Suspensions and Fantasy Football

Don't know if you've heard yet, but Ben Roethlisberger is in trouble with the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Wednesday that Roethlisberger would start the 2010 football season on suspension. Most of the headlines will say the suspension is for six games, but it's actually designed to be reduced to four games if Roethlisberger complies with some easily reached terms. Put simply, if he's still suspended on week 5, something has gone horribly wrong.

For the purposes of this post, we will set aside questions about things like the morality of Roethlisberger's actions and the legality of suspending someone who wasn't even indicted. Instead, we'll consider this case from the perspective of fantasy football fans, who have to decide what to do with Roethlisberger and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, he did rank 9th among quaterbacks in ESPN fantasy points last season.

Unless something radical happens Thursday at the NFL draft, the Steelers probably will turn over the offense to recent re-acquisition Byron Leftwich (who ranked 42nd last year) or Charlie Batch (who got no fantasy points whatsoever). This can't be good news for Hines Ward (who ranked 16th last year among receivers) or Mike Wallace (who ranked 28th).

I'd mention the effect on Santonio Holmes, but there really isn't one. There are two reasons for that. First, Holmes is now a New York Jet. Second, as a result of a drug policy violation, Holmes has earned a suspension of his own: four games. Maybe he can run patterns for Roethlisberger while they serve their suspensions together.

And yes, most of the above can be wiped out with the right move during the NFL Draft, which starts Thursday. The People's Pigskin's draft-related poll will close late Wednesday. We'll be back with some facts about the NASCAR race in Talladega.