Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. I also included links to all my previous divisional nuggets articles at the bottom of the page. With that said, let’s jump right in!
Steelers
Summary
The Steelers demolished the Browns in this game, 38-7. Their defense completely shut down the Browns’ offense, so the Steelers didn’t need to do much on offense. They also escaped the game without any significant injuries to their offense.
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger had a quiet game, completing 14/22 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He’s answered all the concerns surrounding his health, and I believe he will remain the Steelers’ starter for as long as he wants to continue playing. The Steelers are currently 5-0, so there’s no reason for them to look at a new quarterback. Roethlisberger could be an excellent cheap buy for contenders in superflex leagues.
Running Backs
James Conner had a nice game, taking 20 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown, and he had one reception for a yard. However, Conner’s contract is up at the end of the 2020 season, so I doubt he’ll be back in Pittsburgh in 2021. Conner is a weird dynasty asset, as he’s likely one of the NFL’s 32 best running backs, but he’s not good enough to be worth a sizeable free-agent contract. I’m curious where he lands in 2021.
Unfortunately, both Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland don’t look good in backup duty. Neither got anything going in this game, and I think they’re just backup quality NFL running backs. If the Steelers move on from Conner, they will do so for a highly drafted running back or a superior free agent. Sell either Snell or McFarland if you have a league mate that believes either could become the Steelers’ 2021 starting running back.
Receiving Weapons
The Steelers’ receiving corps is a fantasy mess at the moment. Diontae Johnson missed this game with another injury, but he’s the traditional alpha receiver in this offense. I believe that when Johnson returns, he will assume his role from the first two weeks, where he dominated the Steelers’ offense with 14 receptions on 23 targets.
Outside of Johnson, the Steelers have split targets almost equally between Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and James Washington.
Claypool is a stud. I believe that both Johnson and Claypool will be long-term stars on the Steelers. Right now, I would lean toward Johnson over Claypool, but Claypool is making that gap smaller and smaller each week. He caught all four of his targets for 74 yards, and he rushed for another touchdown. The Steelers consistently design plays for Claypool, and he’s going to be a clear starter even when Johnson comes back. You can’t buy Claypool anymore, but don’t sell either. Hang on and enjoy the ride.
Smith-Schuster is a prominent dynasty faller, as he caught only two receptions on four targets for six yards. At this point, there’s no way that the Steelers plan to re-sign Smith-Schuster after his contract expires this year. Johnson is their top receiver now, with Claypool emerging as another outside receiver. They could sign a cheap slot receiver to play alongside those two dynamic outside threats, or they could use Washington outside, pushing either Claypool or Johnson into the slot.
At this point, you need to hold Smith-Schuster in dynasty leagues. He had 1,426 yards and 111 receptions in 2018. Those types of numbers do not happen by accident in the NFL. Someone will sign him to a decent contract in free agency to primarily play from the slot, where he excels. He’s around 45th overall in my 1QB dynasty rankings, as he only turns 24 years old in November.
Washington is the traditional deep threat, averaging 10.9 yards/reception and catching 65.4% of his targets. He had a decent game with four receptions on seven targets for 68 yards and a touchdown. But, I haven’t seen much from Washington that impresses me. He’s not getting the volume like Smith-Schuster, and he’s not efficient like Claypool. With Claypool breaking out, I expect Washington to see the bench once Johnson returns to the field.
With all of the receivers doing well, there’s no room for tight end Eric Ebron. He only had two receptions for nine yards in this game, and I think he’ll be inconsistent all season. The Steelers focus on their wide receivers, and Ebron isn’t an exceptional talent. Treat him as a weekly TE2, nothing more.
Ravens
Summary
The Ravens had a relatively quiet offensive day, although they scored 30 points in a 30-28 victory over the Eagles. Mark Ingram suffered an ankle injury in the game, although the Ravens have a Week 7 bye. Ingram could return for Week 8, but it’s unclear right now.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson did little as a passer, completing 16/27 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown. However, he finally broke out as a runner, taking nine carries for an exceptional 108 yards and a touchdown. Jackson remains a solid, high-end QB1 in all dynasty formats, although he’s undoubtedly regressed somewhat in 2020.
Running Backs
As mentioned above, Ingram suffered an ankle injury, causing him to miss most of this game. Gus Edwards, not J.K. Dobbins, became the lead back in Ingram’s place. Edwards only had 14 carries for 26 yards, while Dobbins took nine carries for 28 yards. If Ingram misses time, I expect the Ravens to employ a committee between Edwards and Dobbins, although they could also involve 2019 fourth-rounder Justice Hill. I’m looking to acquire Dobbins right now before the buy-low window slams shut in dynasty leagues.
Receiving Weapons
Unfortunately, we’re starting to see what we worried about before the 2019 season. The Ravens don’t have the requisite passing volume to support many, if any, receiving weapons. Marquise Brown caught four of six targets for 57 yards, but he’s just not seeing enough work to be more than a volatile WR3. I think Brown won’t ever develop into a Tyreek Hill-type player, and he’ll always be a boom-bust option.
Tight end Mark Andrews is the other significant receiving option, but he only caught two of four targets for 21 yards. Andrews remains my dynasty TE3 behind George Kittle and Travis Kelce, although his volume concerns me. Nick Boyle caught a touchdown in this game. Luckily, Andrews has seen a higher snap count this season, playing over half the snaps in every game. Better days will come for Andrews.
Outside of Brown and Andrews, there’s no way to count anyone else here. Willie Snead continues to play the second-most receiver snaps behind Brown, but you won’t rely on Snead in dynasty leagues. Both Miles Boykin and Devin Duvernay seem to have no fantasy relevance, although Duvernay has flashed some speed. I’d hold both players, but Duvernay has far more upside.
Browns
Summary
The Browns looked horrible in this game. As I discussed earlier, the Steelers demolished them 38-7, setting the Browns back to 4-2. Baker Mayfield struggled through a rib injury, eventually leaving the game in favor of Case Keenum. It’s unclear if Mayfield will be able to play next week, although he’s obviously in a lot of pain right now.
Quarterback
Mayfield showed nothing in this game, completing 10/18 passes for 119 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. He also took four sacks. Keenum played okay in relief, with five completions on 10 attempts for 46 yards. At this point, Mayfield has played well as a game manager in easier matchups, but he’s been awful in tougher ones.
I doubt the Browns bench Mayfield for Keenum at any point. However, the Browns have an important decision to make on Mayfield’s 2022 fifth-year option this offseason. If he doesn’t start to play better, they won’t pick up the option, leaving Mayfield in a prove-it year in 2021. Treat Mayfield as a guaranteed starter for the next season and a half, but he might not be a starting quarterback after that point.
Running Backs
The Browns miss starter Nick Chubb, who’s currently on injured reserve with an MCL injury. Kareem Hunt filled in as the workhorse back, but he only had 13 carries for 40 yards and two receptions for 17 yards. Hunt remains an RB1 as long as Chubb isn’t playing, but that’s likely only two more weeks. However, the Browns play the Bengals and Raiders in those matchups, providing a soft schedule for Hunt.
D’Ernest Johnson played sparingly as Hunt’s primary backup, but he managed four carries for one yard with no receptions. Any idea that the Browns would create a committee has vanished, as Hunt possesses far more talent than Johnson. The Browns also turned to Dontrell Hilliard in garbage time, but he’s worth nothing. Once Chubb returns, Johnson and Hilliard will represent easy drops for dynasty owners.
Receiving Weapons
Of course, Rashard Higgins caught the Browns’ only touchdown in this game, further frustrating all fantasy owners. The Browns ran Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, and Austin Hooper as their receiving centerpieces, rotating in Higgins, David Njoku, and Harrison Bryant as the final player on the field. Hooper led the team in receiving with five receptions for 52 yards. He’s played well, and he should present borderline TE1 value moving forward.
Both Beckham and Landry struggled this week. I think they will play better in future weeks, but neither player is particularly reliable. Their perceived dynasty value is so low, though, so you need to hold both players.
The Browns also need to trade Njoku to another team. He’s splitting snaps with Bryant as the TE2, but Bryant needs to see more action. He’s impressed as a rookie, and he could do more with a higher snap share. Both Bryant and Njoku are excellent dynasty stashes. Njoku could start as a receiving weapon for a different team, and Bryant would see more opportunities if Njoku went away. This situation is untenable, and I can’t see the Browns’ keeping Njoku through the trade deadline.
Bengals
Summary
The Bengals lost a messy game to the Colts, 31-27. Joe Mixon left the game for a short period with a foot injury, but he returned to the game later on. Given that Mixon returned to the contest, I don’t have any long-term concerns with his health.
Quarterback
Joe Burrow had a decent game, completing 25/39 passes for 313 yards and an interception. He also added a rushing touchdown. Burrow showed good chemistry with Tee Higgins, and he managed to get A.J. Green involved in the offense. I believe that Burrow looks like a future QB1, and he should have precisely that value in dynasty leagues.
Running Backs
Mixon missed a few series with his injury, but he still saw 18 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two of three targets for 15 yards. Both Burrow and Giovani Bernard vultured short touchdowns, but I’m not concerned for Mixon’s long-term volume. However, I’m beginning to accept that Mixon won’t be a consistent RB1 until the Bengals improve their offensive line. His volume alone isn’t enough to get him there.
Receiving Weapons
The Bengals have a clear top three receivers in Green, Higgins, and slot receiver Tyler Boyd. All three saw most of the offensive snaps along with tight end Drew Sample. Green returned to life in this game after a rough start to the 2020 season, catching eight of 11 targets for 96 yards. I believe this performance was a mirage, though. If you can acquire any future second-round rookie pick, I would immediately sell Green.
Higgins had an excellent game, with six receptions on eight targets for 125 yards. He is the Bengals’ future alpha WR1, and there’s no doubt in my mind he can play that role once Green leaves after 2020. Higgins will likely rank inside the top 60 overall in my updated 1 QB dynasty rankings.
Boyd is a decent slot option every week. He caught five of eight targets for 54 yards, and he will always present borderline WR2 value. Boyd only turns 26 years old in November, and the Bengals recently extended his contract through 2023. They’re only paying Boyd $10.75 million/year, which seems like a bargain. Boyd will likely never carry high dynasty value due to his lack of upside, but he’s an excellent cheaper buy candidate for contending teams.
Earlier in the season, the Bengals and Burrow seemed to like targeting their tight ends in the passing game, but they’ve moved away from that approach recently. Sample saw only one target, which he didn’t catch. But outside of one massive game in Week 2, Sample hasn’t done much this season. The snap count is there, but nothing else. He’s only a stash in dynasty leagues.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Divisional Nuggets Articles: NFC East (Week 2), AFC North (Week 3), AFC South (Week 4), NFC West (Week 5), NFC East (Week 6)
