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After fantasy owners watched Ben Roethlisberger‘s first half in the first game against the Cleveland Browns, many thought that Roethlisberger was going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the 2014-15 NFL season. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ quarterback struggled in the three halves after his dominant first half performance, and now a daunting matchup against the Carolina Panthers looms. For that reason, owners should not start Roethlisberger in any scenario, electing to start another option instead.
With regards to the matchup, the Panthers present one of the toughest defenses in possible in the NFL. So far this season, Carolina boasts the second-best scoring defense in the entire league, giving up only 10.5 points per game. Last week, the Panthers held the Detroit Lions‘ viable offense to seven points. Matthew Stafford mustered up only 6.1 yards per attempt and looked frustrated for much of the game. Carolina’s defense has demonstrated the ability to pressure the opposing quarterback as well, notching seven sacks through two games.
Fantasy owners should also be concerned that Roethlisberger has only tallied one touchdown so far this season. He has thrown an interception in both of his first two games, and his yard per attempt number fell from 10.7 to 5.9 yards from Game 1 to Game 2. Roethlisberger has yet to produce for a full game, and until he does, owners should be extremely wary of starting him in fantasy football.
With a tough matchup against the Panthers’ swarming defense on the schedule, Roethlisberger simply cannot be trusted. Roethlisberger will most likely find a way to get into a groove, but do not expect this rhythm to come in Week 3 against Carolina.
Nicholas Sciria is a San Antonio Spurs writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
