Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 12

After a pair of high-profile games with plenty of fantasy production, Week 12 reels it back in with an AFC North slugfest. The division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers come off a victory over the Ravens and travel to Cleveland to take on the last-place Browns. FullTime Fantasy‘s Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 12 covers all fantasy-relevant for the game.

Mike Tomlin is doing another masterful job in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won five straight to take a game-and-a-half lead in the AFC North.

Meanwhile, the Browns have improved but lost six of their last seven. Changes could be coming to Cleveland. However, Kevin Stefanski’s team will be ready to pull off the upset.

The Steelers enter this game as 3.5-point favorites and the total has plummeted from 42.5 down to 36.5. That sounds like a November AFC North battle.

Matchup 

TEAM	OFFENSE	PASS	RUSH	YDS/PLAY	POINTS
Pittsburgh Steelers	19	28	9	22	18
Cleveland Browns	27	23	30	32	31

You can pinpoint Cleveland’s struggles down to an offense that has had little success. The Browns rank last in yards per play and next to last in scoring. However, most of that is due to having Deshaun Watson under center. Cleveland failed to score 20 points in any game started by Watson. Cleveland has also scored the second-fewest points.

Cleveland’s offense has looked far more credible with Jameis Winston as the quarterback. However, that once-vaunted Browns’ defense has fallen off. The Browns’ stop unit ranks 21st overall and 31st in sack rate.

Like the Browns, Pittsburgh’s offense has improved with a new signal-caller. However, this is a classic Steelers team that wins with defense and a top-10 rushing attack.

And unlike Cleveland, Tomlin’s stop unit remains elite. Pittsburgh boasts the NFL’s No. 2 overall defense. The Steelers are especially stingy against the rush, forcing Winston and company to air it out and risk turnovers.

Pittsburgh Offense 

 

 

How will Thursday’s Steelers vs. Browns game go?

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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 10

Predictably, Week 9’s Steelers/Titans game lacked fantasy firepower. And that appears to be applicable again in Week 10 as the offensively-challenged Panthers travel to Chicago to take on the last-place Bears. Our Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 10 breaks down the fantasy prospects in a game that seemingly lacks talking points.

The Panthers mustered only 275 yards of offense and 13 points in a home loss to the Colts. Now, the 1-win Panthers must travel on short rest. Carolina is 0-4 on the road and has yet to win a game against an NFC rival.

Meanwhile, the Bears have quarterback concerns. Tyson Bagent has been adequate, but Chicago’s offense lacks scoring upside without Justin Fields. Last week, the Bears out-gained New Orleans but dropped to 1-2 without Fields under center.

This game opened with the home team favored by just 1.5 points with a total of 41. However, early action on the Bears pushed the line to -3 and the total dipped to 39.

Matchup 

TEAM	OFFENSE	PASS	RUSH	YDS/PLAY	POINTS
Carolina Panthers	30	27	24	31	26
Chicago Bears	14	24	4	15	19

Scoring has been an issue all season for the Panthers, and Carolina’s offensive line has been a big culprit. The Panthers rank 31st in passing yards per attempt and have allowed the fifth-most sacks. LT Ikem Ekwonu has struggled, leading to a lack of time and no ability for plays to develop downfield.

Carolina has only topped 250 passing yards once all season and their defense has allowed the second-most points and forced just seven turnovers. Subsequently, it is difficult to rely on the Panthers for points or fantasy production. Even when facing a Chicago defense that ranks 26th.

For the Bears, they will focus on keeping the ball on the ground. Chicago’s rushing attack ranks fourth and matches up well with a Carolina D that has surrendered the fifth-most rushing yards and allowed a league-worst 14 rushing touchdowns so far in 2023.

However, the biggest question for the Bears will be the health of quarterback Justin Fields. Tyson Bagent has filled in well for three games. But, Fields brings potential as a passer and runner that has been lacking.

Finally, weather should not be a factor. The forecast calls for 48-degree temperatures, with no precipitation or abnormal wind.

Carolina Offense 

Bryce Young is being overshadowed by…

How will Thursday’s Panthers vs. Bears game go?

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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 9

Last week’s game was better than advertised, as the Bucs hung with the Bills. However, the Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 9 offers up a pair of underperforming offenses that will be hard-pressed to be as entertaining.

Of course, that doesn’t mean this game has no headlines. Will Levis gets his first road start after an historic NFL debut. But, the Titans face a tough task traveling on short rest to take on the Steelers.

As for the Steelers, they face their own quarterback questions with Kenny Pickett’s health.

Both offenses have struggled in 2023, so we have an unusually low total of 36.5 points.

The Steelers are favored by just 2.5 points. That line tells us that Vegas thinks the Titans are the better team on a neutral field. But, are they?

Matchup 

TEAM	OFFENSE	PASS	RUSH	YDS/PLAY	POINTS
Tennessee Titans	27	30	13	14	23
Pittsburgh Steelers	32	25	28	27	29

It has been a struggle for the Titans and Steelers to score points all season. Pittsburgh enters Week 9 with the league’s worst offense. The Steelers also rank last in the league with a 26.3% first-down rate and enter this game with only six touchdown passes in eight games.

Meanwhile, the Titans have the fewest pass attempts in football. Only the Jets and Browns have fewer passing yards than Tennessee’s 1,442. Tennessee is an old-school offense that churns out rushing yards, controls the clock, and is a top-5 unit in converting fourth downs.

Also, Tennessee has the edge defensively. The Titans boast the NFL’s 13th-ranked stop unit. They rank 13th against the run and in points allowed. Plus, the Titans are top-10 in sack rate.

Pittsburgh’s defense had dropped off. The Steelers have the fifth-worst run defense through eight weeks. That’s a mismatch against a Titans offense that wants to run the ball 30-plus times.

This game opened with the Steelers favored by 3.5 and a total of 37.5. However, both of those numbers have dipped by one point.

Tennessee Titans Offense 

Will Levis made headlines in his first NFL start, throwing for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns. Levis made some excellent throws. However, he also was lucky and the Falcons

How will Thursday’s Titans vs. Steelers game go?

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NFL training camps are underway. That means the fantasy football draft season has finally arrived! Our annual Flagship Feature is called Preseason Pro. This 2023 Preseason Pro: Ian Ritchie gives you exclusive insight you can find only at FullTime Fantasy.

Here at FullTime Fantasy, we’ve assembled the very best high-stakes players in the world; 5 of the Top 10 World-Ranked players, and one of the top RANKERS in the country — to help you win your Fantasy Football league.

Nobody else in the industry can bring you this type of information. Also, we host the Fantasy Football World Championships and these players are gracious enough to lend us a hand to help promote the very best content in the industry.

Each of them is putting their reputation on the line for all to see and is providing us with their:

ONE Top Sleeper, ONE Breakout, ONE Bust

ONE Comeback, and ONE late-round Stash & Cash.

to help you with your upcoming draft. However- it’s only one per category! They don’t know what anyone else has submitted so you’re getting the unvarnished gut check from the very best players in the world. High rollers have offered some of them literally hundreds of dollars for this kind of private advice. And that’s just for just one opinion. Here you’re getting no less than SEVEN, and Preseason Pro continues to be the elite product of the fantasy season.

This year’s Preseason Pro picks are included FREE with your FullTime Fantasy Membership!

What makes their opinion so worthy? Simple. They win. Year in and year out they’re winners. While some may ask, “Why would they help me?”, there is no question that when their pride and integrity are on the line, they step up and make bold calls to help others. When we have questions on Sunday, this is who we call. We’re essentially bringing our high-stakes connections to FullTime Fantasy.

When your league is on the line, who do you trust? A magazine that contains out-of-date news? No. Those days are over. Not all experts are considered equal.

WHO IS PLAYER X?  That’s a mystery. However, we assure you that this player is a noteworthy veteran of the high-stakes community. Player X has accumulated a staggering bankroll and won multiple high-stakes titles. They’re legends among multiple high-stakes formats and in Las Vegas.

Player X also has racked up impressive wins at the Fantasy Football World Championship. While this person won’t reveal their identity, they agreed to share some of the insight and players they’ve been targeting so far in the 2023 fantasy football season.

— BREAKOUT — 

George Pickens (WR) Pittsburgh Steelers – George Pickens has a chance to be a SUPERSTAR in this league if he is given the volume to succeed.  He makes catches and plays that other players physically cannot make and he does it routinely.

Pickens has a Randy Moss-esque star power about him and the tools to play like him, it just comes down to Kenny Pickett feeding him the ball. A quick search on social media will show some of the eye-opening plays that the sophomore wideout has already made in training camp.

Also, Having Diontae Johnson on the other side with TE Pat Freiermuth in the middle means defenses cannot have a singular focus to stop Pickens and anytime he has 1-1 coverage, the ball MUST go his way.  And if it does, you are seeing a potential top-10 fantasy wide receiver. ..

 

WHO WILL BE PLAYER X’S SLEEPER, BUST, COMEBACK, AND LATE-ROUND STATSH FOR THE UPCOMING FANTASY FOOTBALL SEASON?

 

To finish reading these Preseason Pro picks for Sleeper, Bust, Breakout, Comeback, and Stash & Cash for 2023…

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2023  Pittsburgh Steelers Outlook

The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.

Also, check out Jody Smith’s NFL offensive line rankings and exclusive 2023 Strength of Schedule analysis.

Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers Outlook.

— PROJECTIONS —

— Quarterback —

Kenny Pickett

Pickett developed into a stud quarterback in their senior year in college (4,319 yards with 42 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions) after a mediocre career over his first four seasons (7,984 passing yards with 39 touchdowns and 25 interceptions over 39 games). His completion rate (67.2) and yards per pass attempt (8.7) were well above his previous resume (60.4 and 6.8). Over five seasons, he ran the ball 417 times for 801 yards and 20 touchdowns despite gaining only 1.9 yards per carry.

The Pittsburgh Panthers used Pickett almost exclusively out of the shotgun, which fits well with the Steelers. When given a long passing window, he had his eyes up, looking to beat defenses over the top. Pickett showed the ability to make quick pre-snap reads. His arm strength grades well, with enough mobility to make a breaking-free rusher miss with his legs. When asked to roll out to his right, Pickett maintained his accuracy on the move. He won’t be a difference-maker in the run game, but Pickett can pick up some first downs with his legs and offer scoring value on sneaks at the goal line.

At the next level, his most significant challenges will come from a shorter passing window and the overall quality of his supporting cast in the passing game. In a way, he has a Matt Ryan feel with less size but more quickness. Pickett is a pocket passer with a chance to beat expectations by some scouts. 

In his rookie season, he made 13 starts while failing to deliver impact stats in any matchup. Pickett passed for more than 300 yards in Week 5 (327/0) while attempting over 40 passes in three contests. Over his final eight games, he averaged only 180 passing yards with five touchdowns and one interception. His value as a runner (55/237/3) was better than expected. 

Fantasy Outlook: A couple of concussions knocked Pickett out of a couple of starts while costing him one game. His chemistry with Diontae Johnson (52.9% catch rate) and finding him in the end zone (no touchdowns) was a problem. Pittsburgh has a pass-catching back plus six other viable receiving options, giving Pickett a chance to be much better in 2023. His first step in his growth is finishing drives with passing touchdowns in the red zone. The tools to succeed are in place, but I still view him as a gamble QB2 (ranked 21st) in 12-team fantasy formats. For now, a player and offense to watch in the preseason to see if the sum of the parts equals a worthy quarterback investment. 

Mitchell Trubisky

Most football observers think of Trubisky as a first-round bust (2nd overall pick in 2017). After a quiet rookie season (4-8 with seven touches and seven interceptions), he went 27-16 over his next 43 starts, with a pro bowl appearance in 2018. His completion rate (65.3) was respectable over this stretch, but Trubisky settles for too many short passes (6.8 yards per pass attempt). 

Last year, he went 2-3 with Pittsburgh over seven appearances with 1,252 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. Trubisky lost his momentum in the run game (19/38/2). 

Pittsburgh signed Trubisky to a two-year deal with a base pay of $14 million in 2022 with an upside of $27 million if he hits on all his incentives. They saw enough of his game to extend him for another two seasons in May. 

Fantasy Outlook: Trubisky provides veteran experience at quarterback for the Steelers, but he should open the season behind Kenny Pickett on the depth chart. With no spark in any start last year, Trubisky has much to prove to the fantasy market before earning a bench role. 

Other Options: Mason Rudolph, Tanner Morgan

— Running Backs —

The Steelers’ running backs have seen an increase in rushing attempts in back-to-back seasons, leading to three-year highs in attempts (426), rushing yards (1,798), and yards per carry (4.2). Their backs continue to gain short yards per catch (6.2) while receiving 21.4% of the team’s completions. Pittsburgh’s running back picked up seven passing touchdowns over the past three seasons, with minimal change in their overall scoring (12, 12, and 14 touchdowns).

Najee Harris

In his first season in the NFL, Harris ranked third in fantasy scoring (300.70) in PPR formats. Pittsburgh had him on the field for 81.4% of their plays, leading to a massive workload (381 touches). In essence, Harris had a Le’Veon Bell opportunity in this offense with less explosiveness. Between Week 2 and Week 17, Harris has a floor of 16.80 fantasy points in 13 of his 15 starts. He was a better player at home (1,042 combined yards with five touchdowns and 44 catches) than on the road (653 combined yards with five touchdowns and 32 catches). His only three games with over 100 yards rushing (23/122/1, 26/105, and 28/188/1) came in Pittsburgh.

Harris came into last season with some concerns about a foot injury. He ended up playing all 17 games, leading to 1,263 combined yards, 10 touchdowns, and 41 catches. His yards per rush have been an issue in back-to-back years (3.9 and 3.8), along with his yards per catch (6.3 and 5.6). Last season, Harris gained more than 20 yards on only one of his 313 touches. He finished 14th in running back scoring (225.50) in PPR formats while reaching 20.00 fantasy points in only two outings (27.60 and 20.30). Harris scored seven of his 10 touchdowns over his final eight games.  He had a gamer mentality based on playing through multiple injuries in 2022 (foot, knee, oblique, and hip).

The Steelers have tried to improve their offensive line through the draft and free agency over the past two seasons. The best help for Harris should be the addition of LT Broderick Jones this year.

Fantasy Outlook: The most significant negative for Harris may be the potential value of backup running back Jaylen Warren. He’ll clearly get in the way in the passing game (28/214 on 33 targets), and Warren showed more explosiveness in yards per rush (4.9) and yards per catch (7.6). Harris comes off the board as the 14th running back in the early draft season in the high-stakes market. With 300 touches, he should gain a minimum of 1,300 yards with about a dozen scores and 50 catches. Harris has a high floor and a sneaky ceiling.

Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh signed Warren as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after showing growth in his play in his final year at Oklahoma State (256/1,216/11 with 25 catches for 225 yards). 

The Steelers gave him a minimal role over his first four games (77 combined yards and seven catches on 17 touches) before showing a spark in a chaser game vs. the Bills (63 yards and four catches). Warren gained more than 75 combined yards in Week 8 and Week 10 with a combined six catches. His season ended with a bump in touches (43) over the final four matchups (35/173/1 and eight catches for 47 yards). 

Overall, Pittsburgh had Warren on the field for 29.4% of their plays compared to 65.7 by Najee Harris.

Fantasy Outlook: With better offensive play by the Steelers, Warren should see his touches increase by 20 to 30%. In early ADP…

 

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE STEELERS IN 2023?

To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players

 

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