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Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that S Minkah Fitzpatrick has entered the concussion protocol. He was diagnosed in the wake of Thursday night's loss to the Browns. We'll see whether Fitzpatrick can make it back for Sunday's game against the Jets, but plan as though you won't have him available for IDP lineups.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt "is still gathering additional opinions" but that his pectoral tear is not currently believed to require surgery. That would mean Watt has a chance to heal up and return before the end of October, according to Pelissero. We'll see about the final word here and then will certainly need to keep an eye on his progress. But this is obviously great news after initial fears that Watt would miss the rest of the year.

The Steelers believe EDGE T.J. Watt tore a pectoral muscle in Sunday's win over the Bengals. Watt will have an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis. That injury would almost certainly end Watt's season and dramatically alter the quality of the Pittsburgh defense -- both in real life and fantasy football terms.

Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt left Sunday's preseason finale with a left knee injury. CBS Sports' Evan Washburn reported in the 2nd half that HC Mike Tomlin called the injury minor and said Watt could have returned if it was a regular-season game. We won't worry about this issue unless a further update turns more negative.

CB Levi Wallace is joining the Steelers on a 2-year, $8 million deal, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Wallace started 52 games over 4 seasons with the Bills, including all 17 last year. Wallace has been relevant for IDP leagues, especially those that require CBs. But he's not a special fantasy football option -- and likely won't be with the Steelers.

The Steelers on Saturday placed WR James Washington on the COVID list. Washington wasn't headed for a big role, with Diontae Johnson back on the active roster. His deactivation, though, locks in Ray-Ray McCloud as a top-3 WR for the upside matchup with Baltimore. Pittsburgh also activated lead CB Joe Haden and C Kendrick Green from the COVID list, making them available for the Ravens game.

The Steelers on Wednesday placed LB Devin Bush on the COVID list. That likely knocks him out for Sunday's game at Kansas City. Bush's absence wouldn't be a big loss for either the Pittsburgh defense or IDP lineups, though. Robert Spillane figures to start next to Joe Schobert if Bush is out.

The Steelers believe EDGE T.J. Watt suffered only a minor groin injury in Thursday night's loss to the Vikings. We'll see how he looks leading up to Week 15, but we'd bet on him being ready to play.

9:35pm EST 12/9/21

Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt left in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's game against the Vikings with a groin injury. He's questionable to return.

Update: Pittsburgh has ruled him out for the game.

The Steelers on Saturday activated EDGE T.J. Watt from the COVID list. That gets him back into the lineup for Sunday's game against the Ravens and significantly improves the Pittsburgh defense. It's still a fine matchup for Lamar Jackson, but the Steelers looked like a potential pushover on that side of the ball without their best defensive player.

The Steelers on Monday placed EDGE T.J. Watt on the COVID list. We have yet to see any details on Watt's situation, so it's not yet clear whether he has a chance to be activated ahead of Sunday's game against the Ravens. Make sure you have Watt insurance on your IDP roster for Week 13.

Update: ESPN's Brooke Pryor reports that Watt did test positive, which will make it tough for him to get activated ahead of Sunday's game against Baltimore. It's not yet clear whether Watt is vaccinated (which would help his chances of returning sooner).

The Steelers have ruled EDGE T.J. Watt out for Sunday night's game against the Chargers. He suffered hip and knee injuries in the Week 10 tie with Detroit and didn't practice this week. We'll see whether Watt can make it back for Week 12. Pittsburgh also ruled out lead CB Joe Haden, good news for Chargers WR Mike Williams.

Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick has tested positive for COVID, putting his Week 11 status in doubt. The specifics of his case aren't yet clear for us to know whether he has a chance to make it back for next Sunday night's visit to the Chargers. If Fitzpatrick isn't vaccinated, he'll need to sit out for at least 10 days.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that tests on the knee and hip injuries for Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt came back negative. "It is uncertain how much, if any, time Watt will miss," Schefter added. This is obviously good news if Watt resides on your IDP roster, as it sounds like there's a chance he won't miss any further game action. We'll watch how he progresses through the week. Derrek Tuszka served as the primary fill-in after Watt left Sunday's game.

Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt left Sunday's game against the Lions with knee and hip injuries. He'll undergo further testing to determine the extent.

Steelers ILB Devin Bush left Sunday's win over the Broncos in the 4th quarter with a groin injury. It's the 2nd time this season Bush has injured his groin. We'll see about the time table for his return. Robert Spillane filled in and would enter the starting lineup if Bush misses further time.

3:50pm EDT 9/25/21

The Steelers have downgraded OLB T.J. Watt to out for Sunday's game against the Bengals. That leaves the team without 2 of its top 3 edge players, as Alex Highsmith had already been ruled out. Melvin Ingram hits Sunday as a sneaky IDP option for sack-friendly leagues. He does come with a low fantasy-scoring floor, however.

Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. The groin injury that knocked Watt out last week kept him limited in practice throughout this week. We’d bet he’ll play but will have to check his status Sunday morning. Fellow Steelers EDGE Alex Highsmith has been ruled out with his own groin injury. The whole situation elevates Melvin Ingram as an IDP option

Steelers ILB Devin Bush returned to full practice participation Wednesday. That's a particularly noteworthy turnaround after he missed Week 2 with a groin injury. Bush appears on track to return Sunday against the Bengals. OLB T.J. Watt also put in a limited practice just 3 days after leaving the loss to the Raiders with a groin injury. We'll track Watt throughout the week. OLB Alex Highsmith missed practice with his own groin injury but is merely a low-level IDP option at this point. CB Joe Haden (groin) practiced on a limited basis after missing Week 2.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Steelers OLB T.J. Watt "has a chance" to play Sunday against the Bengals. Watt left Week 2 early with a groin injury. Even if he's not able to make it back for the next game, this report indicates the injury isn't too serious.

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