Steelers vs. Titans Fantasy Football Preview: Thursday House of Horrors?
Sep 23, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown (84) is tackled by Oakland Raiders safety Matt Giordano (27) at the O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Steelers 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
A couple of years ago, the Titans went 13-3 and they played in a Thursday night opener against the Steelers, what looked on paper to be a really intriguing, potential AFC Championship matchup. This year, the Titans are among the league’s worst, and the Steelers are going to likely be without Troy Polamalu.
It’s safe to say, the times have changed a bit. Here is a fantasy football preview for tonight’s potentially boring game.
Fantasy Studs
?????–are there any studs in this game? Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t proven to be a stud thus far, Chris Johnson has been a huge bust, and while Rashard Mendenhall’s debut last week was encouraging, it’d be a stretch at this point to call him a stud. Perhaps you could look at the Pittsburgh wide receivers as studs. We’ll give one of them a shot.
WR Antonio Brown, Steelers
Brown leads the Steelers with 326 receiving yards and 25 receptions. He’s an improving player who is only going to get better, and I think he could make some big plays against the Tennessee secondary.
Gotta Start ‘Em
WR Mike Wallace, Steelers
Wallace is a big play waiting to happen. He is down a bit on catches and yards, but he has three touchdown catches in the team’s first four games. He can score from anywhere on the field at any time with his incredible speed, but he surprisingly has the ability to also make incredible catches on the sidelines, get open across the middle, and be a playmaker in the running game. He is a complete WR, still adjusting to getting back to the field after his holdout.
RB Chris Johnson, Titans
If you drafted Chris Johnson, it’s likely that you don’t have many better options available tonight, or this weekend, for that matter. You have to start CJ2K or trade him ASAP, and simply hope for the best.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
There are a few QBs on byes this week, so Roethlisberger is not a bad alternative. The Steelers always seem to throw the ball more than you think, and while Big Ben doesn’t always light it up in terms of touchdown passes, he will get a lot of yards and make some big plays. He doesn’t often get sacked either.
TE Heath Miller, Steelers
Four touchdowns in four games, along with 19 catches. He’s a great red zone target and is having a Pro Bowl caliber season. He’s not putting up great yardage numbers, but he’s a solid play at tight end, almost guaranteed double-digit points.
Sleeper Starts
WR Kendall Wright, Titans
Kendall Wright leads the Titans with 27 receptions, and if you ask me, he is close to breaking out. This could be the game, though it’s a bit of a stretch going against the Steelers’ defense. If you’re struggling at WR and need someone to get you some catches and maybe a touchdown tonight, I think Wright is a decent play. High reward, high risk move here.
TE Jared Cook/WR Nate Washington, Titans
These guys have been consistently targeted and each has a pair of touchdown catches. It’s unclear right now who the Titans’ top receiver target is, but these guys are near the top and are both capable of making big plays.