Fantasy Football Player Notes

Smith-Schuster saw only six targets against the Giants but caught all six and turned two of them into touchdowns. Although Ben Roethlisberger looked rusty to start, once he found his groove, the entire Steelers offense looked strong, including Smith-Schuster. He looks likely to justify his status as a borderline WR1 coming into the season, with upside for even more.

I was a big proponent of drafting Conner before the season began, but he quiclky reminded us why he was a risky pick in drafts. The Steelers went back to him in a workhorse role in Week 2, but if he were to suffer another injury, it could be all they need to go into a full blown timeshare. He's a risky player to own the rest of the season, so put the feelers out there to see what you can get.

Johnson has seen a 34% target share in the first two games, and if he continues to do so throughout the season, he'll likely finish as a top-10 receiver. But the chances of that are small, and as his targets regress a bit, so too will his production. With that said, he's a locked in your lineup starter, so don't trade him unless you can capitalize on his enormously high perceived value.

Snell Jr. went back to his role as a backup in Week 2 with James Conner healthy. He showed in Week 1 that he can carry the load if necessary, but so long as Conner is healthy, Snell will be just a high-end backup.

Throw out everything that happened for any Steelers receiver in 2019. The combination of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges would (and did) sink any pass-catcher they came across. With Ben Roethlisberger back under center, there's some optimism as a vertical threat, but he's certainly been passed by Diontae Johnson in terms of "breakout Steelers receivers." With Chase Claypool also in tow, Washington's chances of fantasy relevancy seem dim, and he's more of a "handcuff" receiver to Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

If you drafted Ebron hoping you'd hit the lottery in the late rounds, we've already learned that he's not heavily involved in the gameplan. He's seen just seven targets through two games that have netted 4/61/0. I'd rather have someone like Drew Sample, who's the clear-cut starter in Cincinnati with no competition.

Samuels has received just 122 carries in his first two seasons, and although he can factor in as a receiver at times, he doesn't have a path to regular playing time. Even if James Conner deals with injuries again, Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. stand in Samuels' way. He's relevant only in extremely deep PPR leagues and barely so even there.