FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 10/11/2009 10:45pm et

The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was 23-for-30 for 277 yards with a season-high three touchdown passes and an interception Week 5.

The Huddle Take: Roethlisberger continues to be consistent for fantasy owners this season and is also limiting his mistakes so far this year. "Big Ben" is not as flashy as some of the other big name quarterbacks but he has been producing fantasy points for teams at a pace that can equal most of the other top signal-callers in the league.

Posted: 9/11/2009 10:54am et

The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was 22-for-43 for 363 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions during the team's Week 1 game.

The Huddle Take: Roethlisberger thrived in the no-huddle offense and, as per usual, shrugged off several would-be sacks to make plays down the field. He also received solid protection from the much-maligned Steelers' line, though part of that success may have stemmed from tired Titans due to the no huddle. With the running game looking no more competent than last year, the onus once again appears to be on Roethlisberger to carry the Pittsburgh offense.

Posted: 9/10/2009 11:23am et

The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has rejected a settlement offer by a former Nevada casino worker who claims she was sexually assaulted by Roethlisberger. Attorney David Cornwell said the woman's offer is bizarre. Cornwell says the proposal insults women who have legitimately suffered from sexual misconduct.

The Huddle Take: Seeing as Roethlisberger has refuted the allegations all along, it comes as no surprise that he's rejecting the settlement offer. Though obviously the thought of putting this entire sordid incident behind him had to be at least somewhat appealing. Big Ben will have plenty of other things to think about with the Steelers kicking off defense of their Super Bowl title tonight.

Posted: 9/9/2009 10:17am et

Dan Majors, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reports the woman who has accused Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault has offered to settle a civil lawsuit against him if he admits he assaulted her. It is one of three conditions attorneys for the woman outline in a letter they submitted to a Nevada court offering to settle the matter. Roethlisberger must also deliver to the woman a letter of apology withdrawing "the false statements and allegations that he and his agents have made about her." The third condition is he must donate $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women in Reno, Nev., "or a similar entity designated by the plaintiff." The filing and the letter from the plaintiff indicate the admission and apology must be made "within five days," but do not make clear on what date that deadline will expire.

The Huddle Take: Roethlisberger has aggressively denied the accusations in the civil suit, and while he'd certainly like to see the suit go away it seems unlikely these terms would be deemed acceptable. The timing of this announcement suggests that it may also be a ploy to capitalize on the spotlight Big Ben will be in as the NFL season kicks off on Thursday.

Posted: 8/30/2009 11:57am et

NFL.com reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (foot) didn't show any problems with his previously injured foot Saturday, Aug. 29. He hit 15-of-19 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions during his time on the field against the Buffalo Bills.

The Huddle Take: This is a good sign for Roethlisberger who appeared to not have any lingering effects from his foot injury in this contest. Fantasy owners should view the Pittsburgh quarterback a decent No. 1 fantasy option especially since the Steelers also have a good ground attack to balance the offense.

Posted: 8/27/2009 10:19am et

Dan Majors, of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, reports attorneys representing seven of the eight Harrah's Lake Tahoe employees named as defendants in the sexual-assault case involving Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger have filed a motion to dismiss the case. Roethlisberger and the eighth Harrah's defendants made a similar request nearly two weeks ago. The filing includes a point-by-point rebuttal of many of the claims made in the plaintiff's lawsuit, concluding that "it appears to be more of a screenplay than a legal pleading."

The Huddle Take: This case appears to be falling apart, which would mean Roethlisberger can return his entire focus to football sooner rather than later.

Posted: 8/27/2009 10:19am et

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday, Aug. 26, that his right foot is "not 100 percent, but it's coming along." It is not know how much Roethlisberger will play in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 29. "It's more along the lines of how you feel when you are out there. It's one of those things where you say to coach I need another one or I feel good. We'll kind of see how the flow of the game goes," added Roethlisberger.

The Huddle Take: The third preseason game is traditionally where the starters get the most work, but Big Ben is a veteran and might only need a series or two this week and next to get in game shape for the start of the regular season.

Posted: 8/26/2009 10:25am et

Michael Hasch, of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reports attorneys for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger have notified the attorney for the woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Roethlisberger that they intend to seek sanctions against him for the "frivolous" lawsuite filed against the quarterback. The attorneys notified Reno attorney Calvin Dunlap Tuesday, Aug. 25, that he has 21 days to rectify what they call factual errors in the lawsuit before they seek sanctions against him. The proposed motion states, "Roethlisberger respectfully requests that the fabricators of a scheme masquerading as a lawsuit, designed to harass and embarrass him ... be subject to Rule 11 sanctions."

The Huddle Take: Roethlisberger's legal team has been aggressively fighting back against the civil suit, leaving Big Ben to focus on playing football.

Posted: 8/25/2009 6:19pm et

The Associated Press reports Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said QB Ben Roethlisberger (Achilles') will play without any limitations in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 29.

The Huddle Take: That's good news for those considering taking Roethlisberger, but remember that Achilles' injuries are very dangerous. You'd probably be better served looking in another direction at QB.

Posted: 8/22/2009 9:58pm et

Updating a previous report, ESPN, reports Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (Achilles') was on the field before the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 22, wearing tennis shoes and walking with a limp.

The Huddle Take: Fantasy owners should watch this situation closely during the preseason since Roethlisberger is nursing a sore Achilles injury. This is the type of injury that could linger and become slow to heal so proceed with caution when selecting the Pittsburgh quarterback as your fantasy starter.