Pittsburgh, 2019 was painful. Almost as painful as watching Ben run on a treadmill. Fear not, Steelers faithful, Roethlisburgers are back on the menu! And they look to be well-done. As in done well, not cooked well-done, only monsters eat meat well done. Don’t be a monster. In case you missed it, last time we covered the Baltimore Ravens. This time, we are going behind the Steel Curtain to project what 2020 will look like in the Berg.

QB:

Ben Roethlisberger: Passing: 375/575-4,409 Yds, 28 TD:13 INT
Rushing: 22-61, 6 FMBL
Standard: 275.6 (16)
0.5 PPR: 275.6 (16)
1 PPR: 275.6 (16)

Mason Rudolph: Passing: This is exactly what I am doing in my drafts, passing on Rudolph.
Rushing: Tears will be rushing down Steelers fans’ faces if this guy sees the field.

Steelers fans, rejoice! Ben has returned, and you don’t have to watch a reindeer or duck throw passes in 2020. Don’t you dare get hurt again Ben, how much do you expect us to be able to handle? Ben should get right back in the groove, and while I dont see him as elite anymore, he is still very capable. He will have some huge games. I love him as my QB2, or Superflex option. He could very easily outperform these projections. Then again, can he stay healthy this year? He is a high-ceiling, low-floor option for me because of age and injury. But when he is on the field, he puts up big numbers.

For the love of all that is holy, I intentionally didn’t project anything for Rudolph or Duck, because I never wanna see them play again. If Ben goes down, run away from this entire team. Neither of those guys inspires any confidence.

RB:

James Conner: Rushing: 186-818-6 TD: 2 FMBL
Receiving: 61 targets, 48 catches, 426 Yds, 2 TD
Standard: 170.4 (22)
0.5 PPR: 194.4 (21)
1 PPR: 218.4 (18)

Anthony McFarland: Rushing: 43-220-3 TDs
Receiving: 12 targets, 8 catches, 60 Yds
Standard: 46 (68)
0.5 PPR: 50 (67)
1 PPR: 54 (69)

Jaylen Samuels: Rushing: 38-149-1 TD: 1 FMBL
Receiving: 24 targets, 18 catches, 135 Yds, 1 TD
Standard: 39.4 (71)
0.5 PPR: 48.4 (69)
1 PPR: 57.4 (67)

Benny Snell: Rushing: 39-118-1 TD
Receiving: 3 targets, 2 catches, 13 Yds
Standard: 19.1 (86)
0.5 PPR: 20.1 (87)
1 PPR: 21.1 (90)

Conner intrigues me. He is very talented, but has struggled to stay on the field. A 16 game season could easily translate to much higher numbers. I lack confidence in a 16 game season. But I do want exposure to Conner, because when he plays, he is excellent. His dual-threat ability and the potent offense around him should equal great numbers when he is healthy.

When he inevitably isn’t, I like McFarland to assume the job. The other two lack real upside, although Samuels will be used some. I just don’t like his upside nearly as much as McFarland’s. Snell is an afterthought. If I take Conner, I am most definitely targeting McFarland later. The lead back here is gonna produce.

WR:

JuJu Smith-Schuster: Receiving: 132 targets, 91 catches, 1,180 Yds, 8 TDs: 1 FMBL
Standard: 165 (10)
0.5 PPR: 210.5 (8)
1 PPR: 256 (7)

Diontae Johnson: Receiving: 104 targets, 68 catches, 816 Yds, 6 TD: 3 FMBL
Standard: 114.6 (40)
0.5 PPR: 148.6 (37)
1 PPR: 182.6 (37)

Chase Claypool: Receiving: 54 targets, 32 catches, 475 Yds, 3 TDs
Standard: 65.5 (75)
0.5 PPR: 81.5 (79)
1 PPR: 97.5 (80)

James Washington: Receiving: 64 targets, 33 catches, 462 Yds, 2 TD: 1 FMBL
Standard: 57.2 (85)
0.5 PPR: 73..7 (86)
1 PPR: 90.2 (86)

Deon Cain: Receiving: 9 targets, 5 caches, 90 yards
Standard: 9 (146)
0.5 PPR: 11.5 (147)
1 PPR: 14 (148)

JuJu. Last year was bad JuJu. This year, good JuJu. Snag him. Trust me. Ben loves him some JuJu. Smith-Schuster should remind Steelers fans around the world why they loved him so much. He is primed for a huge year. 166 targets in 2018 seems a bit high, but don’t be surprised if it gets there.

Johnson was a bit of a revelation in 2019, especially when you consider who was throwing to him. He should see triple-digit targets, and that kind of target share appeals to me greatly. He will also benefit from a resurgent JuJu as teams will have to account for him first.

Claypool excites me the most out of the rest. He is a big body and a red-zone weapon. He should assume WR3 by years end. However, Washington could make me look silly if he continues his improvement in year 3. I just love Claypools TD potential.

Also, Deon Cain plays for the Steelers. Congrats, Deon.

TE:

Eric Ebron: Receiving: 71 targets, 43 catches, 481 Yds, 4 TD: 1 FMBL
Standard: 72.1 (23)
0.5 PPR: 93.6 (23)
1 PPR: 115.1 (25)

Vance McDonald: Receiving: 38 targets, 25 catches, 260 Yds, 2 TD: 1 FMBL
Standard: 37 (41)
0.5 PPR: 49.5 (40)
1 PPR: 62 (40)

Zach Gentry: Receiving: 3 targets, 2 catches, 11 Yds
Standard: 1.1 (86)
0.5 PPR: 2.1 (86)
1 PPR: 3.1 (86)

Eric Ebron is a conundrum to me. We saw his capabilities in 2018. We have also seen that the rest of his 6 year career has been kinda meh. Will he be healthy? Which Ebron will we see? I projected middle of the road for him, but I feel less confident about him than most of the other tight ends I projected. He feels very boom or bust to me.

McDonald is gonna get targets, but not enough to remain relevant in fantasy. He will instantly become that if Ebron goes down. But I am avoiding him otherwise, I see many others around the league with higher upside.

Remember Deon Cain? Hes good buddies with Zach Gentry.

Big Ben is back baby! No more alliteration, sorry. How do you feel about the Steelers in 2020? I need to know. Your opinions matter to me. Even if they are stupid. Follow me on Twitter @realryanhicks. Follow Belly Up Fantasy on Twitter for all your sports needs. Next up, we have the Indianapolis Colts.