QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Prior to his last touchdown drive, Ben Roethlisberger was a fantasy football disappointment. Even after getting his first touchdown pass of the game on his final throw, he still didn’t produce at the level many expected out of him, especially fantasy-wise.

RB Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals
During the regular season, Tim Hightower led the Cardinals in rushing touchdowns. By the end of the season, it appeared as if he had won the starting spot. But in the Super Bowl, he did next to nothing as he watched Edgerrin James get most of the touches.

WR Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming into the Super Bowl with an injury, there was some question about how well Hines Ward would be able to perform. While he appeared to be running well, Ward didn’t put up many stats. He was held to two catches for a total of 43 yards.

TE Leonard Pope, Arizona Cardinals
While no one was expecting Leonard Pope to have a huge game, it is somewhat surprising that he ended the Super Bowl without a catch. That is especially true considering that he had two grabs in Arizona’s previous game.

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RB Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers
No running back in the Super Bowl had much of an impact. Willie Parker was the best but he didn’t help out too much. In 19 rushes, Parker picked up 53 yards. The Steelers had a rushing touchdown but it came courtesy of backup RB Gary Russell.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Early on, it looked like the Steelers might be able to take Larry Fitzgerald out of the game. But late, Fitzgerald found room and ended up with very good stats. In the Super Bowl, Fitzgerald finished with nine catches, 127 yards and two touchdown grabs.

TE Ben Patrick, Arizona Cardinals
Although Heath Miller of the Steelers had a decent game, Ben Patrick was was able to score a touchdown from the tight end position. The Cardinals backup caught a one yard pass to give Warner his first touchdown pass and Arizona’s first points on the night.

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RB Carey Davis, Pittsburgh Steelers
Most fullbacks aren’t startable in the fantasy football world but with Carey Davis of the Steelers, you can be confident that he’ll at least get a couple touches. In the two games Pittsburgh has played in the playoffs, Davis has five touches. In their last three games, he has seven touches. If you need an emergency starter and all the other RBs are taken, look at Davis.

WR Jerheme Urban, Arizona Cardinals
There’s no doubt that the Cardinals will try a couple trick plays against the Steelers to try to catch Pittsburgh off guard. One target for the trick play could be Urban, who is the fourth wide receiver for the Cardinals. During the regular season, he threw a pass that was complete and he also had two touchdowns in the final three games.

WR Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh Steelers
Against the Ravens, Limas Sweed’s stat line would have looked a lot better if he would have hauled in the long bomb that fell right through his finger tips. If Hines Ward is banged up and Santonio Holmes is double-covered, Sweed could be the difference maker as a long ball threat.

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RB Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh Steelers
When Willie Parker was injured earlier in the season, Mewelde Moore came up huge and led the Steelers to a number of victories. Although his role is now reduced, he definitely has big play potential as a runner, receiving and a returner.

WR Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals
With Anquan Boldin still not 100% and Larry Fitzgerald demanding a huge amount of attention, Steve Breaston could find himself more open than usual. Breaston is a threat in Arizona’s vertical passing game and is also big enough to be an end zone threat.

WR Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines Ward has stated that he will play in the Super Bowl but it’s unknown how healthy he will be. With that in mind, Santonio Holmes has a chance to be the featured offensive player for Pittsburgh. In the playoffs so far, Holmes has been extremely explosive and has illustrated his vast potential.

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RB Willie Parker, Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaking of knowing about Super Bowls, Willie Parker has fond memories of his lone Super Bowl appearance. He was big in that game and could come up huge again for Pittsburgh.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
The most talented player in the Super Bowl has to be Larry Fitzgerald. He’s living up to his potential and is showing why he might become the best WR in the league sooner rather than later.

TE Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger trusts Heath Miller and if Hines Ward is banged up at all, there’s a chance that Miller will become Big Ben’s go-to receiving option.

K Neil Rackers, Arizona Cardinals
Not only is Neil Rackers kicking well, he has a strong leg and will likely be called upon a lot if the Cardinals are moving the ball. Rackers finishing with two or three field goals is somewhat likely.

D Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite going against a high-powered offense, the Steelers have the best fantasy football defense in the Super Bowl. They are aggressive, stout and make plays on a consistent basis.

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The good news for Steelers fans and for those of us playing playoff fantasy football is that Hines Ward now says he’s 100% certain he will play in the Super Bowl. Tests after the game indicated that Ward sustained a sprained MCL during the Ravens game.

Although a sprained MCL usually sidelines a player anywhere from three-to-six weeks, Ward insists that the sprain was in a part of his knee that has a lot of blood flow and will thus be more easier to heal. To help the healing process, Ward is rehabbing almost constantly — even getting up from his sleep to work on his injured knee.

For the Steelers, they’d be in deep trouble if they didn’t have Ward. He’s not only their best wide receivers, he’s a vicious blocker who can ignite the running game. Without Ward, the Cardinals defense wouldn’t have nearly as much to worry about.

As far as Hines Ward’s fantasy football status, it’s best to simply regard him as a healthy player. Even if he isn’t totally healthy, the adrenaline of the Super Bowl is sure to have Ward playing at a high level. Outside of Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals, Ward should be the best wide receiver going in the Super Bowl.

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In total, Fitzgerald has 419 yards and five touchdowns grabs in his three playoff games. In each of the contests, he has caught a pass for more than 40 yards.

Fitzgerald’s hot streak actually began at the end of the regular season. He ended the season with two straight games with at least 100 yards receiving and had a total of six touchdown grabs in his last five games.

In the Super Bowl, Fitzgerald will have to come up big for the Cardinals to have a chance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although the Steelers have a stout defense, Fitzgerald is talented enough to overwhelm any defense.

If you are playing playoff fantasy football, Fitzgerald is the wide receiver you want on your team right now. He’s the most talented offensive player on either team and he’s playing extremely well right now. Start him with the utmost of confidence.

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It doesn’t hurt Warner that he has two fantastic wide receivers at his disposal. Larry Fitzgerald is one of the most talented wideouts in the NFL and has been playing outstanding football in the postseason. Anquan Boldin is banged up a bit but he is also an extremely talented wide receiver who can use his brute strength to overpower opponents. Even third wide receiver Steve Breaston is a quality player.

On the ground, Arizona has two decent pieces. Even though Edgerrin James isn’t as good as he used to be, he’s playing his best football as of late and can still make plays. Rookie Tim Hightower has been a touchdown machine this year and is the Cardinals’ running back of the future.

Pittsburgh Steelers
In 2005 when the Steelers last won the Super Bowl, they did so even though quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t have a very good outing. This time around, the Steelers need Roethlisberger to show up and lead their offense. Against the Baltimore Ravens, he showed that he’s more than capable of making big plays.

As for his wide receivers, Pittsburgh has to hope that Hines Ward is healthy. He got hurt against the Ravens and missed most of the action. If he’s healthy, he’ll be Roethlisberger’s go-to option in the Super Bowl. The big play option is undoubtedly Santonio Holmes, who has great speed and natural playmaking ability.

On the ground Willie Parker brings a successful Super Bowl resume to the table. In the 2005 Super Bowl, he had a game-changing 75 yard touchdown that helped Pittsburgh win the game. Although he was held in check by the Ravens, Parker should find more holes against Arizona’s defense.

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RB Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens
Though he wasn’t the starter for the Ravens much at all this season, Willis McGahee got the bulk of the carries in their most important game of the season. He finished with two touchdowns and 60 yards on the ground. But it wasn’t enough for the Ravens and McGahee didn’t get to finish the game as he got knocked out near the end of the game.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
There’s no player who has risen his stock further during the playoffs than Larry Fitzgerald. He seems to have finally reached his vast potential and is putting up insane numbers. Against the Eagles, Fitzgerald had nine catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

TE Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles
Those who rolled the dice with Celek got paid off in a big way. The Philadelphia tight end finished with ten catches for ten catches for 83 yards and two touchdown grabs. Although the Eagles were eliminated, Celek could very well be draftable next season after proving his worth in the playoffs.

Photo credit: Newscom

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Baltimore Ravens D
Although the Ravens are the underdog in this game, don’t overlook their defense. Baltimore boasts a number of playmakers who can take a turnover and return it to the end zone. Considering this will undoubtedly be a low scoring affair, feel confident starting Baltimore’s D.

Philadelphia Eagles D
The Eagles might have the hottest defense in the NFL but they dipped in these rankings due to the fact that the Cardinals have an explosive offense. Chances are the Eagles D will be worth a healthy amount — but there’s a chance that Kurt Warner and the Cardinals have something to say about that.

Arizona Cardinals D
On paper, the Cardinals have the worst fantasy defense for this week of playoff fantasy football. That said, their defense is playing well as of late and Donovan McNabb isn’t exactly known as the best big game quarterback of all time.

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