Antonio Brown struggled without Ben Roethlisberger earlier in the year, and the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver might be headed for a similar dry spell in Week 13 if a head injury forces the signal-caller out of action.
The 33-year-old quarterback exited Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks after possibly suffering a concussion, per NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal. He’ll have to pass the league’s protocol in order to play next week against the Indianapolis Colts.
Roethlisberger’s health could have a massive impact on Brown’s numbers. Unsurprisingly, the receiver’s averages with and without Big Ben represent quite a contrast:
While Brown’s splits are skewed by his massive Week 9 performance—17 receptions, 284 yards, two touchdowns—the fact remains that his numbers are drastically better with Roethlisberger on the field.
Even if Big Ben is unavailable to play, though, Brown remains a must-start in almost any fantasy format. He has been one of the highest-scoring wideouts in 2015, so there’s no way you should leave him on the bench even if Landry Jones is under center.
In daily fantasy leagues, Brown’s value is slightly more dependent on Roethlisberger’s health. Since he’s likely to be a costly option, wait until the Steelers announce their starting quarterback’s status before adding Brown to your roster.
Markus Wheaton, on the other hand, might see his fantasy value drop after catching nine passes for 201 yards and a touchdown against the Seahawks. As CBS Sports Fantasy joked, it’s a shame that nobody could enjoy the massive haul of points Wheaton delivered:
Nobody in CBSSports.com’s fantasy leagues started Wheaton for a reason. Before Sunday, his previous single-game high this year had been 72 yards and a touchdown, all of which came on one reception in Week 5.
Starting Wheaton in any given week is like spinning a roulette wheel. While there’s a chance he could deliver a big game—as he did in Week 12—the chances are higher that you’ll receive little to no return.
With Roethlisberger out of the equation, Wheaton’s value would dwindle further.
Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com
Football
NFL
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers
Fantasy Football
Fantasy
