Pittsburgh Steelers wideout George Pickens and Minnesota Vikings rookie standout Jordan Addison each have difficult matchups this week.
But of the two young pass catchers, which is the better fantasy football start in Week 10?
Should You Start George Pickens or Jordan Addison This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Addison is the player to start. The Vikings wide receiver is projected for 10.6 points, which includes four receptions for 46 yards and 0.3 touchdowns. Addison’s projection is slightly higher than Pickens’ (10.3 points).
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Neither player has too great of a fantasy outlook this week. Pickens, who has caught just three passes total over the past two weeks, faces a Packers defense that has allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to receivers this season. Addison has a difficult situation in his own right, as New Orleans has been a solid defense against fantasy receivers this year.
Despite both players having unfavorable matchups, I agree with Pro Football Network’s Start/Sit Optimizer that Addison is the better start. Addison has caught 19 of his 25 targets over the past three weeks, while Pickens has hauled in just eight of his 18 looks over that same span. In fantasy, volume is king, and Addison should have a significant upside over Pickens in that department this week.
Pickens’ Fantasy Outlook This Week
Pickens is coming off the worst game of his season thus far, having caught just two passes for -1 yards in Pittsburgh’s Thursday Night Football victory over Tennessee last week.
The Steelers’ second-year standout was visibly frustrated over his usage in that contest and looked to not celebrate with his teammates following a touchdown because he wasn’t on the receiving end.
In that same game, Pickens had the chance for an easy touchdown of his own but could not get his second foot down in bounds despite there being plenty of space. After the game, he also took to Instagram and captioned a story, “Free me.”
GEORGE PICKENS WAS SO CLOSE TO A TOUCHDOWN FOR THE STEELERS pic.twitter.com/rRTg9YUEDJ
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 3, 2023
Since Diontae Johnson returned from a hamstring injury, Pickens has seen his role in the offense decrease. He’s still a home run threat every time he touches the football, but the opportunities simply haven’t been there for him over the past two games.
Pittsburgh hosts Green Bay this week, a defense that is allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to receivers this season. However, the Packers might be without star cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has missed multiple practices this week with an injury. Even so, Green Bay’s secondary has done a decent job of slowing down big-play receivers, making Pickens a risky start in fantasy this week.
The Steelers understand that Pickens must be frequently involved for their offense to reach its maximum potential. However, until we see both Johnson and Pickens turn in good fantasy performances the same week, the latter remains a boom-or-bust fantasy play.
Addison’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Addison has taken on a much bigger role over the past month, with star wideout Justin Jefferson sidelined with a hamstring injury. Addison has topped double-digit fantasy points in all four games without Jefferson, including a WR1 overall finish in Week 7 (31.3 PPR points) vs. San Francisco.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 10 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Jefferson appears to be on the verge of returning — he’s officially questionable for Sunday’s game — but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted earlier in the week it might be another week before No. 18 returns to the lineup.
If Jefferson doesn’t play, Addison should see a similar workload to what he’s received over the past month (7.5 targets per game). That’s great for his fantasy outlook, regardless of the matchup.
The Saints’ defense possesses a tough challenge for Addison in star cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Minnesota, of course, will be without quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Josh Dobbs will make his first start for the Vikings this week after pulling off a miraculous comeback over Atlanta last week, days after joining the team.
Dobbs under center is an upgrade over rookie Jaren Hall, who was ineffective in his NFL debut last week before leaving due to a concussion. Dobbs proved serviceable in Arizona earlier this season, with Cardinals’ WR1 Marquise Brown turning in WR2-level fantasy production. Addison should produce similar results for at least this week, if not longer. Start him this week.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!