Raiders @ Steelers Week 16 Game Preview
This is likely to be one of the worst weather games of the week, but the line is understandably close as the Raiders take on the Steelers.
Raiders at Steelers (-2.5) – 38.5 total
The Raiders pulled off a shock win with an all-time classic ending over the Patriots last week, but it remains to be seen if that game will give them momentum going forward, or set them up for a letdown performance on the road in Pittsburgh for Saturday Night Football.
This is also going to be one of the worst weather games of the week, with temperatures expected to be around 10 degrees and wind gusts over 20 mph. This may limit the passing games to some extent but as always, we will have to monitor this up to kickoff in case conditions are better than expected.
Kenny Pickett has cleared concussion protocol and will be back at QB for the Steelers. You can play Diontae Johnson in any kind of PPR format, as he should still have a decent role in the short passing game and he’s averaged 9 targets per game over his last four outings. Najee Harris should see plenty of volume and has a nice matchup against a Raiders defense that has been vulnerable to opposing RBs. The big question mark in this offense is TE Pat Freiermuth, who put up a goose egg last week and wasn’t even targeted by Mitch Trubisky. He ran a route on nearly 75% of dropbacks so he is still a low-end starter considering the TE position is very flat after the top two or three guys.
If the weather is as bad as expected, the Raiders may lean heavily on Josh Jacobs as they have done in certain matchups throughout the season. The decent probability of a 25+ carry game has Jacobs as the RB3 in Fantasy Life consensus rankings and someone I am very thankful to not be facing in any of my semi-final matchups. If you have Davante Adams, don’t overthink it; he’s an elite WR facing a porous pass defense and is a great option regardless of the weather.
The most difficult start/sit decision for fantasy managers has to be Darren Waller. He looked decent in his return to action last week, but there is just no guaranteed volume in a crowded group of pass catchers with the potential for minimal passing attempts. If your team is still alive, you probably have another decent option at the position. Be sure to utilize the Fantasy Life start/sit tool to weigh your options and help secure a spot in your league’s championship.
The line is understandably close for this one and the Steelers are slight home favorites, but with the Raiders’ offense finally getting healthy again, I think they are the more talented team. Both teams are on the outside looking in for the AFC playoff picture but whoever wins this one will at least still have something to play for next week.