Le'Veon Bell

Le'Veon Bell will continue his holdout through Week 8 according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Fantasy Impact

Bell is going to hold out through next Tuesday's trade deadline. It's unclear what will happen after that, but one has to assume he'll be back shortly. If Bell doesn't report after Week 10 then he will not be able to become a free agent at season's end. In the meantime James Conner will be an RB1 versus the Browns this week.

Ian Rapaport of NFL Network reports Le’Veon Bell is still not with the Steelers on Monday morning.

Fantasy Impact

Some thought Bell would report following last week’s bye, but that’s not the case today. The running back has to show up after Week 10 otherwise he won’t be able to become a free agent after the year. That seems like the likeliest outcome, but it can’t be considered a given. James Conner will serve as Pittsburgh’s feature back for at least one more week.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers are not expecting Le'Veon Bell to report this week.

Fantasy Impact

Bell was previously expected to report this week, but he has yet to show up. Bell hasn't even been talking with Pittsburgh, so it's anyone's guess as to when (if) he reports this year. The Steelers are on a bye this week, so there's still plenty of time for the star running back to show up. Until that happens, however, James Conner will continue to be a RB1 in fantasy.

There's currently no sign of Le'Veon Bell at the Steelers' facility. There were reports that Bell would show up during the team's Week 7 bye.

Fantasy Impact

Bell could still show up this week, but it's hard to tell what his future holds. He could be traded, he could rejoin the Steelers, or he could continue to hold out. A trade would seem to be the best bet for fantasy owners to find value from their likely first-round pick, as even if he returns to the Steelers it's not sure what role he'll fill given the success of the offense in general and James Conner specifically.

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell is expected to report to the Steelers by the team's Week 7 bye.

Fantasy Impact

In a shocking turn of events, it appears that Bell is going to report to the Steelers at their Week 7 bye. Moreover, and perhaps, most importantly for the team as well as for his fantasy owners, Bell is "planning" to play football for the Steelers in 2018. However, despite the uplifting news, it wouldn't surprise me if Pittsburgh continues to shop him to avoid future headaches. Upon his return, Bell will be viewed at his usual spot atop the fantasy football running back ranks.