If you asked the NFL home offices which team they would least like to have play Thursday night, it would almost certainly be the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:25 p.m. ET Thursday night, kicking off Week 2 of the NFL season.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 2: Steelers vs. Ravens
One team comes into Thursday night’s game with every distraction in the world. Can Baltimore overcome all of the other conversations?
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The Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday after a furious comeback fell just short, but the Pittsburgh Steelers repelled the Cleveland Browns and a furious comeback of their own. Now the AFC North two rivals face off, and there will be a handful of fantasy performances to keep an eye on:
Steelers
Start in every league: Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Shaun Suisham
Start if you're desperate: Ben Roethlisberger, Markus Wheaton, Defense/special teams
Bench: LeGarrette Blount, Heath Miller
Any skepticism anyone might have had concerning Bell entering Week 1 had to have vanished, as the running back put up 24 fantasy points behind 109 rushing yards and a touchdown and 88 receiving yards. He had a great stat line, looked just as good and is an easy must-start going forward. ... As a clear No. 1, Brown has offered nothing but great production, and he continued that in Week 1. ... It looks like Pittsburgh might be running with an upper-level offense this season, which could yield lots of scoring chances for Suisham.
Roethlisberger offered about what everyone expected in Week 1; decent fantasy numbers, nothing to be sad about if you started him, but nothing that’s going to win you your matchup either. There’s nothing wrong with starting him, but in general you can find more upside at quarterback. ... Wheaton played 12 games last year and caught six balls for 64 yards. Sunday, he caught six balls in a single game, going for 97. If he can keep that going, he’ll be vaulting up the rankings. ... The Steelers’ defense put up only two points Sunday, but entered the season with a bit more promise than that. Against a flailing Baltimore running game, the unit might have more potential.
Blount vultured a touchdown from Bell Sunday, but otherwise offered virtually nothing. Banking on vultured touchdowns is a great way to find sadness. ... Miller is the epitome of a replaceable tight end. Even with some big names hurt, he’s not worth a start.
Ravens
Start in every league: Dennis Pitta
Start if you're desperate: Steve Smith, Torrey Smith, Justin Tucker
Bench: Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Bernard Pierce, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Defense/special teams
The only obvious start in the Baltimore offense is Pitta, who is shaping up to be the team’s primary weapon unless the big game Steve Smith showed Sunday is for real.
Speaking of Steve Smith, he looked like his old self Sunday, with 118 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. I want to see that again before buying all the way in, but he’s certainly caught my eye. ... And one Smith’s rise precipitates another’s fall, as Torrey Smith has a definite falling stock. ... Tucker won fantasy owners a handful of games last year. He’s got as big a leg as any kicker, but if the Baltimore offense struggles, he might, too.
Flacco was one of several quarterbacks who scored in the mid-teens in Week 1. Even then, his passer rating was only 71 and his QBR was only 45.2. He just doesn’t inspire confidence. ... Pierce has looked awful for more than a year now, while Forsett looked good Sunday, but neither seems like a fantasy play. Long-term, the best Ravens running back might be Taliaferro, but even he doesn’t figure to get there yet. ... The Ravens’ defense was one of six units that scored negative fantasy points in Week 1.
