The Pittsburgh Steelers broke a three-game losing streak with an impressive 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Saturday. In the process of putting together a complete game, several Steelers grew their stock, namely one particular player whose value skyrocketed after a career performance.
Offense -
The biggest winner this week was easily receiver George Pickens. After being the subject of criticism all week, Pickens rose to the occasion in a huge way, producing a career high of 195 yards on just four receptions and two touchdowns. His big evening propelled the Steelers to victory. It also propelled his fantasy stock as he surged up 14 spots to No. 19 among receivers with 132.4 fantasy points.
Sadly, teammate Diontae Johnson, who dropped to 49th place among receivers with 79.2 fantasy points, was unable to achieve the same success. Allen Robinson II finished with 36 yards on four receptions, making it one of his more productive games of the year. At present, he has 28.0 fantasy points and is ranked No. 110.
On the ground, Najee Harris had a strong outing against the Bengals, finishing with 78 rushing yards on 19 attempts and a touchdown. Even with this, he made a small jump to No. 27 among running backs with 123.0 fantasy points. Two spots below him at No. 29 is his teammate, Jaylen Warren, who finished the game with 24 rushing yards on 8 attempts. He currently has 116.6 fantasy points.
New to the list is backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who not only guided his team to victory, he helped produce 21 of the team's 34 points. His incredible showing landed him at No. 52 among quarterbacks with 20.1 fantasy points. Even though it was only one game, he would be worthwhile adding him as a backup to your fantasy team.
Defense -
On defense, the talk once again was the pass-rush duo of Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt. In the case of Highsmith, he collected both a sack and an interception. For his splash plays, he moved up to the 50th spot among linebackers with 141.3 fantasy points. Watt was his usual dominant self, as he registered his league-leading 17th sack, along with a pass deflection, a forced fumble, and four quarterback hits. To say the least, Watt's value has never been higher, as he is currently ranked 2nd among all linebackers with 233.6 fantasy points.
Speaking of standout linebackers, interior linebacker Myles Jack went from the practice squad to playing a significant role on defense in their win. Jack finished the game with six tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hits. He currently ranks 143rd with 13.3 fantasy points.
The story in the secondary was veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson, who made his first ever start at the safety position. Peterson responded with a big game, finishing with an interception, pass deflection, and two tackles. With 77.7 fantasy points, Peterson stands 130th among defensive backs.
Lastly, veteran Eric Rowe also came up big, collecting an interception and seven tackles. Rowe stands in the 278th spot with 14 fantasy points.
Week 17 Steelers Fantasy Stock
- Buy -
WR George Pickens
LB T.J Watt
RB Najee Harris
- Sell -
DL Cam Heyward
LB Nick Herbig
WR Diontae Johnson
LB Alex Highsmith
TE Pat Freiermuth
S Minkah Fitzpatrick