For the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, it was one of their worst offensive performances in recent memory. Yet, beneath the ashes, one player on this side of the ball shined above the rest. (All stats courtesy of fantasypros.com.)
- Offense -
The story on offense was the heroics of backup running back Jaylen Warren. In the last three weeks, Warren has proven to be one of the most valuable players in the NFL, and not just in fantasy football. In their loss to the Cleveland Browns, Warren put together the best performance of his career, registering 129 rushing yards on nine carries, including a 74-yard touchdown run, which helped breathe some life into the team. For his performance, Warren moved up three spots to No. 26 among running backs with 90.7 fantasy points.
When you look at the rest of the offensive, it was not a pretty sight.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett had one of his poorest performances of his career, finishing with 106 passing yards and a 53.6 completion %. Despite his dismal performance, he remains the 28th best quarterback in fantasy points with 99.5. Pat Freiermuth, who returned to action after missing almost a month due to a hamstring ailment, is now ranked 39th among tight ends with 18.0 fantasy points.
Diontae Johnson had another tough game, ending with only 16 receiving yards. Johnson's fantasy value fell another five spots, to No. 70 among receivers with 39.5 fantasy points. Fellow teammate George Pickens fared a little better, finishing the game with 38 yards on four receptions. Pickens dropped four spots this week to No. 29 with 79.9 fantasy points.
- Defense -
Elandon Roberts, the seasoned workhorse, had another productive day on defense, ending with 15 tackles, two of which were for a loss. Roberts moved up 11 spots to No. 32 among linebackers with 116.2 fantasy points after his performance against the Browns. T.J. Watt, the All-Pro linebacker, jumped two spots to No. 9 with 160.2 fantasy points after recording a sack and six tackles. Despite not recording any splash plays, his partner in crime, Alex Highsmith, went up two ranks to No. 43.
Cam Heyward, the veteran defensive lineman, was in fine form against the Browns. Heyward jumped 42 spots to 165th among defensive linemen with 26.3 fantasy points after recording 5 tackles and a tackle for loss. After making significant gains in Week 10, rookie Keeanu Benton jumped seven spots to 112 with 40.6 fantasy points.
In the secondary, defensive back Chandon Sullivan had his best game of the season against the Browns, recording two passes defensed and an interception. With 29.3 points per game, Sullivan ranks 194th among defensive backs. When paired up against Browns receiver Amari Cooper, rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. was his normal lockdown self, relegating Cooper to just 34 receiving yards. With 49.7 fantasy points, he moved up 13 ranks to No. 147 as a result of his performance. Finally, veteran Patrick Peterson had three tackles and a pass defensed, moving him up four spots to No. 123 with 56.8 fantasy points
Week 12 Steelers Fantasy Stock
- Buy -
RB Jaylen Warren
WR George Pickens
LB Elandon Roberts
LB TJ Watt
LB Alex Highsmith
CB Joey Porter Jr.
DL Keeanu Benton
- Sell -
QB Kenny Pickett
WR Diontae Johnson
RB Najee Harris
DL DeMarvin Leal
DB Damontae Kazee