Sit/Start Week 12: Reviewing All the Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Steelers@Bengals

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, November 24th at 1:00 pm EST

Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Betting Odds: PIT -6.5, 39 total via Oddsshark

Network: CBS

Sleeper Spotlight: James Washington

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

Quarterback:

• Mason Rudolph (Sit)

 

Vegas has set the line on Mason Rudolph to get hit with a helmet at +25000, so step right up and place your bets. Joking aside (kinda), we’ll have to see if that hit to the head will improve his play under center. For what it’s worth, the Bengals’ defense has allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the year. One of the reasons I’m listing Rudolph as a sit is just how depleted the offense is. They will most likely be without James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Diontae Johnson for this game, making Rudolph too much of a risky play for me. 

 

Running Backs:

• James Conner (Start/RB1*)
• Jaylen Samuels (Start/RB1*)
• Benny Snell (Sit)
• Trey Edmunds (Sit)

 

James Conner’s status is up in the air for Sunday, but it’s not looking good as of now. Also, after getting burned by Conner last week, I’m hoping they just sit him and let him get healthy. If he practices and the news coming out is positive, I think you have to start him because of the matchup. For the year, the Bengals have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this year. If Conner is unable to go, Jaylen Samuels gets vaulted into RB1 levels. With Conner sidelined in Weeks 9 and 10, Samuels saw 21 targets+touches in each game and if he gets that type of workload against the Bengals, things will be coming up aces. Benny Snell returned to practice and has a chance to play this week. If he does, he should share some of the early-down work with Conner or Samuels. If Snell is unable to go, Trey Edmunds would get that work. 

 

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends:

• James Washington (Start/Flex)
• Vance McDonald (Start/TE1)
• Johnny Holton (Sit)

 

Remember all that talk about the Oklahoma State connection talk with Rudolph and James Washington? This is the week that connection, well, connects. The Steelers will be without JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson, leaving Wahington as the Steelers’ top wide receiver. If they don’t connect this week, with minimal other options and facing the Bengals, it’s never going to happen. With the other passing options on the mend, it should mean an increased workload for Vance McDonald. In this tight end landscape, increased workload means bumping McDonald up to a backend TE1. Injuries have now forced journeyman special teamer Johnny Holton into a prime wide receiver role. Good luck Mr. Holton. 

 

Cincinnati Bengals

 

Quarterback:

• Ryan Finley (Sit)

 

Who has ten thumbs and has allowed 36 sacks on the year? The Bengals’ offensive line. Conversely, the Steelers have sacked opposing quarterbacks at the fifth-highest rate this year. Overall, this is a bad combination for a rookie quarterback, Ryan Finley. Finley has struggled in his first two starts, completing just 47.5% of his passes. Finley can be ignored for the near future.

 

Running Backs:

• Joe Mixon (Start/RB2)

 

One of the few positives that have come from Finley’s starts is that Joe Mixon has gotten a full workload and has succeeded. Mixon has averaged 127 per game over his last two games and even found the end zone in Week 11, for his first rushing touchdown on the year. The Steelers have been pretty stingy on the ground, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Regardless of the tough matchup, I’m firing Mixon up as an RB2 this week. 

 

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends:

• Tyler Boyd (Start/Flex)
• Alex Erickson (Sit)
• Tyler Eifert (Sit)

 

Tyler Boyd saw just three targets in Week 11 against the Raiders. He comes into this week as the squeaky wheel, as he made aware of his displeasure with his workload. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so I expect Boyd to return to his previous workload, making him a flex start this week. Alex Erickson has seen seven targets with Ryan Finley under center, but he has just one catch for zero yards. With Finley under center, it’s difficult to trust many of these pass catchers and that includes Tyler Eifert. With Finley, Eifert has seen four targets in each of his games and even found the end zone once, but the overall productivity just hasn’t been consistent. If you’re completely desperate, he could make an okay streamer as the Steelers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends on the year.  

-Rich Holman