Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, November 28th, at 8:15 PM EST
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Betting Odds: PIT +2.5, 39 total via Oddsshark
Network: ESPN
Writer: Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Kenny Pickett (Sit)
Coming off a Week 10 win against the Saints, Kenny Pickett and the Steelers couldn’t knock off the Bengals last week, but Pickett held his own to a decent fantasy output. He completed 25 of 42 attempts for 265 yards and one touchdown. He’s kept clean of the ball in the last two games, but only has the one passing score to speak of. The Colts have given up the 14th fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, and Pickett does not project to be a serviceable streamer in single-QB leagues.
Running Backs
Najee Harris (Start, RB2 with RB1 upside)
Welcome to the 2022 campaign, Najee Harris. While he still has not amassed 100 rushing yards in a single game this season, against the Bengals, he turned 20 carries into 90 yards and two scores on the ground. His volume was not impacted because rookie Jaylen Warren was out most of the game having suffered a hamstring injury. At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether or not Warren will be able to suit up on Monday night, but in any case, he has not taken on enough of a role to hinder Harris’ touches in the last two games off the BYE. If Warren were to miss, look for Harris to be a volume-based RB2, with RB1 upside (which hasn’t been said of him at any point this season).
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Diontae Johnson (Start, WR3), George Pickens (Start, WR3), Pat Freiermuth (Start, TE1)
It’s been a down two games for Diontae Johnson since the Week 9 BYE. In the last two games, he has had 10 total targets and eight total receptions, which have gone for a collective 84 scoreless yards. Overall, it’s been a frustrating 2022 for Johnson, who has zero receiving touchdowns and only 456 yards in 10 games. Rookie George Pickens has pushed Johnson into WR3 territory on the weekly, where Pickens can find himself. However, when you look at Pickens’ production since the BYE, he has a rushing touchdown (Week 10) and receiving score (last week), and is clearly the preferred option for Pickett. Pat Freiermuth has been as consistent as they come for the tight end position, even despite having only one touchdown, which came back in Week 2. Since Week 7, ‘Muth has averaged 8.75 targets per game, and that trend should continue against a Colts defense that has allowed the 13th most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Per FantasyData, Freiermuth is the TE4 on the season in full-PPR formats.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Matt Ryan (Sit)
Having returned to the starting role in Week 10, Matt Ryan crashed back to reality in Week 11 in the loss to the Eagles. He completed 23 of 32 attempts for 213 scoreless yards. With Jonathan Taylor back in the fold, this offense just isn’t pass-heavy. The Steelers are a tempting spot, allowing the third most fantasy points to QBs this season, but with no teams on BYE this week, Ryan can be left on the wire.
Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor (Start, RB2), Deon Jackson (Sit), Zack Moss (Sit)
In back-to-back games, Taylor had 22 carries to his name. In Week 11, he only rushed for 84 yards but did find the end zone (which he also did in Week 10). In fairness to other running backs around fantasy circles, Taylor hasn’t earned RB1 status again just yet, but he is a strong RB2 with the upside. The issue this week is that the Steelers are a top-five run defense on the year. However, if you take the glass-is-half-full approach, Pittsburgh did just allow Samaje Perine to score three touchdowns through the air last week. Two for certain designations are Deon Jackson and Zack Moss, who are both Sits with Taylor healthy.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Michael Pittman Jr. (Start, WR3), Parris Campbell (Start, FLEX), Alec Pierce (Sit), Mo Alie-Cox (Sit)
Despite being a middling pass-offense, the matchup is too good to pass up starting the likes of Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell this week. The Steelers’ defense is allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, making Pittman and Campbell favorable options to have in your lineup. Pittman has had 16 targets between the last two games, whereas Campbell is right behind him with 15 as the clear second option for Matty Ice. Alec Pierce did see eight targets last week, but he isn’t involved consistently enough to warrant a starting spot. As far as the Indy tight ends go, Mo-Alie Cox has been a non-factor.