RADIO
First, we were told he would be back before the season. Then we were told it would happen during the bye week. Now we are hearing it will be after the NFL trade deadline, so he doesn’t get traded, and his deadline to report is by Tuesday 11/13 at 4 pm. What are we to really believe about Le'Veon Bell and his alleged return to Pittsburgh?
No one really knows. The only thing we can deduce with some confidence about the situation is that both sides are not giving in, and Bell has quickly become the prime example of spoiled, entitled athlete.
Whether you are on the side of the Steelers or Bell in real life, you still need to know what to do with the fantasy football player who is probably still sitting on your bench as a waste of space because "when he comes back he will be great!” The truth is that he probably won’t be all so great, especially for redraft leagues, so you might be better off parting ways before it's too late.
Too Little Too Late
James Conner has carved out a huge role in this offense and has done something in Pittsburgh no one else has since Franco Harris, including Le'Veon Bell. He has amassed three games in one season in which he has rushed for over 100 yards and also gained over 50 receiving yards. Oh, and the Steelers have only played seven games so far.
Conner has also proven to be a three-down bell cow back - the only running back in the NFL this season with at least 85% of his team's total rushing yards. At this point, I would rather have Conner on my fantasy team than Bell. I know this is not a hot take considering Conner is actually playing, and Bell isn’t. But even if Bell returns, it wouldn't change my opinion.
Remember 2017, when Bell pulled a similar stunt sitting out training camp before showing up? In that case, he showed up after missing four weeks of training camp and was slow to start the season. While he was still getting the majority of the work, it was coming with little production for the first four weeks and there was talk about trading him because he was going to have a bad season. Of course he picked up the pace to finish as the RB2 in fantasy, but that will not happen this season. He has already missed too much time to finish as a top-10 back - and with Conner firmly entrenched in the backfield, Bell has lost most of, if not all of, his value.
Looking Ahead
If Bell were to report to the team this week he may take a week or two to get into a semblance of shape before seeing the field. Meaning, he may not play until Week 10 at the earliest, when he would come in as a committee back with Conner. At this point, he could take another three to four weeks to possibly get back to his old self. And I say possibly because the team is truly behind Conner at this point, and will not just welcome back Bell with open arms before he leaves in free agency a few weeks later.
The offensive line has already made their disdain for Bell widely known, while also making known their preference for Conner and his running style. Whereas Bell likes to dilly dally around in the backfield until a hole opens up before hitting it, Conner gets the ball and helps make his own hole in the defense. This makes the offensive line's job a lot easier as they do not have to block for five seconds, and instead only have to hold up for two or three seconds. This may not sound like a lot, but when you are doing this many plays per game, it really adds up and can reduce the punishment to their bodies.
In Week 8, Conner proved again to Mike Tomlin and the rest of the coaching staff just what he can do by gaining 146 yards on 22 rushes and 66 yards on five receptions. With little drop-off in production from Bell to Conner, more points scored, and the locker room in harmony - it would be a huge mistake to bring Bell back in and disturb the balance.
The Fantasy Take
What does all this mean for Bell and more importantly, your fantasy team? It means trade him now if you can. Trade him to someone who is still under the delusion he will be coming back and making a monster difference down the stretch.
In my home league, the Bell owner traded him for T.J. Yeldon. While that seemed odd at the time, it has worked out in his benefit. Yeldon has been startable the past few weeks, helping fantasy owners potentially win their weeks, and Bell is still sitting on his sofa tweeting at people and listening to the horrid advice of his agent.
For those of you who drafted Bell at either No. 1 or 2 in fantasy drafts, and can’t imagine getting barely anything in return, I truly am sorry. But would you rather hold onto a busted pick, or get something of value in return for him while you still can and possibly win now? The other option is to stick to a high asking price, hang onto Bell, and potentially keep losing weeks. I think we know the correct answer.
