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FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) celebrates with Antonio Brown (84) after scoring during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Pittsburgh. The youngest player in the NFL wears SpongeBob slippers and scored the first touchdown of his career last weekend, though 20-year-old Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster may have turned more heads with a crunching block that showed the NFL is child's play(AP Photo/Don Wright, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) celebrates with Antonio Brown (84) after scoring during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Pittsburgh. The youngest player in the NFL wears SpongeBob slippers and scored the first touchdown of his career last weekend, though 20-year-old Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster may have turned more heads with a crunching block that showed the NFL is child's play(AP Photo/Don Wright, File)Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster Fantasy Outlook After Martavis Bryant Benched

Adam WellsOct 25, 2017

Wide receiver Martavis Bryant's recent outbursts have cost him a chance to play in Week 8 against the Detroit Lions.

Per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bryant said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin informed him he won't play on Sunday. 

Bryant told ESPN's Josina Anderson he has "got to move on" before the NFL trade deadline on Oct. 31 based on his limited role in the Steelers' offense. 

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Fantasy owners have been scrambling to keep up with these developments in Pittsburgh virtually all season, and that will continue on Sunday. 

First and foremost, Antonio Brown remains an absolute must-start in your lineup. His 745 receiving yards lead the NFL by a wide margin, with A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals in second with 545 yards. 

Per ESPN's Mike Clay, Brown's fantasy production leads all wide receivers by a margin nearly as great as his lead in yardage over Green:

Brown has been targeted at least nine times in every game this season. That won't change this week. If anything, he could see an extra target or two with Bryant, who ranks third on the Steelers with 36 targets, on the sidelines. 

Yahoo Sports' Brad Evans is shouting the praises of the most intriguing name to benefit from Bryant's demotion:

Tomlin told reporters Tuesday the rookie receiver was in the NFL's concussion protocol, but Schuster isn't listed on the Steelers' official injury report for Week 8. He was available for all of last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, so it's unclear when he sustained the injury. 

From a big-picture perspective, Schuster appears to be on the verge of usurping Bryant as Pittsburgh's No. 2 receiver. His 26 targets rank fourth on the team and third among wide receivers. 

ESPN's Matthew Berry and Rotoworld's Evan Silva are very high on Schuster heading into the season's second half:

Schuster has three touchdown catches already, tied with Brown for the team lead. He hasn't caught more than four passes or been targeted more than six times in a game to this point, but he seems likely to get more attention from Ben Roethlisberger moving forward. 

With Schuster still available in 75 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues, his value will continue to go up. The Steelers believe in his talent after making him a second-round draft pick. Now is his time to show that he can be a big-play machine for Roethlisberger to trust. 

With Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell still getting the bulk of the touches in Pittsburgh's offense, Schuster will be fighting for opportunities. Give him time as he continues to develop his skills before relying on him as more than a flex option in Week 8. 

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