Steelers' Justin Fields 'definitely competing' to be QB1
Tue May 21 4:32pm ET
Field Level Media
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields credits Bears general manager Ryan Poles for staying true to a promise by trading the former first-round pick to his preferred destination.
Fields landed in Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick as potential competition for Russell Wilson after the Bears decided to use the No. 1 overall pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Once that decision crystallized for Chicago, Poles personally committed to "doing right by Justin Fields."
"Shoutout to Poles," Fields said Tuesday after organized team activities with the Steelers. "We communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that. Nothing but love for the city, the fans, my teammates and coaches."
If Fields plays more than 51 percent of the total snaps for the Steelers in 2024, Chicago's draft compensation in return is upgraded to a fourth-round pick.
They cleared the depth chart in a matter of weeks, dealing former starter Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and allowing Mason Rudolph to join the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft, had 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons with the Bears.
It's also a fresh start for Wilson, who enters Year 13 with something to prove. He signed with the Steelers after being released by the Broncos despite a total cap hit of more than $80 million.
Fields said he's grateful to be in Pittsburgh and declined to answer whether the Bears did everything they could to facilitate his growth on the field.
"It is what it is. That's in the past," Fields said.
As for his next chapter with the Steelers, Fields said his intentions are clear inside the building.
"I'm definitely competing. Russ knows that," Fields said. "We're competing against each other every day. I definitely don't have the mindset of me just sitting every day. I'm pushing him to be his best and he's pushing me to be my best each and every day."
Fields said he's not the same quarterback he was last year.
"I have a lot more room to grow," Fields said. "I'm going to continue to get better each and every day. I'm nowhere near my ceiling."
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The Paur Report
Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 3
Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes (knee) didn't return to Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals. He suffered a knee injury due to a chop block and needed to be carted to the locker room. Barnes totaled nine tackles entering Week 3. But if the injury keeps him on the shelf, Malcolm Rodriguez would be in line to see more work.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers missed his first kick of 2024 on Sunday. Myers went 1/2 on field goals and 3/3 on extra points. He finished with seven fantasy points. The Seahawks offense has been in scoring positions all season affording Myers plenty of chances to score. He will look to continue his solid season in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for 289 yards and one touchdown in Week 3. However, Smith threw two unfortunate interceptions. Smith's interceptions were not entirely his fault. Nonetheless, they resulted in negative points for fantasy. Smith ended the day with 13.36 fantasy points. Smith has thrown one touchdown in each game this season. He will need to have a larger statistical output to be more of a factor in fantasy moving forward. Even so, he has generally been a high-end QB2 in each week this season.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another quiet outing on Sunday. Smith-Njigba led the Seahawks in targets with seven. However, he only turned those targets into three receptions for 39 yards. After a huge breakout in Week 2, fantasy managers were hoping for an encore. The fact that Smith-Njigba led the team in targets indicates that the Seahawks are still very committed to getting him the ball. As long as that trend continues, Smith-Njigba should be fine in fantasy.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet had a big day filling in for Kenneth Walker III (oblique) on Sunday. Charbonnet rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 16 yards. Most importantly, Charbonnet ran for 5.1 yards per carry after two wildly inefficient outings in Weeks 1 and 2. Charbonnet has been excellent for fantasy in the absence of Walker. Walker is hoping to return in Week 4, but Charbonnet has demonstrated that he can be a solid complement. It will be worth monitoring to see how this backfield breaks down moving forward.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton finished with seven receptions for a game-high 68 yards and a game-best 11 targets in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fantasy Spin: The stat line still wasn't huge for fantasy managers, but it was Sutton's best production of the season. It's tough with a rookie QB, and Bo Nix has started slow out of the gates, with no touchdown passes in three games. Sutton is still worth a look in fantasy leagues of 12 or more teams, but consider him more of a WR4 or flex option.
From TheHuddle
Denver Broncos WR Josh Reynolds ended up with two catches for 36 yards on his two targets in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fantasy Spin: Reynolds was the most productive Denver wideout for the first two games, especially in Week 2, but Courtland Sutton was back on top in Week 3. With erratic play at the quarterback position, starting any Denver receiver is a risky proposition at the moment. Until Nix, or someone else, steps up under center, Reynolds' fantasy ceiling is rather limited. The Broncos travel to meet the New York Jets in Week 4.
From TheHuddle
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (head) finished Sunday's loss to the Lions by amassing three catches for 25 yards. He was targeted six times on the day. However, the 24-year-old had another underwhelming performance for fantasy managers. Unfortunately, McBride took a hit in the contest and is being evaluated for a concussion. Of course, this type of injury is a concern for fantasy managers, especially since it could keep him off the field for the Week 4 meeting with the Commanders. If McBride isn't available, Elijah Higgins and Tip Reiman will do their best to fill the void in the lineup.
From RotoBaller
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tim Boyle completed 7-of-13 passes for 79 yards in Sunday's 24-3 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Skylar Thompson (chest) got the start but took a hit early in the third quarter after a short completion to De'Von Achane that sent him to the sideline -- effectively ending his day. Miami couldn't get anything going with Thompson manning the helm, and that didn't change when Boyle entered the contest. The Fins were stifled by Seattle on Sunday, coming away with just three points on 12 drives. Miami had an opportunity for one more score when they were deep in Seahawks territory early in the fourth quarter, but Boyle could not convert on 4th-and-goal. There has been no update on the severity of Thompson's injury, but the team may look to sign veteran QB help if it is deemed serious. We'll know more over the coming days as Miami gears up for a Monday night home matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell took over for Gardner Minshew II in Sunday's matchup with the Panthers. Minshew didn't play the worst, throwing for 214 yards, one touchdown, and one pick off 18-for-28 passing. However, with the Panthers up big, the change was made. With that in mind, the situation is worth monitoring ahead of the Week 4 game with the Browns. But at this point, Minshew or O'Connell wouldn't draw much fantasy interest for the meeting with Cleveland.
From RotoBaller
Dynasty | Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix completed 25-of-36 passes for 217 yards, adding 47 rushing yards and a touchdown in Denver's blowout win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: Nix took a big step forward today, making smart throws and essentially taking what the Bucs gave him. This was his best game so far this season and he certainly looked very comfortable all day today. Nix still needs to string together a few solid games, but this was a major step forward. He remains a solid QB2 hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Broncos running back Javonte Williams had 12 rushing yards, four catches and 29 receiving yards in a win against Tampa Bay. Dynasty Analysis: Williams now has just 52 rushing yards through three games. While his receiving prowess is keeping some fantasy appeal alive for him, it seems the resurgence some had expected simply may not happen. Williams remains a hold (and the starter), but he belongs on fantasy benches until we see something positive from him.
Dynasty | Bucs running back Bucky Irving had 70 rushing yards, three catches, and 14 receiving yards in a loss against Denver. Dynasty Analysis: Simply put, Irving has looked better than Rachaad White through three weeks. He also out-carried him 9-6 and had 12 total touches compared to 11 for White today. Neither back is seeing the volume to be a recommended play at the moment, but Irving is starting to look like a rookie bargain at the moment.
Dynasty | Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed 25-of-32 passes for 245 yards, with one touchdown and one interception in Pittsburgh's win against the Chargers. Dynasty Analysis: He added six rushing yards and a touchdown. Fields is now 3-0 on the season and it seems like a near certainty he remains the Steelers starter moving forward. Russell Wilson is reportedly close to a return but Pittsburgh has created some masterful game plans with Fields at the helm and that seems highly unlikely to change. Fields has some low-end QB1 appeal with his rushing ability and should be held on to tightly at the moment. As for Wilson, Fields' success is bad news.
Dynasty | Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston had two catches for 44 yards and a touchdown in a loss against the Steelers. Dynasty Analysis: Johnston now has three touchdowns in two games after having just two in his rookie season last year. While much of the off-season talk revolved around Ladd McConkey, it's been Johnston who has established himself as the better fantasy scoring threat through two weeks. He remains a bit of a dangerous start at the moment, but his start is a huge step forward for a player who many felt was already a bust.
Dynasty | Chargers running back JK Dobbins had 44 rushing yards, three catches and ten receiving yards in a loss against the Steelers. Dynasty Analysis: While the scoring total for Dobbins today is disappointing, there is a big development hidden in the box score as Dobbins handled 18 touches while Gus Edwards had just three. At this point, it seems this is no longer a committee with the Chargers as Dobbins has simply taken over the backfield. This is a big development as Dobbins continues to be one of the biggest risers in terms of dynasty rankings over the first month of the season. In short, he finally looks healthy.
Dynasty | Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had 147 rushing yards, four catches, nine receiving yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in a road win against the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: Barkley had been bottled up for most of the day until he ripped through the Saints defense for a Philadelphia wisely rode Barkley the rest of way and were able to pull out the win. Despite the dropped pass last week, Saquon has played at a RB1 level so far this season and remains a solid hold in dynasty leagues.
Dynasty | Dallas Goedert had ten catches for 170 yards in the Eagles win against the Saints. Dynasty Analysis: The only thing Goedert from a truly historic day was the lack of a touchdown, one he almost had a long gain in the second half before being knocked out of bounds. This will likely go down as Goedert's best fantasy day of the year, but also showed he still has TE1/2 appeal in dynasty leagues. He'll attempt to keep it going next week against Tampa Bay.
Dynasty | Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was held without a catch in the Saints loss against the Eagles. Dynasty Analysis: It was a brutal day for Shaheed, who could have come down with two different touchdowns but failed to corral either of them. His five targets were consistent with previous weeks but today showed he still has major boom or bust potential on a week-to-week basis despite his solid start. Shaheed likely should stay on benches until we see more consistency but he's a solid player to have on rosters at the moment.
Dynasty | Texans running back Cam Akers had 21 rushing yards, adding one catch for eight yards and a touchdown in the Texans blowout loss to Minnesota. Dynasty Analysis: Akers saved his day with a score but was relatively ineffective in this one. The game script changed for Houston early as they fell behind, but this is what we've seen from Akers over the past couple of years - mediocre numbers. If Joe Mixon misses another week, he's going to be a tough player to suggest playing until we see something of substance.
