The Pittsburgh Steelers started quarterback Justin Fields in Week 1 after Russell Wilson was ruled out with a calf injury.
Although Fields didn’t excel as a passer on Sunday, he still led the Steelers to an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
After Wilson missed last week’s game, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that they’re currently preparing as if Fields will once again start in Week 2 on Sunday against the Broncos.
With Fields likely the Steelers’ starting quarterback for another week, should fantasy managers target him on the waiver wire?
Should Justin Fields Be Added on the Fantasy Waiver Wire in Week 2?
While Fields’ skill set makes him a very attractive quarterback for fantasy football, an offense built around George Pickens isn’t going to give him the same upside as the one he left behind in Chicago that featured DJ Moore.
Fields had nearly as many rushing attempts (14) as completions (17) in Sunday’s win against the Falcons, a stat line that he could well replicate in this spot against the blitz-happiest team from last week (Denver ranked fourth in blitz rate last season).
Yes, that’s what we want, but we need Fields to be better at it before inserting him into lineups.
Against Atlanta, Pittsburgh had the ball for over 35.5 minutes and yet managed just two trips to the red zone.
When all was said and done, all the Steelers had to show for the afternoon on the offensive side of things were six Chris Boswell field goals and a lot of question marks as to what could have been.
With Jaylen Warren at less than full strength and a lack of receiving talent behind Pickens, another vintage script seems likely in the game with the lowest total on the board.
The floor might be higher than others in this range, but the ceiling in a game like this isn’t enough to justify the risk of starting Fields.
I have him ranked outside of my top 15 for Week 2. I’m slotting Fields behind Caleb Williams (at Houston) after a dud debut and Matthew Stafford (no Puka Nacua this week).
At the end of the day, Fields is an athletic marvel with proof on his resume that he can matter in our game. The schedule never really lightens, so unless you lost Jordan Love and are looking to piece together the next month or so, this isn’t the type of player I’m overextending for on the wire.
I’m of the belief that you don’t need to roster a QB2 in most situations, so if you’re just looking for depth, I’d prefer to bid at a Flex position and see what quarterback is available free of charge following waivers.