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The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Cincinnati Bengals for each of their final games of the 2024 regular season. This game will have playoff implications -- at the very least, it will change the Steelers' final seed in the playoffs, as they could end up as high as the No. 3 and as low as the No. 6 seed.
More importantly, if the Bengals win and the Denver Broncos lose, Cincinnati could sneak into the playoffs as the final seed. The below graphic showed their path to winning before Week 17. Now that the Bengals beat the Broncos, we're one step closer to them possibly getting in.
The @Bengals path to the playoffs starts today.
📺: #DENvsCIN -- 4:30pm ET on NFL Network
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rKYtpa90bL— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2024
So this game matters and neither team will rest their starters or just give up. With that in mind, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, tight end Pat Freiermuth, and Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki might be on some of your rosters -- we'll break down our start-sit decisions for each.
Should I Start Russell Wilson for Fantasy Football?
Yes. This game has all the makings of a shootout. Two teams that are capable of putting up massive point totals will clash in a game that definitely matters, and they already faced each other once this season, with the Steelers winning 44-38.
Russell Wilson kept working the ball to his RBs on over the ball checkdowns and it was constantly efficient against the Bengals soft coverage. pic.twitter.com/amaewTrlyM
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 2, 2024
Start good QBs in potential shootouts. Not a hard choice here.
Should I Start Pat Freiermuth for Fantasy Football?
Tight end start-sit decisions aren't the most difficult, either. Freiermuth has double-digit PPR fantasy points in five of his last six outings. He was targeted eight times last game, catching seven passes for 60 yards, though he did lose a fumble.
Pat Freiermuth has been targeted 50 times and has 44 receptions so far this season. That's an 88% catch percentage. pic.twitter.com/v3KtaQrkxh
— Billy Hartford (@CamHeywardFan) December 12, 2024
He's been impressive at securing catches, if not holding on to the ball all the time. But he has a place in most fantasy football leagues this week, considering the scarcity at his position. He's the second-best passing-game option for the team. We say start him.
Should I Start Mike Gesicki for Fantasy Football?
He's not a terrible option this week. It appears likely that at least one of wide receiver Tee Higgins (knee, ankle) or Chase Brown (ankle) will miss Week 18, meaning he could be more involved in the passing game. And he caught 10 of his 12 targets for 86 yards last week, good for 18.6 PPR fantasy points.
Mike Gesicki should still be cheap this offseason. I'd be interested in another year or two. pic.twitter.com/3AEnikeX4b
— Goodberry (@JoeGoodberry) December 2, 2024
Quarterback Joe Burrow is clearly a talent elevator. Gesicki should see at least six targets this game, and that's just fine for a TE, so he checks in as a low-end TE1 for Week 18.
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