Big Ben's health is the biggest question for him in 2020, but is his potential ceiling in a full season worth the injury risk?
Matt: The health of Ben Roethlisberger is one of the more frustrating unknowables going into 2020. If the Steelers get something close to Top-12 quarterback play out of Roethlisberger, this team has the skill position talent to be a really fun offense. We could see Ben approach his 5,000-yard passing mark from two years ago if he’s close to his old form. The wide receivers and offensive line are certainly good enough. The problem is that we just don’t know what this 38-year-old passer will look like coming off an elbow injury. He’s going so late in drafts, he’s worth the low risk. But if he does have to exit stage left again, you’re going to be frustrated if you drafted one of these intriguing receivers or James Conner.
Scott: You could whisper (or scream) “It’s all contextual” after almost any fantasy question, but this is one case where it’s especially true. If you’re in a league where the waiver wire is populated with satisfying fix-it options at any moment, Roethlisberger starts to look more interesting to me; I see the plausible upside, and I can get out of Dodge if things go haywire. In something like a Superflex league where two reliable QB starters are essentially mandatory, I might be leerier of Roethlisberger, afraid that if he hits the low end of his range, I’m in trouble. Then again, no risk it, no biscuit; we’re not trying to come in fourth here.
You, too, can be a fantasy analyst; you just have to be able to talk in a circle. My early drafting with Roethlisberger has been market-driven; I’m considering him when he falls, and not drafting him at his common ADP. So often we learn about our feelings through the drafting experience. Put him down as a reactive pick for me, not a proactive one.
Andy: At the moment, Roethlisberger’s average draft position is just 122.4 in Yahoo leagues. He’s only one year removed from a 5,129-yard, 34-touchdown season. There’s no reason to believe he won’t be fully recovered from elbow surgery by opening week, and he’s finished as a top-10 fantasy QB three times in the past six years. Roethlisberger is a high-mileage 38-year-old, so he clearly carries enhanced injury risk, but he also plays a position that’s generally easy to fill from any league’s free-agent pool. Losing a quarterback to injury in a standard one-QB format isn’t much of a worry.
