Ben Roethlisberger Officially Ruled Out Sunday 

This comes as no real surprise, but the Pittsburgh Steelers officially announced Friday that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss his third consecutive game as he continues to recover from rib and shoulder injuries.

Big Ben had actually practiced earlier in the week, but apparently neither Roethlisberger nor the Steelers felt he was totally ready to play against the hard-hitting Ravens on Sunday.

They also ruled out backup Byron Leftwich, who has a rib injury of his own, meaning 37-year-old Charlie Batch will start for the second game in-a-row. Former Patriot Brian Hoyer will be the backup.

Fantasy Impact

Obviously, following a miserable three-INT effort last week in the loss to those pesky Cleveland Browns, you should be giving no thought whatsoever to inserting Batch into your fantasy lineup, especially against a more stout Baltimore unit.

It may help that WR Antonio Brown is probable to return, but that isn’t going to turn Charlie Batch into Tom Brady or anything. If you’re in need of a last-minute QB to start, you’re looking elsewhere.

About the author: Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith has been with NFL Soup since its inception, and is a jack of all trades, helping with breaking news, fantasy football advice and NFL Draft coverage. Smith also heads NFL Soup's live chats and radio shows. Taylor also contributes content to our sister sites, MLB Soup, NBA Soup and NBA Water Cooler. He lives in Los Angeles, where he also is a writer for the L.A. Clippers. Follow him on Twitter @NFLSoupTaylor.