Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns: Who To Start In Fantasy
The Cleveland Browns defeated the Buffalo Bills just a few days ago by the score of 19-16. A game that felt like it could end in a tie as it was so evenly matched.
Moving onto the week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland has a chance to go 2-0 in the division. This bodes as a must win game for the Browns, who will play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice in three weeks.
From the standpoint of impacting fantasy, the Browns are still waiting Odell Beckham Jr to get going as only he can. The same can be said for Steelers and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Nick Chubb - Nick Chubb is third in the league in rushing yards for a reason and should break 1,000 yards on the season Thursday night.. Also, passing his total of 996 yards he had as a rookie last season.
Chubb is averaging 5.3 yards a carry, so imagine a half a point in fantasy every time he touches the ball. Around 20 rushes a game alone this season, it’s expected of Chubb to have at least 100 total yards every game. A factor in the passing game as well, where he always notches a catch or two.
Against the Bills, Chubb was good for 14 points, a perfect fit for your first or second running back. Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nick Chubb is projected to go over 16 points. In order to beat the Steelers pass rush, the Browns will need to utilize the running game, so it should be another successful week for the team's top back.
Kareem Hunt - Kareem Hunt is claimed in 75 percent of leagues now. If he isn’t in yours, go get him. Hunt showed in his first week back that he is going to be a staple in fantasy football once again this season.
In his season debut coming back from suspension, Hunt went for 14.4 fantasy points against the Buffalo Bills. Showcasing his blocking, ability to gain yardage after contact and of course catching passes. The number two back will get plenty of quality snaps, a big reason why he caught seven passes for 44 yards against the Bills.
Lining up with Chubb in the backfield is going to do numbers for Hunt when he is given the ball, potentially a dynamic duo to watch over the next seven games. Kareem Hunt is slated to go for just over 10 fantasy points this week, but I would expect slightly more. The Browns utilized him big time in his first week back and he will be as important against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
James Conner - Conner has battled some injury time this season and just hasn’t been the same running back he was last year. Despite seeing less rushing yards this season, Conner has affected the game of fantasy football.
The Steelers running back had his best performance on the ground in week eight against the Miami Dolphins. Gaining 145 yards on 23 carries is what the strong back did against one of the lesser teams in the National Football League. Conner has found his way through the passing game this season more so than the run game in terms of fantasy points. Every week except week five against the Ravens Conner has caught three or more passes.
With a rookie quarterback this makes sense as Conner is often a check down option that can work after the catch. To beat the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh will need a successful run game to help out quarterback Mason Rudolph. They have the running back to do that, it’s just a waiting game to see if the Browns can limit him in his first week back.
Steelers Defense - If you have the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in fantasy football, you’re likely happy with what you’ve gained from them this season. One of the better defenses in football for multiple reasons.
Steelers have allowed plenty of points this season, with their opponents scoring 17 or more points in all but three games, but that isn’t where the Steelers leave their mark. Turnovers are the name of the game and the Steelers are as good as anyone at causing them. Forcing 26 turnovers already this season is no easy number to generate and Cleveland will have their hands full with this Pittsburgh defense and defensive line.
Minkah Fitzpatrick has five interceptions and two forced fumbles on the season for Pittsburgh. All of those coming with the Steelers except for one forced fumble, goes to prove that Steelers have a special one in their defensive backfield. Combining players like Minkah with the defensive line, Steelers defense could wreck some havoc and create turnovers on Thursday night.
