The Pittsburgh Steelers let the Cleveland Browns back into the game Sunday in their regular-season opener, but they held on for a 30-27 victory to get an early leg up on their AFC North rivals.
Another positive sign for Pittsburgh to take from Week 1"s divisional showcase was the emergence of wide receiver Markus Wheaton , who had six receptions for 97 yards on seven targets.
Veteran tight end Heath Miller was also proficient, catching three of four passes that came his way for 26 yards. But until the Steelers play a defense that is truly vaunted, endorsing either of these playmakers as legitimate, strong fantasy options is a bit of a stretch.
Wheaton was doing much of his work on rookie Browns cornerback Justin Gilbert, whose struggles from the preseason carried over to his NFL debut. On two critical plays, Wheaton bested Gilbert, first on a deep pass down the right sideline in the second quarter for 40 yards.
Then, when the Browns rallied to get back into it, Gilbert fell down in coverage, allowing Wheaton to haul in a 20-yard reception to set up Shaun Suisham"s game-winning field goal as time expired.
Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal documented what Gilbert had to say afterward:
ESPN 850 host Bruce Hooley noted how Wheaton had hardly proved himself in his first pro season in 2013:
Miller has always been dependable as a pass-catcher, yet he"s never put up the elite numbers that warrant routine fantasy consideration. The best year Miller had came in 2012 when he hauled in 71 receptions for 816 yards and eight touchdowns. With Wheaton getting more looks and Antonio Brown emerging as a legitimate star, Miller"s targets are bound to decrease.
The ceiling for Miller likely occurred two seasons ago, and he"s just a borderline No. 1 option at tight end. Fantasy owners in deeper leagues could do far worse than Miller, though.
It"s too early to say whether Wheaton will emerge as a reliable No. 2 option. Owners should strongly consider him as a waiver-wire option, since he"s bound to be available in most fantasy leagues. However, it"s worth taking a wait-and-see approach on Wheaton , because Pittsburgh plays another familiar foe in the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2.
If Wheaton fares well there, he can be endorsed more easily as a flex option, with the upside to develop into a No. 2 fantasy wideout later on in 2014.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1w5VB04
via IFTTT September 07, 2014 at 06:18PM
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