These are not your father's Pittsburgh Steelers.
Instead of defense, this version of the Steelers is all offense. The team ranked second in yards-per-game (411.1), seventh in points (27.2) and second in passing (301.6) in 2014. Fans and fantasy football owners know that Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell will be the centerpieces of this offense. But the Steelers also have Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant and rookie Sammie Coates if need be. Ben Roethlisberger must feel like a kid in a candy store.
So who will emerge as the No. 2 wide receiver for Pittsburgh?
"To be clear, these two are not fighting for reps that will go only to one or the other player - there will be an abundance of plays in which both are on the field," ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates wrote of Wheaton and Bryant. "But there's a distinction that carries relevance and is tied to which one solidifies his standing as the second receiver. Wheaton held that role in 2014, logging 67.1 percent of the snaps, while Bryant checked in at a modest 26.6 percent. That didn't prevent Bryant from bursting onto the fantasy scene, as he hauled in eight receiving touchdowns...on just 26 total receptions. A repeat of the eight touchdowns would be nice, but a more consistent role within the offense is what Bryant owners should covet first. While it's safe to assume he'll play a significantly greater percentage of the snaps than he did last season no matter what, if Bryant does in fact leapfrog Wheaton as the No. 2 target behind Antonio Brown, his ceiling may be as high as a top-25 wide receiver."
As Yates mentioned, Bryant finished with 26 catches for 549 yards and eight touchdowns. His 21.1 receiving yards per reception would have led the league had he played enough snaps to qualify. Wheaton hauled in 53 catches for 644 yards and two touchdowns. He is not as physically imposing as Bryant, but he is a more polished route runner. Either way, Pittsburgh is loaded with offensive talent so fantasy owners should pay attention to this position battle.
