With the Pittsburgh Steelers locked into the No. 3 seed for the AFC playoffs, they will likely rest several starters in Week 17. On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin said Le’Veon Bell would probably not play vs. the Cleveland Browns, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Gerry Dulac.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 17: Le’Veon Bell sitting makes DeAngelo Williams a sneak play
Do not expect Le’Veon Bell to play vs. the Browns, which makes DeAngelo Williams a sneaky play vs. the Browns.
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With Bell likely out, that makes DeAngelo Williams a sneaky play vs. a vulnerable Browns defense this Sunday. Williams has rarely seen the field when Bell has played, but Bell’s three-game suspension to start the year allowed Williams to show he can still make a major impact.
In starts vs. Cincinnati and Washington, Williams combined for 237 rushing yards and two touchdowns along with 10 grabs for 66 yards and one score.
Fantasy Impact: You should keep Bell on the bench this week as it looks like Pittsburgh will sit him. As for Williams, Yahoo! ranks him as the 31st-best running back this week. He would face a Browns defense surrendering the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
If Bell is inactive, treat Williams like a low-end RB2 or flex play. He probably ends up splitting carries with Fitzgerald Toussaint vs. Cleveland.
