Getty Gallery: 3/5
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Austin Ekeler ($12,300)
– Antonio Brown ($11,000)
– Ben Roethlisberger ($10,800)
– James Conner ($8,800)
– Ryan Switzer ($4,000)
– Justin Jackson ($2,800)
There are quite a few ways to start building in this game, but for an optimal lineup, I like the idea of rolling out Austin Ekeler in the captain spot. Ekeler is legitimately a pass-catching machine and hauled in 10-of-11 targets last game. He also rushed five times for 35 yards and one touchdown, but Melvin Gordon's injury came when the game was out of hand, so expect to see even more on Sunday night.
Speaking of Chargers running backs replacing Gordon, there's some risk with Justin Jackson. With that said, I love the potential and the fact that he's only $2,800. It won't cost a lot for him to hit value, and although I don't expect him to break the slate, using him allows us to fill out the rest of the lineup.
Jackson's number didn't get called until after Gordon's injury in Week 12, but he finished the day by rushing seven times for 57 yards. I'm not completely sold on Ekeler as a full-time runner, and while I love him as a pass-catcher who could see 10-12 carries, that'd leave plenty of work for Jackson. Ekeler and Jackson saw a 26-13 split in offensive snaps last game (per Football Outsiders) but those numbers are tough to gauge considering Gordon also saw 26 snaps.
I'll certainly talk about Ryan Switzer, but to be honest I really like his spot quite a bit in this game. Before diving into the specifics, my hope is that using four Steelers players who all have big upside will differentiate us from the field. Doing this, along with pairing the two Chargers running backs together makes a lot of sense.
The trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and James Conner likely has the highest upside on this entire slate. If those three can put together a solid showing and hit their stride, this is a home-run spot. While Roethlisberger has a tough matchup against a fairly solid Chargers secondary, he's been absolutely incredible both at home and in primetime games. As StatMuse shows, he's averaging 312.2 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions in five home games this year.
There's also no question that Brown is one of, if not the best wide receiver in the NFL. While he and JuJu Smith-Schuster could wind up rotating on a tough matchup with Casey Hayward, I think both remain in play. Part of this has to do with the fact that the Chargers' No. 2 cornerback is a second-year undrafted free agent who's had his fair share of ups and downs.
When evaluating the 150-max lineup, which is next, it features a fair amount of upside with more risk involved.