All Stats Courtesy Of fantasydata.com
The Steelers pulled off a hard-fought victory against the Denver Broncos to improve their record to 2-0. Despite a strong start by the offense, it was ultimately the defensive unit that carried the weight in the second half and relegated the Broncos offense to just eight points.
- Defense -
Alex Highsmith would get the party started for the Steelers defense, recording the first sack of the game. He would finish with four tackles, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. Despite performance, Highsmith currently sits 51st among linebackers with 14.2 fantasy points. All-World defender T.J. Watt was his usual dominant self, finishing the game with three tackles, a sack, and two quarterback hits. Though he should be higher, Watt remains in the 10th spot among linebackers with 24.2 points.
In his first two weeks, DeShon Elliott continues to be one of the biggest standouts in the Steelers secondary. In their Week 2 win over the Broncos, Elliott registered nine tackles and a tackle for loss. For his strong play on the field, Elliott moved up nine spots to 27th among defensive backs with 15.0 fantasy points. As for cornerback Donte Jackson, he wasn't nearly as impactful as he was in Week 1. He would finish the game with three tackles and a tackle of loss, but he would fall all the way down to the 88th spot among defensive backs with 9.5 fantasy points.
Despite locking down high-level receivers in both weeks, cornerback Joey Porter Jr.'s fantasy stock remains low as he has yet to produce any splash plays. He currently sits 149th with 3.8 fantasy points. As is the case with Porter Jr., All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has yet to produce any splash plays but continues to be solid at supporting the run. Fitzpatrick currently sits 48th among defensive backs with 12.5 fantasy points, moving down two spots from Week 1.
Veteran Cameron Heyward remains a force on the defensive line after making an impact against the Broncos. Despite not getting a sack, he had three quarterback hits and three tackles. Heyward's outstanding level of play propelled him eight ranks to No. 50 among defensive lineman, with 8.0 fantasy points. Larry Ogunjobi would not be as impactful as he was in Week 1. He dropped all the way to No. 90, with 5.5 fantasy points. Finally, Montravius Adams, who was near the top 20 after Week 1, slipped to No. 42 with 8.9 fantasy points.
- Offense -
As the defense continues to prosper, the Steelers offense continues to struggle scoring points.
After a hot start, quarterback Justin Fields would cool off the second half and would finish with just 117 passing yards, 27 rushing yards, and a touchdown pass. Following his Week 2 performance, Fields moved down to the 22nd spot among quarterbacks with 23.3 fantasy points.
Receiver George Pickens would finish with 29 passing yards on two receptions. Unfortunately for Pickens, his stock plummeted to 22nd among receivers with 18.4 fantasy points. Tight end Pat Freiermuth would perform considerably better, moving up five spots to ninth place with 14.6 fantasy points after 39 yards and four receptions. Speaking of tight ends, Darnell Washington scored his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter. Despite only one reception for five yards, he now ranks 23rd among tight ends with 9.0 fantasy points.
Najee Harris led the way on the ground, gaining 69 yards on 17 carries at 4.1 yards per carry. Harris climbed two spots to No. 33 among running backs, with 17.3 fantasy points. Backup Jaylen Warren sits 43rd among running backs with 12.1 fantasy points.
Week 2 Steelers Fantasy Stock
- Buy -
LB T.J Watt
WR George Pickens (low)
DB DeShon Elliott
DL Cam Heyward
DL Montravius Adams
LB Alex Highsmith
TE Pat Freiermuth (low)
CB Cory Trice Jr. (low)
- Sell -
LB Patrick Queen
QB Justin Fields
LB Elandon Roberts
CB Donte Jackson
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