The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a revelation this season. Despite a questionable QB room heading into the year, head coach Mike Tomlin has been able to weave his magic, with the team at 10-5 and leading the AFC North. However, in recent weeks, they have looked a bit shaky with star wide receiver George Pickens out with an injury.
But as the tail end of the season arrives and a showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs highlights the NFL‘s Christmas slate, is the return of Pickens finally upon us?
Will George Pickens Play in Week 17 vs. the Chiefs?
Since entering the league in 2022, Pickens has been one of the most consistent players on the field, not missing a single game prior to this hamstring injury.
However, the hamstring issue caused the Steelers WR to miss the last three games, and Pittsburgh was 1-2 in those contests.
Now, Pickens is good to go for Wednesday’s game against the Chiefs. He was a full participant in practice over the past two days, and he doesn’t have an injury designation for the Christmas Day game.
Tomlin recently opened up about what getting Pickens back means for the Steelers’ offense.
“I think it’s self-explanatory,” the head coach said. “He’s a splash playmaker. He’s a 1-on-1 playmaker. Oftentimes, he controls schematics, which creates 1-on-1s for others or a light box regarding the run. But that’s what talented outside people do. Not only George but anybody that has talented outside people.”
Pickens’ Fantasy Outlook in Week 17
Pickens (Grade 2 hamstring strain) missed the first game of his career in Week 13, and his absence extended through last week.
The upside is no secret (six finishes as a WR2 or better), but he has also had three finishes outside of the top 55 receivers, which is a concerning floor, particularly if he isn’t 100% healthy.
Generally speaking, I love the way this Russell Wilson-led offense looks for Pickens. With the veteran calling the shots, Pittsburgh’s WR1 has produced 17.2% over expectations and has eight end-zone targets in six games.
The Chiefs are a tough matchup for anyone, though they’ve been a little more gettable of late. Prior to suffering the devastating knee injury last week, Tank Dell lit this secondary up for 21.8 PPR points, the third time a receiver hit 20 points against them this season – that’s a small number in the scope of the season, but all three have come since Week 12.
My greater concern as a Pickens manager is that Kansas City has largely been vulnerable to secondary options. On Saturday, it was Dell, not Nico Collins. Earlier this season, David Moore was Carolina’s most productive receiver in their matchup. Back in Week 11, Curtis Samuel was the top producer for Buffalo.
Entering this Christmas showdown with the Chiefs, PFN has Pickens ranked as a high-end WR3 – one that can offer tremendous upside alongside the risk you’re taking with his bulky hamstring.
This season, Pickens has caught 55 passes for 850 yards and three touchdowns through 12 games. The 23-year-old has been significantly more productive since the Steelers made the quarterback change from Justin Fields to Wilson earlier this season.