With "Big Ben" out for the season with an elbow injury, all offensive players on the Steelers are projected a fallout; including two elite players under the new rookie QB Mason Rudolph. James Connor and JuJu Smith-Schuster were both in the top 15 according to ESPN's fantasy rankings, but are estimated big drops in projected points.
Ben Roethlisberger was injured against the Seattle Seahawks during week 2. He had an MRI on his right elbow immediately after the game. Ruling him out for the season, the medical staff said he required surgery.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, drafted 2nd round by the Steelers in 2017, emerged as an elite talent in the league, ranked 13th in PPR fantasy rankings. When drafting before the season, any team would be happy to have him as he showed promise with lead receiver Antonio Brown leaving the Steelers. JuJu was projected an average of 15.94 with Big Ben in, but is now only projected an average of 13.08 -- a fallout of 2.86 points per game. However JuJu is still a WR2, as his targets will drop significantly and his fantasy ceiling has fallen.
James Conner, drafted 3rd round by the Steelers in 2017, started out as Le'veon Bell's handcuff. But during Bell's controversial holdout in 2018, Conner emerged as a great fantasy option, averaging 17.3 fantasy points per game. He was ranked 9th in PPR fantasy rankings and should still be a viable option even with Big Ben out, as the Steelers are predicted to run the ball more with a rookie QB starting. Conner will now be a RB2, as the offense's dynamic effect has gone away. However, he should still be a workhorse for the Steelers this year.
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