Fantasy Upside
In the ever-growing world of 2QB and Superflex leagues and being in an offense with a wide array of weapons, Ben Roethlisberger can still provide upside as a QB2 or a Superflex. For the current low price of a 12th or 13th-round pick, Roethlisberger will give you a quarterback that will continue to sling the ball (only Matt Ryan and Tom Brady had more attempts and completions than Roethlisberger in 2020). He still has Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster to throw to and a fresh, young rookie running back in Najee Harris. The Steelers could have no problem moving the ball and still have room for improving what was the 15th-ranked passing offense in 2020.
Fantasy Downside
There's no question Big Ben is fading. The arm talent has dropped and he is 39 years old. There's a very good chance that 2021 will be Roethlisberger's swan song. He also has a very different-looking offensive line in front of him. Maurkice Pouncey retired, Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva signed elsewhere in free agency and the Steelers released David DeCastro. Will the new-look line be able to protect Roethlisberger as well as the previous group did? We also should expect an uptick in the running game as well under new offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
2021 Bottom Line
Roethlisberger still has the looks of a solid QB2 for 2021, but probably not much more. He stills see the window slightly cracked open, which is why he took a pay cut to come back for 2021. The Steelers felt the same way, attacking offense early in the 2021 draft, including Harris, TE Pat Freiermuth and IOL Kendrick Green. He's a late-round ticket but one with plenty of upside.
