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We get treated this week to some mid-day NFL action as the Baltimore Ravens head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is an important game for both the AFC North as well as the AFC playoff standings as a win for Pittsburgh would keep them undefeated at 11-0 and would further the gap between themselves and the Cleveland Browns who are currently second in the AFC North with an 8-3 record. A loss for Baltimore would really hinder their chances of winning the AFC North as they would only be relying on getting to the postseason by getting one of the wild card spots which is currently up for grabs. This game features an over/under of 40.5 with the Steelers being favored by 10.5 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Wednesday Afternoon Football slate on December 2nd (Week 12). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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DFS Quarterbacks
The Ravens took a big hit as Lamar Jackson was placed on the Covid-19 list which means he is out for this game against Pittsburgh. Robert Griffin III has been the backup to Lamar Jackson and should slide into the starters role in a very pivotal game that could help shape the landscape of both the AFC North as well as the AFC playoff picture. Griffin has not seen much action since he joined Baltimore and when he did see playing time, his stats were nothing to be truly excited about. Since joining the Ravens in 2018, he has completed 56% of his passes (26 of 46), throwing one touchdown and three interceptions. While those aren't the best stats, he will be relied on to manage the offense and make an occasional pay with both his arms and legs if the Ravens want to have a shot at beating the Steelers on Wednesday afternoon. His upside is certainly capped though as the Steelers Defense leads the league with 38 sacks and 21 takeaways which makes Griffin nothing more than a risky tournament play in large-field tournaments.
On the other side of this game sits Ben Roethlisberger who is having a very strong statistical season. While the yardage is middle-of-the-pack, he has thrown 24 touchdowns while only throwing five total interceptions on the season. Big Ben has arguably the best stable of weapons in the league and the pocket has held up as he has only been sacked 10 total times on the season. Roethlisberger is averaging 20.5 DK points per game and carries the highest average on the entire showdown slate. Over his last four games played, Big Ben has thrown 11 touchdown passes while only getting picked off once so he is coming into this matchup in great form. In his other outing against Baltimore, he only racked up 182 passing yards and two passing touchdowns which resulted in 15.3 DK points. The Ravens are limiting opposing quarterbacks to throwing for just 237.6 yards per game which is 12th in the league so while the upside might not be there in this game, he is certainly viable in all formats.
Analysis: Big Ben is the clear cut choice when it comes to rostering a quarterback on this slate. Griffin is a very risky tournament play and his upside could be capped with how well the Steelers defense has played all season long.
DFS Running Backs
The running back situation is a funky one for this game. It was initially reported that both J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram II would miss this game but as the date of the game kept getting pushed back, their chances of playing kept growing. It has been reported that they are both eligible to play and are expected to suit up for the Ravens on Wednesday. J.K. Dobbins has really inserted himself as the lead running back in this whole Ravens group as he has seen an increased snap share amongst the Ravens backfield and has taken the bulk share of rushing attempts, primarily over the last three games played. Dobbins is tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns with both Jackson and Ingram but the more touches he sees, the more that tie will most likely be broken. Ingram has had his workload reduced as the season has gone on and it looks as if Gus Edwards is closing in on supplanting him as the backup running back in the Ravens backfield. He could be worth a stab in large tournaments as a punt play but just know it is a major risk.
On the other side of this game, the Steelers will be without their main running back in James Conner. Conner is set to miss this game so the Steelers will turn to Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland for the rushing workload. Snell Jr. has been the backup to Conner and often used as a change-of-pace back while also getting touches inside of the red zone. When Conner went down with an ankle injury early on in Week 1 against the Giants, Snell saw 19 rushing attempts as he totaled 113 yards on the ground. We should expect a similar workload for Snell as he will get the majority of the carries while McFarland will fill in on passing situations. The Ravens are allowing opposing teams to rush for 116 yards per game and when these teams faced off several weeks ago, the Ravens held the Steelers to just 46 total rushing yards. While the matchup will be tough, we should expect the Steeler backs to be involved in all facets which means their success might come through the air as check-down options.
Analysis: Dobbins and Snell are the top RB plays on the slate and could be viable in all formats. McFarland will see increased snaps and is a viable option in tournaments while Edwards and Ingram are more long-shot options for Baltimore.
UPDATE: It looks as if Dobbins and Ingram will be unavailable for this game as they did not make the trip to Pittsburgh. This leaves Gus Edwards as the main back for this Ravens offense. Edwards will see plenty of volume and is viable in all formats since he should see a good chunk of volume and his pricepoint is great for the potential workload.
DFS Wide Receivers
The Raven's receiving group took a hit as a long-time veteran and slot receiver Willie Snead IV was placed on the COVID-19 so they will be needing another receiver to step up in his absence. Snead has seen seven targets in three out of his last four games and rookie receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche have seen snaps in the slot so they could be viewed as solid slot replacements for Snead. Marquise Brown is still the big-play threat for this Ravens offense and while he has seen a reduction in targets, he still is worth consideration in tournament lineups because he can take a pass to the house on any given play. With Griffin under center, Brown could actually see an uptick in targets since Griffin could be more of a traditional passer than Lamar is which bodes well for Brown and his route running ability. Miles Boykin has seen a small target share but once again, could be in line for an uptick in snaps while Dez Bryant could also see a large snap total as he is coming off of a four catch performance against the Titans. The Steelers are tough against the pass as they allow 229 passing yards per game and with the Ravens missing several key pieces on offense, the receiving upside could be limited in this matchup.
The Steelers receiving group is the strongest receiving group in the league and they are a tough matchup for any defense. They have a three-headed monster in JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson who are all capable of going off on any given night. Johnson leads the group in targets while Claypool leads in receiving touchdowns and Smith-Schuster has the most receptions so they are all involved in the passing game and Big Ben makes sure to get them looks and targets every game. Claypool is a big-bodied receiver and offers the best floor as he has had double-digit DK points in four straight games while averaging 10 targets per game over that four-game stretch. Johnson offers the big-play ability as he has posted 100+ receiving yards in back-to-back games while also eclipsing 25+ DK points in his past two games as well. Smith-Schuster is a PPR monster and while he doesn't rack up the touchdowns like Claypool or yardage like Johnson, he is the reliable safety blanket underneath for Roethlisberger. The fourth receiver for the Steelers is James Washington who doesn't quite get the notoriety like the other three receivers but still has the big-play ability as he has three receiving touchdowns on the season (Claypool 10, Smith-Schuster 5, Johnson 4).
Analysis: The Steelers receivers offer way more stability from their receiving group and with how often they spread the ball around to their main three receivers, those three are viable in all formats. Brown, Bryant, Boykin, and Duvernay look to be the strongest Ravens receivers but with how run-heavy their offense is, the Ravens receivers look to be more tournament type plays.
DFS Tight Ends
The tight end situation for the Ravens got really messy as Mark Andrews was officially placed on the COVID-19 list this past Monday. Andrews is a top passing option in this Ravens offense and will certainly be missed in this matchup against Pittsburgh. Backing up Andrews is Nick Boyle who is unfortunately on the injured reserve which means they will be activating Sean Culkin, Jerell Adams, and Eric Tomlinson from the practice squad while also rolling out seasoned veteran Like Willson. We are unsure of who will be seeing the majority of the snaps but these Baltimore tight ends are very risky plays.
The Steelers are getting great production out of Eric Ebron this season and is the top tight end on this slate. Ebron ranks third in the league in total targets at the tight end position over that seven-game span (42) while also recording a receiving touchdown in three out of his last four games played. The Steelers played the Ravens back in Week 8 and in that game, Ebron hauled in four of his five targets for 48 yards and a receiving touchdown. Big Ben is relying on Ebron more and more every week and looks to be a solid play on this showdown slate. Vance McDonald is backing up Ebron and while he doesn't play a prominent role in the offense he gets a target or two per game. He is best left alone and fading in all formats.
Analysis: With Andrews being out, this makes Ebron the true lone tight end play on the slate and is viable in all formats. It is best to fade the remaining tight ends since we are unsure of their role and snap counts and would be too risky.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
With the nature of these two teams and a very low total, both defenses could be in play. In the first matchup, these two teams grinded out a total of 52 total points scored but with big-time players missing from this game, the offensive output could hinder the scoring upside. The Steelers put up 18 DK points in their Week 8 matchup against Baltimore as they picked off two passes, recovered two fumbles, and sacked Jackson four times. The Ravens Defense was unable to generate a high turnover number as they forced three fumbles but were only able to recover one of those. The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense could be a great captain play and would be worth both cash game and tournament consideration. With this also being a tough matchup for both offenses, the kicking game could be leaned on to produce points which mean both Justin Tucker and Chris Boswell are viable fantasy options.
Analysis: The Steelers defense balled out in Week 8 and could even do better since they are facing a watered-down Ravens offense without Jackson. Both kickers could be needed to produce some points which make them cash game and tournament viable (slight lean towards Boswell since the Pittsburgh offense is at full strength).
Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs!
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