The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to secure a victory in their season-opener last week against the Atlanta Falcons, but quarterback Justin Fields, running back Jaylen Warren and tight end Pat Freiermuth were all relatively quiet.
In fairness to those three, the Steelers' offense as a whole was quiet, as Pittsburgh failed to score a single touchdown and needed six field goals to beat the Falcons.
Fields completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 scoreless yards and added 14 carries for 57 yards. Warren barely existed in Week 1, as he saw just four touches that he turned into 20 scrimmage yards.
Freiermuth ended up being the second leading pass-catcher in terms of receptions and yards, but he only had four catches for 27 yards when it was all said and done.
With all that in mind, should any of these three players be in your fantasy football lineup when they take on the Denver Broncos in Week 2? Let's break it all down.
Jaylen Warren start or sit advice
Jaylen Warren: Sit
Warren was barely involved in the offense in Week 1, with the former undrafted free agent seeing just two carries and two receptions for 20 scrimmage yards. His 21 snaps were also the fewest he's had in a game since Week 16 of 2022.
Meanwhile, fellow back Najee Harris dominated touches (21) and Warren even fell behind veteran back Cordarrelle Patterson in carries (4-2).
It's very possible the Steelers were just easing him back in after he missed a lot of time during the offseason due to a hamstring injury. On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin admitted Warren may not be all the way back yet, though, so it could be another rough week for him.
Until we see a major uptick in both snaps and touches, Warren cannot be trusted in lineups.
Justin Fields start or sit advice
Justin Fields: Sit
While it hasn't been confirmed yet, Fields is on track to start in Week 2 as Russell Wilson continues to work his way back from a calf injury.
Fields still looked like the passer we saw in Chicago, which means he is still very reliant on his legs for fantasy production. Even with 14 carries in Week 1, Fields only had rushing 57 yards, which wasn't enough to overcome his pedestrian passing production (156 yards, no touchdowns).
Fields' floor is admittedly safer than some options out there, but his ceiling can be limited due to his lackluster passing ability. You should be able to find a more reliable option for your quarterback position at this early stage in the season.
Pat Freiermuth start or sit advice
Pat Freiermuth: Start
Despite it being their first regular-season game together, Freiermuth was the second-most targeted pass-catcher by Fields. Part of that is out of necessity, as Fields simply doesn't have a lot of reliable options to throw to.
Those options could be even less this week, as No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens will draw a difficult matchup with Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Start Freiermuth with a fair bit of confidence this week.
