The Steelers visit Tennessee for the first game of week 6 in what could be a surprisingly productive matchup for fantasy football owners.
Pittsburgh's offense looked ordinary at best against the Eagles last week, but the Titans aren't likely to provide the same type of resistance. Tennessee has intercepted one pass for every four touchdown passes allowed and has allowed opposing QB's to complete and league-worst 74.6% of their passes. Those stats alone make Ben Roethlisberger a solid option this week, but the fact that his top weapons on the outside also matchup favorably allows Big Ben — his 2.5 touchdown passes per game against Tennessee is more than against any other opponent — to move comfortably within my top 10 signal callers.
Mike Wallace has played three games in his career against below average pass defenses on a short week, and has consistently rewarded his loyal fantasy owners in those instances. Wallace has averaged over five catches for 92 yards on short weeks, and it is reasonable to think he could once again approach those numbers tonight. Antonio Brown has yet to live up to the preseason hype, but all signs are pointing toward a breakout sooner rather than later. He was targeted a team high 10 times last weekend, and I expect the high target count to continue as Big Ben's mobility plays well into Brown's strengths. He won't be the player with the highlight reel bomb, but he is the Steeler WR with the least downside, a valuable attribute in fantasy football.
As for the Steelers run game, I expect a committee style attack tonight, making all involved a difficult start. Sure, Rashard Mendenhall looked phenomenal in his season debut last week — 16 touches for 101 yards and a TD — but he is still fresh off of a serious knee injury and a short work week isn't likely to help the recovery process. If you're going to start a Pittsburgh back, Mendenhall is your man, but remember Adrian Peterson's encore performance after a big week one? I would temper expectations for Mendenhall tonight, as I don't view him as a top-15 RB this week.
Based on the public perception of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you would think this is a brutal matchup for any Titans players. Not so fast. The Steelers have intercepted just one pass against eight touchdown passes allowed, one of the worst ratios in all of football. They also rank well below the NFL average when it comes to rushing attempts against per game, giving me confidence that Matt Hasselbeck could be a sneaky play this week. The Titans have struggled to run the ball (I'm looking at you Chris Johnson) and teams this year have found success through the air against the Steelers.
Where Hasselbeck is going to go with the ball, however, is a concern. With the Titans a touchdown underdog, the likelihood of Nate Washington producing in a big way is unlikely. He has averaged less than three catches and 41 yards in the Titans' four losses this season and has yet to catch more than four passes in a game this year. Kenny Britt's stock figures to begin ascending in the near future, as he becomes more comfortable/healthy after missing time early in the season. Washington has been the better fantasy option thus far, but I see these two receivers as headed in opposite directions, with Britt potentially passing NW as early as tonight.
Not to be discounted in the passing game is Jared Cook. Troy Polamalu is going to miss this game and James Harrison admitted to being a bit gun shy, making yards across the middle a bit easier to come by. Over his last eight games, Cook has tallied 40 catches, more than the higher profile Vernon Davis. Don't let the Steelers aura scare you away from Cook this week, as they rank in the bottom third of the league when it comes to stopping TE's.
Stat most likely to not matter: Chris Johnson has averaged nearly 21 touches for 123 yards on games not played on Sunday or Monday.
Soppe Score: The Steelers are the better football team and have better players at pretty much every position. That being said, I like the cagy Matt Hasselbeck to keep his team in it against a defense that simply isn't the same without Polamalu. If the Titans can establish any type of ground game, they will have a chance to win this game, but Chris Johnson is going to have to prove it before I predict it. I'll take the road team in a 24-20 game that is decided in the fourth quarter.
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