The Week 1 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots features two teams that should be primed and ready to score lots of points through the air. We’ve got the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.
Fantasy football projections, Week 1: Steelers-Patriots features Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady
We break down the Week 1 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Wide receiver Antonio Brown comes into the 2015 season as the fantasy community’s No. 1 pass catcher, and with good reason. Brown caught at least five receptions in every single game last year, giving him added value in PPR leagues that no other player in the game can match. He also finished just two receiving yards shy of 1,700. While his career-high 13 touchdowns and 129 receptions will be difficult to exceed, Brown is unquestionably a top fantasy receiver against the Patriots in the first week.
A big time performance from him likely means some solid numbers for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers quarterback surprised many in the fantasy community last season, posting absolutely spectacular numbers in Week 8 and Week 9, which shot him up the fantasy radar. With running back Le’Veon Bell is serving a two-game suspension to start the season, Roethlisberger will have to throw frequently to keep up with Tom Brady and the bunch. This could mean a huge fantasy day for his owners.
New England Patriots
Since the turn of the calendar year, few people thought that quarterback Tom Brady had any chance of avoiding suspension due to the fallout from DeflateGate. Thanks to a federal judge vacating his suspension, he’ll be in the lineup for Week 1. Brady should play well against the Steelers, who are depleted thanks to injuries all around the defensive side of the ball. The fact is that any steady production to start the season should satisfy his fantasy owners anyway, considering Brady got off to a horrible start last season. He’ll be a top fantasy quarterback in the Pats’ home opener.
A solid performance from Brady will mean a big day for tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk would have been a top fantasy option at the tight end position even with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. Now that Brady is back in the fold, the Pro Bowl pass catcher will be a force to be reckoned with all year long, and it will all start against Pittsburgh. Gronk will be the top player at his position once all of the Week 1 games have been played.
