Pittsburgh’s George Pickens and DK Metcalf are seeing their collective draft stock fall in best ball drafts.
DK Metcalf and George Pickens have seen a dip in their average draft position since March 9th. George Pickens has fallen 5.6 spots from WR-33 to WR-36 in round 6 while DK Metcalf has fallen 4.9 spots from WR-24 to WR-28 at the 4-5 turn.
The drop can be traced to the sign and trade of DK Metcalf to the Steelers. While Metcalf and Pickens can offer diversifying skill sets from each other, the group think taking place is that Metcalf and Pickens styles are too much alike and will siphon from each other in a low passing volume offense.
With Russell Wilson primarily at the helm as the starting quarterback, the Steelers were No.27 in team pass plays per game. While the Steelers await clarity on who their starting quarterback will be this season, the move to acquire DK Metcalf has been met with a coolness in ADP for both Metcalf and Pickens. Drafters would be smart to scoop the discounted ADP prior to the Steelers quarterback issue being solved.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
One of the Pittsburgh Steelers' top priorities this ...
The Athltic's Mike DeFabo writes that Pittsburgh Steelers ...
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens ...
The alpha wide receiver has a new team and a new deal!
DK Metcalf is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adam Schefter reports that Metcalf was traded for the Steelers 2nd round pick and will also have a new 5-year, $150 million contract.
This news comes at a great time for DK Metcalf who was both looking for a new deal and team. Having lost his starting quarterback Geno Smith in a trade to the Raiders, it set up for an organic parting of ways. Metcalf was WR-32 last year, but managed to have a 118.0 Explosive Rating (EPX) which ranked 10th at his position.
DK Metcalf has played at least 15 games every season of his 6 year career and never had less than 900 yards receiving. Metcalf will be opposite of George Pickens in the formation, terrorizing NFL defenses. On Underdog, Metcalf is going off the board as WR-24 in round 4. Expect an uptick in ADP going forward.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
George Pickens is one of the top fallers in PlayerProfiler’s Dynasty Deluxe lifetime value rating for the beginning of 2025.
George Pickens was unable to put together a full season for the first time in his NFL career, suffering a hamstring injury that caused him to miss three games near the end of the year. This resulted in him scoring his lowest fantasy point total in PPR formats across his three NFL seasons. He was also held under 9 PPR fantasy points in six of the fourteen regular season games he played, highlighting his inconsistency and the boom/bust nature to his game.
Pickens did score 19.7 PPR points against Baltimore in the Wildcard round, but it’s worth noting that more than half of those points came from a single, improbable Touchdown catch that was thrown into double coverage. While Pickens will always be a threat to score a long Touchdown at any given time, the inconsistency to his production makes him more appealing in best ball formats than traditional fantasy leagues.
The Steelers have many questions to answer regarding who will be throwing to Pickens in 2025, with the current options on the roster not being great, and this rookie class being weaker at the QB position than usual. Fantasy Managers should consider securing a solid return for Pickens this offseason before his erratic production and behavior further push him down dynasty rankings.
-Jonny Tooma (@FantasyPicasso)
George Pickens: Fantasy Football Turmoil and Uncertainty for Steelers in 2025
George Pickens had a solid 2024 season, finishing with 59 catches, 900 yards, and three touchdowns in 14 games, making him the Steelers’ top receiver. Despite missing three games, he showed strong potential, particularly in a Wild Card loss to the Ravens, where he hauled in five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. However, his off-field issues, like arriving late to a Christmas game against the Chiefs and his questionable behavior post-game, have raised concerns about his commitment to the team. As the Steelers head into the offseason, Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh is uncertain, and the team could explore trade options.
From a fantasy perspective, Pickens has shown WR1 potential but remains a bit inconsistent. His 900-yard, three-touchdown season puts him in solid territory for fantasy fgamers, but with concerns about his off-field behavior and his contract situation, it’s unclear what role he’ll play in 2025. If he stays with the Steelers, his production will heavily depend on quarterback play and whether the team builds around him, but if he’s traded or his situation becomes more volatile, it could impact his fantasy value. For now, he remains a borderline WR2 with WR1 upside but significant risk heading into his contract year.
Mike Lindberg @FFCanuck99
Steelers 3rd year wideout George Picken’s talent is the engine that will drive the Steelers into a playoff run, or off a cliff.
It is no secret that the Steelers offensive ceiling is directly tied to George Pickens ability to make big plays. He tied for 5th in the league in air yards share at 44.9%, combining that with 515 yards receiving on 15 receptions on passes that travel 20+ air yards. Those are all positives for the offense, now lets talk about the elephant in the room.
George Pickens has not provided that to the offense in recent memory, outside of 1 reception for 41 yards against the Chiefs in week 17. He missed games against the Browns, Eagles, and Ravens where his absence was felt. You could argue that he derailed the offense in their Week 18 loss to the Bengals, recording 0 yards on 1 catch with 3 drops. For the Steelers to have any chance in this game, Pickens will have to shake off the tepid performance of week 18 and deliver on the promise of what makes him one of the most polarizing singular talents in the entire league.
A dud performance today leads to a murky future and what is unquestionably a top talent in the league’s future becomes very uncertain. He would be heading into a contract year with two other marquee names from his draft class, Drake London and Garrett Wilson achieving career highs in catches and likely earning a 2nd contracts. While Pickens will likely have to prove he can be a reliable talent that can be a franchise’s flagship wide receiver.
Justin Currie
@Chev90 on X
Despite appearing at practice on Thursday morning, the Pittsburgh Steelers have ruled out George Pickens ahead of their week 16 matchup, per Brooke Pryor.
Through 12 games this season, Pickens had established himself as the clear leader in Pittsburgh’s receiver room. He was in the midst of a career year, racking up 55 receptions for 850 yards and three touchdowns. Then, after the Steelers’ final practice before a week 14 matchup against the Browns, Pickens popped up on the injury report with a hamstring injury. He didn’t play that week and is now confirmed to miss his third game in a row.
In his absence, the Steelers’ passing attack has been non-existent. They ran the ball effectively in a win against the Browns but were suffocated by the Eagles’ run defense in week 15, resulting in a measly 20:08 in time of possession. With Pickens out of the lineup, Russell Wilson has completed just 29 passes for 286 yards through two games. There’s no questioning the ripple effect this injury caused for the rest of the offense.
The Steelers are set to take on their heated division rivals, the Ravens, in Baltimore on Saturday. Matchups between these two teams have earned the reputation of being low-scoring, defensive battles. With the Steelers’ top wide receiver ruled out, expect more of the same this weekend. Wilson is likely off the fantasy radar, even in superflex and 2QB leagues, as his team looks to lean on the ground game again. Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren are each intriguing options as volume-based plays in week 16 fantasy football matchups.
Reported by Trey Kroll (@TreyK_FB on Twitter/X)
