The Week 14 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals features division rivals who should be engaged in a close contest on Sunday. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 14: Steelers-Bengals featuring Antonio Brown, DeAngelo Williams and Jeremy Hill
We break down the Week 14 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers absolutely smoked the Indianapolis Colts last week. Even if you weren’t able to watch the game, all you had to do was look at the fantasy stats of two of the team’s most important players. Wide receiver Antonio Brown, arguably the most valuable receiver in fantasy football, caught eight passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts. He also added a 71-yard punt return for a third score. It will be way more challenging to repeat that kind of success against a stronger Bengals defense, but Brown is a matchup-proof producer ready to go for the fantasy postseason.
Running back DeAngelo Williams is also a good bet to perform well against Cincinnati. He too went off against the Colts. He touched the ball 31 times for 165 yards in the victory. Although Williams didn’t find a touchdown, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that that kind of heavy usage is going to result in solid numbers. He likely won’t blow the Bengals up for any sort of mind-blowing statistics, but consistency is important at the running back position and Williams can provide that. He’s worth starting, particularly in head-to-head leagues where regular work and giving yourself a chance to win every week is important.
Cincinnati Bengals
Even though the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t undefeated anymore, the team still looks like a well-oiled machine. They’ve outscored opponents 68-10 over the last two games combined. Last week quarterback Andy Dalton attempted just 19 passes, but managed to complete 14 of them for 220 yards and two scores. He added a third touchdown using his legs and gave fantasy owners exactly what they needed. Dalton now has an opportunity to stomp a divisional opponent into the ground. Starting him is an enticing proposition, especially given that he has home-field advantage this week.
If Dalton struggles against the Steelers, running back Jeremy Hill will likely take over. He saw the majority of the action last week against the Cleveland Browns, rushing the ball 22 times for 98 yards and a touchdown. Teammate Giovani Bernard is only a threat out of the backfield depending on the game situation. Given that this week’s matchup against the Steelers should be a close one, it’s likely the Bengals will rely on the running game more than the passing game out of the backfield, which benefits Hill more than it does Bernard.
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SB Nation presents: NFL Week 14 start/sit fantasy advice
