Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell practiced fully on Thursday, according to the team's injury report.
LeVeon Bell practices fully with Steelers, is not expected to play for fantasy owners on Sunday vs. Bears
The Steelers have waited quite a while for rookie running back Le’Veon Bell to get healthy, and he practiced fully with the team on Thursday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Mark A. Cunningham
More: For more on the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain
The full practice comes as a bit of a surprise since it was believed that Bell would need to miss game action until Week Six due to a Lisfranc injury. Bell has been practicing with the team at a limited basis, and did so on Wednesday, but even with the extended session, Bell is not expected to play on Sunday. Because the team has the benefit of an early bye in Week Five, the conservative route would be to bring Bell back the following week, health permitting.
Fantasy Spin: Saying the Pittsburgh backfield is a mess would be an understatement, especially when referring to a team that gave Felix Jones and LaRod Stephens-Howling the majority of carries in each of the first two weeks. The team has totaled just 75 yards rushing through two games, which is dead last in the AFC. When Bell does return, he is not inheriting a great situation, so expectations should be tempered even if he does receive the bulk of the carries.
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