Fantasy football: Roethlisberger’s return brings Steelers’ receivers back into game

Fantasy football owners can finally get their Pittsburgh Steelers players off the bench and into the action now that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has returned from his four-game suspension.

Players such as wide receivers Mike Wallace and Hines Ward and tight end Heath Miller can expect to make an immediate impact after spending much of their first four games as blockers for running back Rashard Mendenhall.

When owners drafted their teams, many wisely game-planned around getting value from the Steelers players by taking them later, hoping to have enough players to carry them through Week 5 until they could contribute. It was a dilemma others didn't want to go through, but as the rounds passed they became hard to resist because of the value they presented down the road.

The payoff is finally here, although the road getting to this point was rocky. Through four games, Ward and Wallace each had only 19 targets and combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns. Ward might be the biggest beneficiary of having Big Ben back. He has made a career of being reliable over the middle and in the red zone, but it takes the confident, cannon-armed Roethlisberger to make Ward his best.

Wallace had one game this season in which he scored twice with 100 yards, but his name has barely shown up in the box score in the other three games. While Miller emerged last season as one of the top tight ends for fantasy players with 789 yards and six touchdowns, he has only 100 yards this season.

Beyond those players, Roethlisberger himself will be the biggest addition to many fantasy squads. After many of the top-tier quarterbacks were drafted, owners were forced into the strategy of taking the likes of Carson Palmer or Kevin Kolb late and then coming back with Roethlisberger, a move that is sure to pay off since Palmer and Kolb have struggled.

Look for Roethlisberger to continue his upward swing of being a solid fantasy quarterback after throwing for more yards last season than in any of his previous five seasons. The same offensive system is in place, and Roethlisberger might be even better as a more mature player after once again going through a tumultuous saga off the field.

■ STRUGGLING WIDEOUTS -- What's happened to Marques Colston and Greg Jennings? Both are considered No. 1 wide receivers but have yet to produce like it.

Colston is mired in a Saints offense that appears to have been figured out by defenses across the league, and Jennings isn't getting many looks from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Colston doesn't have any scores and is averaging a mere 57 yards per game. Jennings has been even less productive, with only 14 receptions, fourth most on the Packers. At the beginning of the week, the Packers' coaching staff made it a point to say Jennings would be more involved.

■ BANGED-UP PACKERS -- Doctors cleared Rodgers, who suffered a concussion in Week 5, to return to practice Thursday. But with the NFL's stance on concussions, it wouldn't be surprising to see him sit the way Jay Cutler of the Bears had to in Week 5. Should Rodgers be unable to go, Matt Flynn would make his first NFL start.

The Packers' leader in receiving yards, tight end Jermichael Finley, could be out for the season, and his backup, Donald Lee, is expected to miss two weeks, leaving rookie Andrew Quarless as the starter. Should Rodgers start, Quarless is a great pickup because of how prominently the tight end is featured in Green Bay's offense.

■ WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER HEAVY -- Few impact players remain on the waiver wire, except at wide receiver. Here's a look at some players who warrant consideration going into this week:

Nate Burleson, Lions: With Calvin Johnson probably out Sunday and Shaun Hill throwing well, Burleson could be the best immediate contributor of all available players. After missing two games because of injury, he came back with a score in Week 5.

Kenny Britt, Titans: Britt has scored in three straight games and is among the league leaders in red-zone targets. He could fit in nicely as a No. 3 receiver.

Danny Amendola, Rams: With Mark Clayton out for the year, Amendola is Sam Bradford's go-to guy. He had 19 targets in Week 5 and is seventh overall in that category for the season.

Deion Branch, Patriots: We'll get a clearer look Sunday at how the Patriots' game plan will work in their first game without Randy Moss, but Branch is sure to be counted on by Tom Brady just like in the good old days.

Steve Johnson, Bills: Buffalo has a bye this week, but Johnson's four touchdowns in five games are hard to pass up regardless of how bad the Bills appear to be. He leads the team in all receiving categories.

Micah Roberts is a former Las Vegas sports book director who covers all sports for multiple publications. He can be reached at MM.Roberts7@gmail.com.