Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 1

The Pittsburgh Steelers' passing offense kicked into high gear during their Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns. During the 30-27 affair, Ben Roethlisberger reconnected with old friend Antonio Brown while making a new pal in Markus Wheaton.

Roethlisberger, who entered the season with a No. 16 consensus quarterback ranking on FantasyPros, aired it out for 365 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception against Cleveland, who allowed 221.1 passing yards per game last season.

The veteran accumulated 4,261 passing yards last season, but he still finished as ESPN's No. 12 QB with 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Given the overwhelming depth at quarterback, Big Ben remains a low-level No. 1 or high-level No. 2 fantasy passer.

Brown led the way with five catches, 116 yards and a 35-yard touchdown. His day, however, will mostly be remembered for incidentally booting punter Spencer Lanning on a punt return.

Before the game, offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Brown relished the opportunity to line up against top cornerback Joe Haden, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ray Fittipaldo. 

“He’s a big dog,” Haley said. “Every time you put a year like last year out there, it raises the bar. I think he understands that. He’s going against one of the best cornerbacks in the league this week in Joe Haden. That’s a great challenge for him, and one I know he’s excited about.”

Drafted among the top 10 wideouts, Brown's strong afternoon should shock nobody. If anything, some greedy owners are wondering why he only amassed five receptions, which matches his 2013 low.

A year removed from finishing second in both receptions (110) and receiving yards (1,499), there's no doubting Brown is a legit fantasy stud. Continue to start him with confidence every week.

The schedule, however, doesn't get any easier for the Steelers, as they get another defensive-minded AFC North rival this Thursday in the Baltimore Ravens. After that, they'll travel to Carolina two weeks from now to face the Panthers on Sunday night.

Brown deserves the benefit of the doubt, but Roethlisberger is best left benched for those tough matchups. Most managers who drafted Big Ben likely have another capable quarterback at his or her disposal.