DFS: Ben Roethlisberger's Injury Fallout

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their Week 3 matchup with the St. Louis Rams with one of the NFL's highest rated offenses, and they were set to enjoy the return of their most dangerous offensive weapon in RB Le'Veon Bell.

Alas, Bell's return was offset by the departure of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee midway through the third quarter Sunday, with initial reports suggesting he'll will miss four to six weeks.

Here is the Steelers' upcoming schedule for those six weeks:

The injury to ProFootballFocus' third-highest rated quarterback from last season will have an impact not only on the Steelers' win/loss record, but also on their other high-profile offensive stars.

WRs Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, RBs Bell and DeAngelo Williams, and TE Heath Miller will all struggle to meet their respective fantasy point averages - and lofty price tags - with Michael Vick under center.

The closest Vick has come to playing a full 16-game season in the past decade was the 13 games he played with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. That season Vick finished as PFF's 10th-ranked quarterback, but he dropped down to 12th when focusing strictly on passing. Vick also ranked 10th with 7.8 yards per passing attempt.

The Steelers' offensive weapons will all be negatively affected for as long as Roethlisberger is sidelined. Here's a look at how their respective values are expected to change, beginning with the most affected:

Martavis Bryant

Bryant has one game left to serve of his four-game suspension for marijuana use. When he returns in Week 5, the first three to five games of his sophomore season will be played without Roethlisberger.

It's safe to say Bryant won't be scoring six touchdowns in his first four games this season.

Vick threw multiple touchdowns in just one game last year, while with the New York Jets, and his last 200-yard passing game came in September of 2013, with the Eagles.

With Bell and Brown representing priorities 1A and 1B in the Steelers' offense, Bryant - and all other receiving options - should be avoided due to minimal workloads.

Heath Miller

The consistent - albeit unspectacular - Miller has surpassed 500 receiving yards in eight consecutive seasons, and he is on that pace once again while averaging four receptions and 38.6 yards per game through the first three weeks.

Already averaging a career low 9.7 yards per reception and with just five touchdowns in his past 33 games, Miller is the third option in a passing game that will now be reliant on the unpredictable, 35-year-old arm of Vick.

With the Steelers' scoring rate likely to decline drastically, Miller will lose the few red zone looks he was garnering under Roethlisberger's reign.

Antonio Brown

Brown ranks inside the top-10 in every major statistic for wide receivers through the first three weeks of the season.

It's safe to expect Vick to key in on the reliable Brown even more than Roethlisberger had been - leading to 35 targets through three weeks - but DFS players should expect opposing defenses to be aware of that.

One of the premiere "matchup-proof" receivers in the league, Brown and the Steelers' coaches can always find ways to get him the ball. The greatest effect of Vick's play on Brown's production will be the quantity of his 20-plus yard receptions. Brown is currently tied for fifth in this category with five on the season, but a decrease in his average depth of target will make it more difficult for Brown to make the big plays.

Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams

If anyone might benefit from Roethlisberger's absence, it's the Steelers' running backs.

In his first game of the season, Bell actually exceeded his average rushing attempts per game from his breakout campaign in 2014. His seven receptions and eight targets in his season debut were also both higher than last season's averages. Bell has fresh legs, and without a reliable quarterback, head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers' will likely make up for lost time.

Williams was extremely impressive in his first two games of the season while filling in for Bell, racking up 224 total yards on 46 touches. Bell's return limited Williams to just one rushing attempt in Week 3, but his value is on the rise once again, with the Steelers needing to lean on their ground game.