Steelers 24, Colts 17 (Steelers Cover +118, O 39)

Pregame: Both of these teams come into play after a tough loss. The 3-7 Steelers lost in a shootout with the Bengals last week, while the 4-6-1 Colts lost to the Eagles by just one point. The Steelers have no playoff aspirations, so the development of Kenny Pickett is their main focus for the rest of the year. The Colts, on the other hand, are still alive in the AFC South, but they need to win this game to stay alive in the playoff picture. This projects to be a low-scoring game, so whichever quarterback protects the ball better will likely win the game. 

Postgame: Both of these offenses struggled throughout this game, but Kenny Pickett ultimately played efficiently enough to give the Steelers the victory. Jeff Saturday’s clock management will likely be the main headline of this game, as he made many questionable decisions regarding the clock inside the last two minutes. Matt Ryan clearly doesn’t have what it takes to make a playoff run, and it will take a miracle for the Colts to find themselves back in the playoff picture later this season. Look for Jonathan Taylor to get more touches moving forward. 

Steelers

QB

Pregame: Kenny Pickett: Pickett is coming off one of his best games as a pro against the Bengals. That was in a 67-point slugfest, which profiles to be much different than this game with the 39-point total. Pickett has become more efficient as the year has gone on, and he’s also throwing downfield more. That being said, Mike Tomlin will likely want to run the ball and control the clock on Monday night. Fantasy managers should stay away from Pickett during Week 12. 

Postgame: Pickett did not have a good fantasy game, but there is reason to be optimistic. Pickett completed 20-of-28 passes for 174 yards while adding 32 yards on the ground. Pickett made some great throws, but he was the victim of the Steelers’ game script. Pickett is throwing downfield more, which is evident by his average air yards per attempt (AY/play). Pickett’s AY/play has been above six yards for the past three weeks, and he didn’t surpass that mark once before that stretch. Mike Tomlin is gaining more trust in his young quarterback, and Pickett has found comfort in his best downfield receiver, George Pickens. Pickett’s progress should be monitored, but his offense doesn’t allow for much fantasy upside, making Pickett a fringe QB2 moving forward. 

RB

Pregame: Najee Harris: Harris is coming off his two best games of the year in total yardage and yards per carry while also managing to find the end zone twice last week. In this low-scoring game, Harris will likely see 20-plus carries after seeing exactly 20 in both of the past two weeks. If Harris continues this efficiency or comes close to it, he could easily be in line for 100-plus yards from scrimmage with a great chance at a touchdown. Harris is a high-end RB2 this week.

Postgame: Harris left this game early with an injury after carrying the ball eight times for 35 yards and a touchdown, adding one reception for four yards. In his absence, Benny Snell led the way with 13 touches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Backup Anthony McFarland also saw some work, with six carries for 30 yards and two catches for 11 yards. Most of this production would’ve gone to Harris if he was healthy, making his injury very important to monitor. If Harris misses any time, Snell should see the bulk of the work, making him a low-end RB2 in that scenario.

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WR

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