Shortly after being named the Week 1 starter, Russell Wilson aggravated an early training camp calf strain. He’s been sidelined ever since, only being “active” as the emergency QB3. It does appear as though Wilson’s circumstances are about to change heading into Week 6.
What is the latest update on Wilson’s status and what might this mean for fantasy football?
The Latest on Russell Wilson’s Injury
The timeline of Wilson’s return to play has been strange, to say the least. Given Justin Fields’ quality performance in Week 1, resulting in a win, there was never any reason for Mike Tomlin to move away from him.
Despite Fields’ play, it is now Week 6, and Tomlin still hasn’t formally named Fields the starter. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but it certainly has felt like the Steelers have been using the Wilson injury as an excuse to not have to say Fields won the job.
Eventually, though, the bill was always going to come due. It appears that time is now, as Wilson is set to practice in full on Wednesday for the first time all season.
Potential Fantasy Impact of Wilson’s Return
Wilson’s return doesn’t have any immediate impact, as backup quarterbacks are not relevant in fantasy. However, it would be foolish to dismiss it as irrelevant.
As much as it’s clear Fields will start this week, this situation remains a week-to-week thing. Tomlin continues to hide behind Wilson’s injury.
Mike Tomlin again says that until Russell Wilson proves he's healthy enough to play, question of who'll start thereafter are "hypothetical … We're going to push forward until those things are legitimate."
So Justin Fields will prepare to start for the Steelers again. https://t.co/vVJZHM726c
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 8, 2024
While this quote from Tomlin makes it clear Fields will remain the starter (at least for one more week), Wilson being active for the first time changes the stakes. We have to assume Fields is now operating on thin ice.
As well as Fields has played, it’s impossible to expect him to be flawless the rest of the season. At some point, he will likely make a mistake or series of mistakes that would give Tomlin a reason to turn to Wilson. Based on Tomlin’s comments, it sure seems like he’s champing at the bit to make the change.
Fields has averaged 18.1 fantasy points per game this season. He’s been a fantasy QB1 and is a reliable option anytime he takes the field.
The shovel pass to Freiermuth! @Steelers getting it done on the ground.
📺: #DALvsPIT on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QcQctpvCUX— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2024
Now, fantasy managers starting him have to consider that, at any point, one mistake could result in Fields being pulled for Wilson.
If Fields is your lone quarterback, it’s time to be proactive. This is a case where rostering two quarterbacks is viable. You don’t want to be scrambling for a replacement if Fields gets benched. With waivers set to process Wednesday morning, start looking ahead at Week 7 and 8 matchups to see who you might be able to grab in case Tomiln makes the change.
As for the impact this has on the rest of the offense, the impact would be minimal. I believe Wilson is a downgrade for the offense as a whole, but there are no real offensive weapons to be downgraded.
George Pickens is averaging 10.2 points per game and is not startable. Pat Freiermuth is a random TE2, like most tight ends. Najee Harris’ volume is not going anywhere. There aren’t any relevant players for Wilson to negatively impact.