Guest of the League
BBobs Pubbers Est. 2003
FFL: Week 2 | NFL: Week 2

Steelers preparing QB Justin Fields to start at Denver

Tue Sep 10 12:41pm ET
Field Level Media

Mike Tomlin takes the Steelers back on the road this week with Pittsburgh attempting to start the regular season 2-0 for the first time since 2020.

As of Tuesday, Tomlin said Pittsburgh's game plan involves Justin Fields starting at quarterback with Russell Wilson not yet 100 percent with a calf injury.

"As I sit here today, we're preparing as if Justin is going to be our quarterback," Tomlin said. "Russ is not scheduled to work in totality (Wednesday)."

Until proven otherwise, Wilson would make his return to Denver as an observer. The Broncos released Wilson in March despite a salary cap hit of more than $80 million over the next two seasons.

Tomlin said he will only consider players that are available and, at the moment, he plans to invest in preparation with Fields until Wilson is able to be a full participant in practice. If Wilson gets back to practice this week, the quarterback pecking order is subject to change, according to Tomlin.

"I'm not going to soothe you with hypotheticals. I am unmoved by some of those narratives to be quite honest with you," Tomlin said of whether Wilson is considered the QB1 when healthy.

Fields completed 73.3 percent of his passes (17 of 23) and did not commit a turnover to lead the Steelers to an 18-10 win at Atlanta in Week 1. Fields also had 57 yards on 14 carries.

"It's good to be in the stadium with the guy. We certainly know a lot more about him after that," Fields said.

He clicked with wide receiver George Pickens, who caught six passes for 85 yards, but Tomlin said Pittsburgh is wary of Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II in a "very hostile environment" at Denver.

"He's technically as sound as they come. I was at his pro day he was as pro-ready as any corner I've seen," Tomlin said.

A "battery of movement" is scheduled for Wilson this week but Tomlin said he won't talk about when and if Wilson could start over Fields depending on his practice status later in the week.

"The guys on the field are the guys that are making the plays," Tomlin said when asked if Wilson was involved in communication with Fields on the sideline at Atlanta.

Tomlin described the Week 1 situation with Wilson as "quarterback instability" with a decision on the team's starting quarterback going to gameday, when Wilson felt his calf issue would be too limiting.

"I just visited with him, he feels better today than he did over the weekend. Over the course of the week we'll be analyzing whether he's capable of protecting himself," Tomlin said.

Tomlin confirmed punter Cam Johnston is out for the year with a "major knee injury."

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 2

Player Notes
Justin Fields Sep 10 12:10pm CT
Justin Fields

According to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are "preparing as Justin Fields is our QB" ahead of their Week 2 road matchup in Denver against the Broncos this coming Sunday. All offseason, Pittsburgh's coaching staff reiterated that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson (calf) was their starter, but a calf injury suffered in training camp has resurfaced, causing him to miss the season-opening win against the Atlanta Falcons, and it's looking like he'll start the year with two straight games on the sidelines. He's not on track to start practicing again until Thursday, so Pittsburgh may play it safe and sit him out again against his former team, the Broncos. Fields, 25, didn't lead the offense to a single touchdown in the win over Atlanta, but he also didn't turn the ball over. If he makes a second straight start against Denver, he'll be in play as a QB2 in superflex leagues, but the ceiling is low in this offense.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Mason Sep 10 11:13am CT
Jordan Mason

Dynasty | 49ers running back Jordan Mason had 147 rushing yards, one catch, five receiving yards and a touchdown in San Francisco's blowout win over the Jets. Dynasty Analysis: With Christian McCaffrey out for the game (and maybe longer), Mason dominated the Jets defense, averaging over five yards per carry and controlling the game. While he's not going to make anyone forget about McCaffrey, Mason proved he can (and will) carry the load when CMC can't play. Even more promising is the fact Mason had every single running back touch in the game for the 49ers. He's a must-start RB1 next week should McCaffrey miss another week, as expected. In fact, this performance does nothing but buy CMC time to get healthy. Plan accordingly.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Breece Hall Sep 10 11:13am CT
Breece Hall

Dynasty | Jets running back Breece Hall had 54 rushing yards, five catches, 39 receiving yards and a touchdown in New York's loss to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Hall had little chance against a stout 49ers defense that dominated the line of scrimmage. The fact he was able to post a decent line in this one was borderline amazing. Hall will certainly be better as the season goes on and remains an elite-level RB1 despite what looks like a bit of a slow start.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Aaron Rodgers Sep 10 11:13am CT
Aaron Rodgers

Dynasty | Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 13-of-21 passes for 161 yards with one touchdown and one interception in New York's MNF loss to the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Rodgers and the offense had little chance to be successful as San Francisco carved up the Jets defense en route to a 39:21 advantage in time of possession. When the Jets did have the ball, Rodgers looked like his old self in terms of arm strength and accuracy, though he did look a little out of sorts at time. There's no need to panic as better days are surely ahead for this group. Rodgers himself is a habitual slow starter, so the story here is him simply making it through the game healthy. He remains a low-end QB1 at the moment.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Braelon Allen Sep 10 11:13am CT
Braelon Allen

Dynasty | Jets running back Braelon Allen had eight rushing yards, one catch, and nine receiving yards in his NFL debut. Dynasty Analysis: Allen was the talk of the dynasty rookie sleeper town for the past couple of months but it's clear the Jets are going to make Breece Hall a true workhorse. Allen has immense dynasty upside and is a great rookie stash on a roster. However, early returns from him are not going to be good and dynasty managers will need to be very patient. He'd be a borderline RB1 should Hall miss time, however.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Kirk Cousins Sep 10 11:13am CT
Kirk Cousins

Dynasty | Kirk Cousins is already under the microscope after a rough week one performance in his Atlanta debut. Dynasty Analysis: There's no need to panic here, but this is life in the NFL when a team drafts your eventual replacement. Cousins completed just 16-of-26 passes for 155 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his Falcons debut - an ugly loss to the Steelers. This is likely due to him sitting out the entire preseason and missing most of last year after being injured, so there's no real legitimate concern. However, a few more clunker games like this and Cousins may start to be evaluated. This is simply something to keep in the back of the minds of dynasty managers as the season moves forward and Michael Penix continues to progress.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Puka Nacua Sep 10 10:29am CT
Puka Nacua

Dynasty | The Rams have placed wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve. Dynasty Analysis: Uh oh. Nacua will now miss at least the next four weeks and we won't see him until week seven at the earliest after the Rams have their bye week - this means dynasty managers will be without him until at least October 20th, a brutal blow to just about any dynasty franchise this year. Cooper Kupp will soak up a massive amount of targets and dynasty managers need to plan accordingly. As for Nacua, this is a short-term issue and won't affect anything other than his short-term outlook.

Amon-Ra St. Brown Sep 10 10:28am CT
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Dynasty | Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had three catches for 13 yards in the Lions win against the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: It's just one week but it's also clear Jameson Williams is going to get more targets than last season. Still, this is likely going to be St. Brown's worst game and anyone who is getting anxious probably doesn't have the stomach for fantasy football. Stay the course. Things will get better. St. Brown is still a top-five option each week.

Chigoziem Okonkwo Sep 10 10:28am CT
Chigoziem Okonkwo

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo caught both his targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Chicago. Quarterback Will Levis could not get the passing game going most of the game, which led to down weeks for all Titans' pass catchers. Okonkwo was able to bail out fantasy managers with his touchdown grab, an incredibly impressive catch in the back right corner of the end zone over a defender. It was a tough day for the position overall, as Oknkwo finished as TE6 on the week heading into the Monday night game with only 9.5 PPR points. While he had a fine fantasy day because of the score, playing Okonkwo on a weekly basis is still not recommended if this passing attack can't improve considerably from Week 1. Okonkwo and the Titans offense will have their work cut out for them when the Jets travel to Nashville next week.

D.J. Reader Sep 10 9:10am CT
D.J. Reader

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is confident that defensive lineman D.J. Reader (quad) will play in Week 2. Reader has been out with a quad injury he suffered in Week 15 with the Cincinnati Bengals last season. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Lions in the offseason. Reader is a game-wrecker at times at defensive tackle and should only boost the Lions' excellent defense upon his return. After a solid performance against the Rams in Week 1, the Lions' D/ST could be on the rise with Reader approaching a return.

From RotoBaller

Tyrod Taylor Sep 10 9:00am CT
Tyrod Taylor

New York Jets backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor entered the game in the fourth quarter for starter Aaron Rodgers in the team's loss to San Francisco on Monday night. Taylor completed 6 of 8 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. The veteran quarterback found Allen Lazard on a 3-yard TD connection with 25 seconds remaining in the game. If nothing else, Taylor's performance shows he is a worthy backup option for Rodgers, who is now 40 years old and coming off of a significant Achilles injury. Not much to see here fantasy-wise while Rodgers is healthy, however.

From RotoBaller

Charles Harris Sep 10 9:00am CT
Charles Harris

The Carolina Panthers are set to sign veteran defensive end Charles Harris, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Harris, a former first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins has 16.5 career sacks. Most recently, Harris recorded 1.5 sacks for the Detroit Lions last season. The Panthers are looking for a spark with Derrick Brown (meniscus) reportedly feared to have a season-ending injury. Harris could provide a veteran presence and still might have some pass-rush juice left in the tank. The Panthers D/ST should still be avoided for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Juszczyk Sep 10 8:50am CT
Kyle Juszczyk

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk hauled in two of his three targets for 40 yards in the team's Week 1 win over the Jets. Juszczyk was on the field for 40 snaps and ran 17 routes. The versatile back made the most of his three targets in the absence of Christian McCaffrey. However, he did not see any carries out of the backfield. Despite being a fullback, Juszczyk operates as a second tight end in a lot of ways. Until he sees more targets, though, he is not a fantasy-relevant player. He's a great weapon for a loaded 49ers offense and creates mismatches on the field but he just doesn't get the volume necessary for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Charles Harris Sep 10 8:43am CT
Charles Harris

Free-agent DE Charles Harris (Lions) agreed to an undisclosed deal with the Carolina Panthers Tuesday, Sept. 10.

From TheHuddle

Braelon Allen Sep 10 8:40am CT
Braelon Allen

New York Jets backup running back Braelon Allen saw limited usage out of the Jets' backfield in the team's Week 1 loss at San Francisco. Allen carried one time for eight yards and caught his lone target for nine yards. All in all, Allen saw eight total snaps compared to 42 for starter Breece Hall. Most of Allen's time on the field came in mop-up duty and he ran seven routes on his eight snaps. The rookie from Wisconsin is just 20 years old and could see his role expand as the team gains more trust in the youngster. However, Hall is one of the most dominant backs in the league and should command a lion's share of the touches. Barring injury to Hall, Allen is not fantasy-relevant at the moment.

From RotoBaller

David Onyemata Sep 10 8:33am CT
David Onyemata

Atlanta Falcons DT David Onyemata revised his contract Tuesday, Sept. 10, to free up $4.85 million of salary cap space.

From TheHuddle

Lamar Jackson Sep 10 8:30am CT
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is sore after Week 1 but should be good to go in practice this week according to a report from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Jackson missed Monday's practice to open a long week of preparation for Week 2 against the Raiders after facing the Chiefs in the NFL opener on Thursday night. But the expectation is he will be back practicing the rest of the week. Jackson rushed 16 times for 122 yards in the opener and was 26-of-41 passing for 273 yards and a touchdown. His rushing usage stands out and makes him one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy. He should be locked and loaded as QB1 against Las Vegas after this report.

From RotoBaller

Micheal Clemons Sep 10 4:30am CT
Micheal Clemons

The New York Jets defense struggled to slow down the San Francisco 49ers in a 32-19 loss in Week 1's Monday night game. New York picked up three sacks but was unable to force any turnovers as the 49ers kicked six field goals to down the Jets in the season opener. The Jets got sacks from Sauce Gardner, Micheal Clemons, and Tony Adams but also allowed the 49ers to roll up 401 yards of total offense with Christian McCaffrey inactive. That being said, things should be much easier for New York in Week 2's matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

From RotoBaller

George Kittle Sep 10 4:30am CT
George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle provided fantasy managers with modest production in the team's 32-19 home-opening victory against the New York Jets. The colorful 30-year-old finished the night in a three-way tie for the team lead in targets with five, which he parlayed into four receptions for 40 yards. In recent memory, Kittle has been the quintessential boom/bust fantasy asset at a boom/bust position but still managed to finish as the TE5 in half-PPR scoring last season. He surely has better -- and worse -- weeks coming. Fantasy players who drafted the "Tight End University" co-founder should keep rolling him out there until further notice, including in Week 2 when the Niners go to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Conklin Sep 10 4:20am CT
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin caught one of his two targets for a six-yard gain in a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Conklin was quiet in his season debut, although he was on the field a lot. The 49ers dominated the time of possession battle in this contest, resulting in Aaron Rodgers attempting just 21 passes. Conklin could have bigger games ahead of him but he is not a must-hold in redraft leagues as the Jets prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.

From RotoBaller