Justin Fields Starting Again in Week 2 | Fantasy Outlooks for Other Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers went on the road and defeated the Atlanta Falcons in week 1.

They accomplished the feat with Justin Fields starting for the injured Russell Wilson. After getting the week 1 win, Fields will be given the chance to start again in week 2.

Let’s discuss how Fields performed in the opening game of the season and then his matchup ahead. We’ll also discuss how to approach the Steelers’ other offensive playmakers.

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Week 1 Numbers

Fields wasn’t anything special in week 1, but he did lead several scoring drives.

He completed 17 of his 23 passes for 156 yards. Fields didn’t have a touchdown, but also avoided an interception. He added 57 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Fields’ rushing ability is what makes him a sought-after fantasy player. He struggles as a passer and with turnovers, but when he can take care of the ball at least, he’s capable of decent fantasy outings.

Najee Harris led the team’s backfield, carrying 20 times for 70 yards and adding a nine-yard reception on two targets.

Cordarrelle Patterson had four carries for 13 yards, while Jaylen Warren had two carries for seven yards and two catches on as many targets for 13 yards.

George Pickens was easily the team’s top pass catcher, hauling in six of his seven targets for 85 yards. He had a long reception of 40 yards.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth had 27 yards on four receptions and targets. No other player had over 10 receiving yards.

Week 2 Fantasy Outlooks

Pittsburgh plays the Denver Broncos in week 2 - it’s a bummer Wilson won’t get his revenge game.

In week 1, Denver was beaten 26-20 by the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle racked up 304 total yards, with 146 on the ground and 158 in the air. The Broncos had two takeaways.

Geno Smith had 171 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception on 18-of-25 passing for Seattle. He’s not much of a runner, but had 30 yards and a touchdown on four scrambles.

That means it’s a favorable matchup for Fields as a dual-threat QB. If he’s able to take care of the ball, he should be able to post a respectable fantasy score again this week. 

I imagine Fields will be part of trending decisions on the FantasySP start/sit tool, so check back later in the week for those.

After Seattle rushed for 146 yards in the opener, that makes this a favorable matchup for Harris as well. Warren was on the injury report in week 1, and if he’s healthy enough, will likely eat into Harris’ workload this week.

We’ll assess things later in the week as the game approaches, but for now, I’d say Harris is worth a week 2 start. Keep an eye on the team’s injury report to see if Warren might be limited for another week.

Pickens and Freiermuth are the only two Pittsburgh offensive players really on the fantasy radar in standard leagues right now.

Any pass catcher isn’t a great option with Fields or Wilson throwing to them, but because Pickens is the only proven receiver, he’s hard not to start. Pickens performed well enough with Fields in week 1 to roll with again in week 2.

Freiermuth is an option at a weak tight end spot. Seattle’s Noah Fant had just 11 yards on two catches and four targets in week 1, but I’d like to think Freiermuth is a better tight end. 

Freiermuth isn’t projected for a big week, and I’d be much more comfortable starting him in deeper leagues, but he probably will get a few standard league starts too given the status of the position and some of the injuries to some top guys.

At some point, Pittsburgh is going to need to get more production out of Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller and rookie Roman Wilson. Until we see it in a game or two, those guys should all be avoided in all fantasy league types.