Fantasy Football: 4 Unexpectedly Great Week 14 Performances

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL.com Start Percentage: 33.5%
Week 14 Fantasy Points: 28.74

I guess they call him "Big Ben" for a reason. Ben Roethlisberger was the top fantasy quarterback of Week 14, throwing for 506 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Roethlisberger has appeared in this column three times this season, most recently in Week 12. At the time, it was noted that the Steelers are a capable offense, especially at home and against weaker defenses. The Ravens had been a decent defense, but they lost key defensive back Jimmy Smith earlier this month.

In a close game, playing from behind for much of the second half, Roethlisberger and the Steelers really poured it on. Going forward, he probably won't throw 66 passes in a game again (that's only happened 31 times this century), but he's now thrown for 290 yards or more in five straight games. And the Week 15 matchup with the Patriots could turn into a shootout, since the Steelers' defense has been a shell of itself lately without Joe Haden and Ryan Shazier.

At this point, it's fair to say Roethlisberger could be a league-winning quarterback this fantasy postseason, and our JJ Zachariason made a detailed case for Roethlisberger's rest-of-season appeal in this week's 15 Transactions piece.