Aqib Talib will not play Sunday, Antonio Brown’s fantasy value increases

New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib will not play in Sunday afternoon's home game against the Steelers. He was ruled out 90 minutes before the game due to a hip issue.

Talib has clearly been the Patriots best defensive back and he's done a nice job shutting down top receiving options all year. His biggest accomplishment came against Jimmy Graham, limiting him to zero catches.

Talib was a steal for the Patriots last year as the Buccaneers just gave him away via trade. It's taken some time for get on the same page with the rest of the team, but his skill set as a man-to-man guy has helped the Patriots open up the playbook more.

Fantasy impact: This is great news for Antonio Brown. Brown runs a lot of routes that bust zones with numerous posts, deep balls and crossing routes. Ben Roethlisberger should have more success, as well. Brown serves as a must-start player in all leagues, Ben is a high-end QB2 on the road and receiver Emmanuel Sanders is a high-upside WR3 as every CB moves down the depth chart.