Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell carried the ball 13 times for just 24 yards and caught five passes for 27 yards in a 21-18 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 8. Bell scored his third touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter.
Le’Veon Bell held in check, touchdown saves fantasy stats
The Steelers running back had trouble penetrating the Raiders run defense. We break down the fantasy implications.
Ezra Shaw
Fantasy impact: If not for Bell’s touchdown in the last two minutes of the game, Sunday’s performance would have been regarded as a lackluster one. In general, the fact that he had five receptions in the contest is the only other statistic fantasy owners can look at to say that Bell did a half decent job against the Raiders. That’s assuming you’re in a league that rewards receptions.
Averaging 1.8 yards per carry isn’t going to get you very far in the NFL, but Bell has two things going for him that will allow him to maintain his role as the Steelers go-to running back. First, he’s a rookie and to good time to grow on a team that’s struggling this season. Second, there is no one else in the Steelers backfield that will threaten him for carries no matter how he performs throughout the rest of the season.
If you’re a fantasy owner looking for a more consistent runner, it might be best to wait for Bell to have a big game and then trade him while his value is high. He doesn’t have enough of a proven track record to be an automatic starter every week.
