crowded receiver room.
Tight Ends
Vance McDonald - 35 Catches, 380 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TD's. 50 Fantasy Points (85 PPR), TE #30
- McDonald's 2019 was far from what people wanted after he set career highs across the board the season prior. However, he should get back on track assuming he stays healthy. Just not sure there will be enough targets to make him worth owning in most leagues.
Eric Ebron - 30 Catches, 350 Receiving Yards, 4 Receiving TD's. 55 Fantasy Points (85 PPR), TE #25
- Ebron, like McDonald, had a 2019 that disappointed many people after his TD outbreak in 2018. I expect him to be a solid red zone threat, but don't think there will be enough targets to be more than a touchdown dependent starter.
Let us know below which Pittsburgh Steelers you will be targeting this year for your fantasy team!
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