Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Bears QB Justin Fields (thumb) is out for Sunday night’s game vs. the Chargers. He remained sidelined in practice all week. QB Tyson Bagent gets another start this weekend. He completed 72% of his passes in the Week 7 win over the Raiders but averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt on a laughably low 2.1 air yards per attempt.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus said Monday that QB Justin Fields is doubtful for Sunday night's game against the Chargers because of his right thumb injury. That would mean a second straight start for undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. The backup performed solidly in the win over the Raiders. But it's also worth noting that Chicago catered the game plan to him. Bagent's 2.1 air yards per attempt in that game marks the shortest average depth for any qualifying QB game this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That's obviously not a knock on the player or the game plan. Just a reminder to keep your expectations in check for Bagent's stat line in Week 8.

Steelers WR George Pickens hauled 5 of 8 targets for a team-leading 107 receiving yards in Week 7 vs. the Rams. Sunday also saw the return of veteran wideout Diontae Johnson after missing the last four games due to a hamstring injury. Johnson recorded 5 catches for 79 receiving yards in the contest. Though the Steelers’ passing game hasn’t been potent in 2023, the 65.2% target share that this duo received confirms where fantasy managers can look for points on this roster in Week 8 vs. the Jaguars, even if TE Pat Freiermuth returns from his hamstring injury.

For the first time in 2023, Steelers RB Najee Harris out-scored his teammate Jaylen Warren in PPR scoring. Harris ended Week 7 vs. the Rams with 53 rushing yards and a TD on 14 carries to go along with 3 catches and 15 yards as a receiver. Warren also scored on a 13-yard rush in the contest, though he only saw 2 targets on Sunday. His lack of pass-catching involvement hurt him and was rather surprising considering he’d seen at least 4 targets in four of five games prior to their Week 6 bye. Next Sunday, the Steelers will face off against the Jaguars.

NFL Network reports that Bears QB Justin Fields' thumb injury is "considered to be a two-to-three week injury -- though one source said Fields already is regaining grip strength and shouldn't be entirely ruled out for next week against the Chargers." The Bears did not place Fields on IR, which means that they expect him back before Week 11. It sounds like Week 9 or 10 is his most likely return date. We'll keep you updated on his progress.

The Steelers have placed TE Pat Freiermuth on IR for the hamstring injury he aggravated in practice this week. That means Freiermuth will miss at least the next four games. Fortunately, though, Pittsburgh has already had its bye. Whether to dump Freiermuth for something else or wait for him to return will depend heavily on your situation. He's worth hanging on to in many cases, given how difficult it has been to land a quality fantasy TE this year. But Freiermuth is also averaging just 2 receptions and 13.3 yards through his four appearances so far, and has yet to exceed 4 targets in a game. So he's far from a must-hold.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) is officially out for Sunday's game vs. the Rams. He reinjured his hamstring on Thursday and is expected to miss more time beyond Week 7, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward have tag-teamed TE duties with Freiermuth out. Neither is a viable fantasy play. WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens should pick up more volume with Freiermuth out.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus said Friday that the team doesn't plan on putting QB Justin Fields (thumb) on IR. Eberflus labeled Fields "week-to-week," but no IR means that the team expects him back before Week 11. We'll continue to keep you updated on Fields' recovery. He remains worth stashing in most fantasy leagues.

Bears QB Justin Fields (thumb) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Raiders. He didn’t practice all week and, although Fields won’t have surgery, he isn’t a great bet to make it back for Week 8. Undrafted rookie QB Tyson Bagent makes his first career start this weekend. He’s not a viable fantasy play and makes WR D.J. Moore and TE Cole Kmet much riskier starts.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth reinjured his hamstring in Thursday's practice, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Freiermuth will miss this weekend's game vs. the Rams and "likely will be sidelined longer," per Pelissero. Freiermuth can be dropped in shallower fantasy leagues. His absence is good news for WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens' target shares.

Bears QB Justin Fields is not planning to have surgery on his injured thumb, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The key to when he can get back on the field is when he's able to grip the football," Rapoport adds. Surgery would have had Fields out for an extended period of time, so this is good news, even if we don't have a firm timetable for Fields' return. He's worth keeping stashed in most fantasy leagues.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) went from a full practice on Wednesday to a limited practice on Thursday. It's unclear if this is part of a maintenance plan, or if Freiermuth suffered a setback with that hammy. We'll get another update on his status tomorrow.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. He's on track to return for this weekend's game against the Rams' 31st-ranked TE defense.

Bears QB Justin Fields (thumb) did not practice on Wednesday. The team has basically already ruled him out for Sunday's game vs. the Raiders, which leaves undrafted rookie QB Tyson Bagent as Chicago's likely starter.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus labeled QB Justin Fields doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. the Raiders with his dislocated thumb. Fields’ status beyond Week 7 is “really going to come down to grip strength,” Eberflus added. We’ll look for a more concrete timeline for Fields’ return. He’s worth hanging on to in most fantasy leagues for the time being. Undrafted rookie QB Tyson Bagent figures to make his first career start this weekend. He had a solid preseason but looked overmatched against the Vikings on Sunday, averaging 5.9 yards per pass attempt with an INT and a lost fumble. Chicago skill-position players will be tough to trust in fantasy lineups with Bagent under center.

Bears QB Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb in the Week 6 loss to the Vikings, insider Jay Glazer reports. Fields popped the thumb back in and tried to play through it, but he was unable to grip the ball, per Glazer. X-rays on the thumb came back clean, but Fields will get an MRI on Monday to get a better look at the damage. This could obviously be a problem going forward considering it's Fields' throwing thumb. We should learn more about his status tomorrow.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus said X-rays on QB Justin Fields’ right hand came back clean. He'll undergo an MRI on Monday. We should have a better idea of Fields' status going forward by Monday night. QB Tyson Bagent replaced Fields today, finishing 10-of-14 for 83 yards, 0 TDs, and one INT. He added two carries for four yards and a TD.

Bears QB Justin Fields suffered an apparent right hand injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Vikings. He headed back to the locker room with trainers. Stay tuned for an update.

Update: Fields has been ruled out with a hand injury.

The Eagles on Saturday placed WR Quez Watkins on IR. He didn't hit the injury report this week until missing Friday with a hamstring issue. Watkins will now miss at least four games, leaving Olamide Zaccheaus to start in his place. It's a low-value fantasy spot regardless of who's starting.

The Rams traded WR Van Jefferson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Falcons for a 2025 sixth-rounder, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Jefferson played just two snaps for Los Angeles last week with WR Cooper Kupp back. He'll find opportunity for playing time in Atlanta, with Mack Hollins currently serving as the No. 2 WR. But, considering WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts have struggled to find enough volume, Jefferson is a long shot for fantasy relevance.