Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell can be expected to get 20-25 touches per game, despite the team's insistence that LeGarrette Blount will get plenty of playing time. Head coach Mike Tomlin was asked if Bell could see the aforementioned 20-25 touches, and he said that the Steelers "drafted him with that in mind," according to Scott Brown of ESPN.
Le’Veon Bell expected to get 20-plus touches per game; fantasy value solid
Second-year running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to get 20-25 touches per game this season. We break down the fantasy implications.
Al Bello
Bell carried the ball about 20 times per game as a rookie last season, but Blount joined the Steelers this offseason and is the same type of power running back. Blount has been especially effective in short-yardage situations, leading many to question what that will do to Bell’s workload. At least according to the team, it won’t be doing much. More carries to go around in general is expected, for what it’s worth.
Fantasy Impact: Bell averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season, but he did put up 860 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games played. He’s still kind of a mystery, but the outlook is positive from a fantasy perspective. Nobody knows if he’ll lose a significant amount of goal line carries to Blount, but he makes for a solid RB2. These statements from Tomlin certainly help.
