The only problem with falling in love, at least from a statistical angle, with Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner after his monster performance on Sunday is that actual superstar Le'Veon Bell, with whom the Steelers still have most definitely not fallen out of love, can ruin this fairy tale whenever he wants. Who knows, he might want to now.
Bell can end this contract controversy and report to the Steelers tomorrow and start in Week 2 if he so desires, after watching his replacement rumble for 34.2 PPR points in Sunday's 21-21 tie in Cleveland against the beleaguered Browns.
Sure, Conner investors want to believe Bell's leverage to report to the club changed negatively on Sunday and that it should guarantee the younger man four months of awesomeness, but that did not occur. It is an unfortunate situation, really, but no matter how great Conner continues to perform -- and according to colleague Tristan H. Cockcroft's research, he is the eighth running back this century to surpass 30 PPR points in his first start -- fantasy managers still must prepare for the inevitable.
Sorry to burst bubbles, but this is no timeshare when Bell returns. Le'Veon Bell really does not share much.
Conner turned his 31 rushing attempts and five receptions -- they did play an overtime period, but still, that is a heavy workload -- into 192 total yards, two touchdowns and one of the mightier PPR outings of the week, so kudos to those who relied on the most added player in ESPN leagues over the past week. Conner showed great burst and quickness despite rainy conditions, as well as elite volume, and we know the team's offense can help a running back thrive.
No other Steelers running back touched the football. It was, basically, Bell-like volume -- which, again, is the problem. Conner's fantasy managers will have to deal with weekly doubts until there is more clarity on Bell.
Perhaps Conner investors could never imagine floating his name in trade talks after such a fantastic performance, but that makes perfect sense based on the situation. The Steelers are not trading Bell, and he is not likely to be sitting out all 16 games, either. This is annoying, for sure, but for now, those relying on Conner -- and he just missed being among the top 20 most active running backs in ESPN standard leagues -- have to go week to week. Perhaps we all do that anyway, since there are no shortage of injuries; Jacksonville's Leonard Fournette was one of the fallen on Sunday, and later this month, the bye weeks arrive.
As for how to view Bell after he missed Week 1, a quick look at his history tells us missing Week 1 really has no bearing on his overall value. After all, Bell did little in Week 1 last season after he reported to the team a mere days before the game, also in Cleveland.
In the opening week of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, he was not there due to suspension, and if you remember what happened with DeAngelo Williams when he totaled 171 yards and scored twice to open the 2016 campaign, well, it was not much thereafter. Bell finished top-five in running back PPR scoring each season. This remains one of the top few fantasy options in the sport, so do not give up.
Meanwhile, while the Steelers simply plugged Bell's replacement into the lineup and went about normal business, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger continues his unfortunate normal business for road games. Roethlisberger threw for 335 yards with the aid of extra time but totaled a mere nine fantasy points because five turnovers more than offset the one touchdown pass. This is, frankly, typical for Pittsburgh's quarterback; last season, he failed to break the top 10 in fantasy in all road contests. Over the past four seasons, Roethlisberger has 75 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in home games. On the road, he has 35 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. Just remember that moving forward, though Week 2 is a home game!
Second down: Good for Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for lighting up the New Orleans Saints in a 48-40 win, the highest-scoring Week 1 game in history. Fitzpatrick is only playing because starter Jameis Winston is serving a suspension; it is far too early to believe Fitzpatrick keeps the role when Winston returns, even if the Buccaneers appear noncommittal. Fitzpatrick turned 21 completions into 417 passing yards and three touchdowns and added a fourth touchdown and 36 yards with his legs. It is the greatest statistical day of his long career, even though he once had a six-touchdown game.
Meanwhile, for those who ignored Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans in the second round of drafts because of the quarterback situation, that was always a bad call. Winston is hardly the most accurate passer to start with. Evans caught all seven targets for 147 yards and a touchdown, his most prolific game since 2016. Same for DeSean Jackson, who last scored multiple touchdowns in a game in 2013 with Philadelphia, though he does not offer similar value moving forward. In fact, seeing that he surpassed 100 receiving yards in one game last season and last reached five touchdowns in 2014, call this outing aberrant.
Then again, is any of what the Buccaneers achieved real and projectable? Well, be careful here. I would advise fantasy managers similarly avoid Fitzpatrick as a free-agent pickup this week because it is hard to make a case to activate him in Week 2 against the Super Bowl champion Eagles, and his future is hardly clear. This is one game, and the Eagles won their Week 1 game because of defense, holding Atlanta Falcons veteran Matt Ryan to 8.8 fantasy points and nary a touchdown. Fitzpatrick has had great games in the past. He followed up his 358-yard, six-touchdown game in 2014 with 135 passing yards and no touchdowns. In 2016, he threw for 374 yards in Week 2 for the New York Jets and managed 188 yards and six interceptions the next week. Rely on Evans, but no other Buccaneer is a must-start.
Third down: Many people view the Saints as a Super Bowl contender, and perhaps that remains, but 48 points allowed in a home game is ugly, and according to Cockcroft, the defense's minus-9 for fantasy sets the franchise low. Most view this as a top-10 fantasy defense, but if the Browns can score on it in Week 2, that is indeed a problem, and fantasy managers will move on. Among the readily available defensive units that shined in Week 1 and could be interesting for fantasy in Week 2, check out the Carolina Panthers (13 points Sunday, Week 2 at Atlanta), Miami Dolphins (12 points, Week 2 at Jets) and Washington Redskins (12 points, Week 2 versus Colts).
At least the New Orleans offense did its thing, with Alvin Kamara leading all Week 1 scorers entering the Sunday night Bears-Packers game with 43.1 PPR points, while Drew Brees threw for 439 yards and two scores, and Michael Thomas set career marks with 16 catches and 180 receiving yards. Brees scored 31.6 fantasy points a season after he failed to reach 23 points in any game, so this is a good sign. While Kamara's eight rushing attempts are a bit disconcerting, flow of the game dictated Brees to throw, and Kamara was certainly active in the passing game. No other running back was a factor. Mark Ingram should fit right back into this offense when he returns from suspension in Week 5, and if the club's defense continues to struggle, that should be good news for the offensive weapons.
Fourth down: Fournette totaled 55 yards on 12 touches and 8.5 PPR points -- which is not what we wanted, but not exactly nothing -- in the win over the New York Giants before leaving with a hamstring injury. He claims all is well, but one must still presume he is no lock to play in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. T.J. Yeldon was next in line, and he totaled 69 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown; Yeldon will become an instant flex option if Fournette has to miss games. Fournette missed three games last season with various lower-body ailments, continuing a theme from his time at LSU. He downplayed the injury postgame, and perhaps all is well, but this is probably not the last time we discuss him with an injury in 2018.
Meanwhile, Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen missed more than half of last season with a broken foot, so it is definitely concerning that he left Sunday's game against Dallas after hurting the same foot. Olsen caught two passes for 33 yards. The Panthers turned to fourth-round draft pick Ian Thomas out of Indiana, and while most view him as a project, he could become relevant in deeper leagues quickly. There were several surprising performances from tight ends in Week 1, including Seattle Seahawks rookie Will Dissly and new Indianapolis Colts backup Eric Ebron, so avoid Thomas for now unless Olsen, one of four tight ends active in more than 90 percent of ESPN leagues this week, is out for the long term.
Also, keep an eye on Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who left his game prematurely with a knee sprain after dealing with knee problems all preseason. There could be some missed games there, aiding Tyler Lockett and Brandon Marshall.