James is in line to start in Friday's preseason debut against the Lions with Ladarius Green still on the physically unable to perform list, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. "He needs these opportunities to grow and develop himself," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "He's a young guy working to improve, so he needs the reps."
As the Steelers' TE1 in training camp, James is getting an opportunity to work with Ben Roethlisberger much more than he would if Green (ankle), who underwent surgery in January, was available. With no timetable for Green's return, James could be a sneaky play in deep fantasy leagues.