The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense is an extremely uncertain place for fantasy football managers in 2024.
With two new quarterbacks on the roster, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, we have little knowledge of how things may look for the passing game in Pittsburgh. Therefore, the fantasy outlook for George Pickens and Roman Wilson has many managers scratching their heads entering drafts.
Let’s take a look at how things may shake out for the Steelers’ WRs
George Pickens’ Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 206.2 (142.7 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 6.5
- Receiving Yards: 1072.0
- Receiving TDs: 5.0
It may be tough to believe this because of his underwhelming WR29 finish last year, but Pickens saw his targets (106), receptions (63), receiving yards (1,140), and touchdowns (five) increase from his rookie year.
Perhaps nothing acts as a better snapshot of Pickens’ immense upside paired with his nerve-racking floor than the final three games of his 2023 campaign.
Pickens’ Fantasy Production Weeks 16-18
- Week 16: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 195 yards, 2 TDs (WR2)
- Week 17: 9 targets, 7 receptions, 131 yards (WR9)
- Week 18: 0 targets, 0 receptions, 0 yards
One factor that has likely held Pickens back from reaching his true fantasy potential was the presence of Diontae Johnson, who was traded to the Carolina Panthers this offseason. Johnson’s targets dropped from an average of eight per game in 2022 to six in 2023 due to Pickens’ expanded role in the passing attack.
Pickens’ ADP currently sits at No. 57 overall, the WR28 off the board going in the fifth round right after Tee Higgins and Amari Cooper come off the board.
It is hard to imagine a scenario where Pickens sees fewer targets this year with Johnson out of town and his main target competition coming in the form of a rookie (Wilson). Yet, London’s WR37 finish last year in Atlanta in this offensive scheme does bring Pickens’ upside in this offense into question.
Pickens has flashed the talent to be a top-20 receiver in the league. Given his situation as a projected alpha target earner in this offense, Pickens has the type of projected floor with a real path to upside worth selecting in the fifth round.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Roman Wilson’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 121.7 (73.0 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 48.7
- Receiving Yards: 535.5
- Receiving TDs: 3.2
Wilson played in a run-heavy scheme in college at Michigan, so it requires some back-of-the-napkin math when it comes to projecting him at the professional level. That said, the only players standing in his way from earning the WR2 role in this offense are Van Jefferson (3.4 targets per game for his career) and Calvin Austin III (17 catches in 17 games as a rookie).
I’d label him as the favorite to finish second among receivers in targets for the Steelers, and that makes him interesting at the end of drafts. By no means is he a must roster, but if you think Pickens takes that next step and demands significant defensive attention, Wilson might be able to take advantage of single coverage in certain spots.
Personally, I’d rather embrace offensive variance and roll the dice on a rookie like Luke McCaffrey instead. Jayden Daniels can overachieve in Washington, but what is Russell Wilson’s real upside in Pittsburgh?
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst