College Football Best Bets of the Week: Week 9
Walter Waddell
There was always the expectation things would work out, but it was made official Thursday, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and QB Ben Roethlisberger reportedly agreed to terms on a contract to keep the quarterback with the team in 2021, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Roethlisberger, who just turned 39 Tuesday, has been with the Steelers since he was drafted 11th overall in 2004. He and the Steelers started hot in 2020, going 11-0 to open the season before losing four of their final five regular-season games and getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.
Fantasy slant: Ben Roethlisberger might not be in prime anymore, but his return to the Steelers is good news for this offense’s pass catchers. Pittsburgh was ranked second in pass plays per game (41.9) last season. Roethlisberger attempted the ninth-most red zone throws (80). This type of volume is what we’re looking for, and with Big Ben back, we should see it again in 2021.
With JuJu Smith-Schuster likely leaving in free agency, Diontae Johnson will likely reprise his 23% target share. The biggest winners are Chase Claypool and Eric Ebron at this stage. Claypool (16%) and Ebron (15%) could capture larger shares of the target pie moving forward in what will still be a pass-first offense.
