• Start Justin Fields: The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is playing like we all expected when he was drafted, and his fantasy stats could improve in a great matchup.
• Sit Rachaad White: White could be restricted to a receiving back role for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as early as this week.
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Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
Deciding who to start or sit in fantasy football can be as simple as checking PFF's rankings and choosing the higher-ranked player. This start-sit column goes a step further, examining why a typical starter might struggle in a given week or why an overlooked player could perform well. While usual starters often remain the best choices, we also focus on those borderline players worth considering.
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QUARTERBACKS
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Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fields is known for his rushing, but he’s been one of the best passers in the NFL this season. His 81.0 PFF passing grade ranks fifth among quarterbacks. He has specifically played well against zone defenses, where he has a higher PFF passing grade both this year and over his entire career. Fields is averaging 7.5 yards per attempt against zone compared to 5.1 against man.
According to PFF's strength of schedule tool, the Steelers have the fifth-best matchup for quarterbacks this week against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts deploy zone defense at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL, and their best defensive back, both by reputation and by PFF grade, is Kenny Moore II, who didn’t practice Wednesday with a hip injury. If he misses time, Fields could have an even better game.
Fields is averaging 9.3 carries per game, which is just slightly less than last season, but his yards per carry is at 3.2, which is almost half of what it was in Chicago (6.2). The rate at which he has taken designed runs or scrambles or sneaks hasn’t changed significantly, with the big difference being his rushing yards average on scrambles. Fields averaged 9.2 yards per scramble in Chicago compared to 6.6 in Pittsburgh, with a lower rate of explosive runs. If his breakaway rate gets back to his career average, his fantasy value will explode.
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