This week, ESPN’s Eric Karabell made a compelling case for Le'Veon Bell as the top fantasy option despite his three-game suspension. Figured I would add my thoughts to this based on my observations from Pittsburgh Steelers offseason workouts and talking to Bell after a recent workout.

THE CASE FOR BELL

Will be highly motivated : He feels he let his team down with his three-game suspension and plans to offset that disappointment with rigorous running.

Prides himself on durability : Bell has played 29 of a possible 33 career games and told me he's spent his entire pro career building a training regimen that promotes longevity -- frequent trips to the hot and cold tubs, muscle activation techniques, stretching, training room work. He wants to be out there all the time and is putting in the necessary work to do so.

Excellent receiver : That's not going away. Bell has good hands and is a viable pass-catcher each week. He might not catch 83 passes again, but his number will be stout.

O-line eyes top 10 rushing offense: The line will have all five starters, including multiple Pro Bowlers, in their third year together. With his patience as a runner, Bell will reap the benefits of this.

CASE AGAINST BELL

Loaded offense : If Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton progress as the Steelers expect, plus Antonio Brown maintains his torrid pace of 99.9 receiving yards per game since 2013, there are only so many touches for Bell. You can't satisfy everyone. Heath Miller hasn't left, either. Bell will get his as an established running back, but Todd Haley's offense loves the pass, too.

Lack of breakout runs : In 534 attempts, Bell has 12 career runs of more than 20 yards, or 2.2 percent. Fantasy owners could use more stability there, especially if Bell starts slow. Bell's backup, DeAngelo Williams, averages four percent for his career.

Out of rhythm: If the Steelers find success in September with a quick passing game and Williams as the primary back, the Steelers could decide to ease Bell back, which could affect his production in his first few games. Make no mistake, Bell will see a healthy workload for the Steelers, but the Steelers won't mess with momentum if they start 3-0 with a certain plan.

FINAL WORD: Picking Bell first comes with inherent risks but isn't an irresponsible decision as long as your reserve backs are capable.