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Pittsburgh Steelers DST

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Player Outlook
The Steelers defense should once again be one of the best in the NFL, and the Steelers DST is worth drafting with a late-round pick in all Fantasy leagues. Pittsburgh has plenty of stars on defense, including T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr., among others. And the addition of linebacker Patrick Queen this offseason should only enhance the Steelers defense this year. In 2023, Pittsburgh had 47 sacks, 16 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. The Steelers were also third in the NFL in fewest points allowed at 19.1. Fantasy managers should consider the Steelers DST a top-10 option in all formats with a late-round selection.

Fantasy News

  • Trenton Thompson: Waived by Pittsburgh

    Rotowire
    The Steelers waived Thompson (neck) on Wednesday. Thompson appears to have recovered from the neck injury that caused him to be placed on injured reserve back in January, as he wasn't waived with an injury designation. He suited up for six contests (one start) with Pittsburgh in 2023, recording 22 tackles, three passes defensed and one interception. Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com relays that Thompson opted against undergoing offseason surgery and was able to recover from the neck injury through rest and rehab.
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  • Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick: Returning to more comfortable role

    Rotowire
    Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said at mandatory minicamp Wednesday that he "failed" to put Fitzpatrick "in the best position" during the 2023 season and intends for him to play more at free safety going forward, Joe Clark of Steelers Depot reports. Fizpatrick played a career-high 134 snaps in the slot last season despite appearing in just 10 games, per Clark, and his 161 snaps at box safety were the second-highest tally of his career. That heavily intruded on Fitzpatrick's ability to suit up at free safety, where his talents best shine, resulting in his first year without a single turnover. Fitzpatrick said he hopes to get back to playing "Minkah Ball" in 2024, and getting the 2018 first-round pick back to a deep safety role could allow him to return to his four-time Pro Bowler form. The addition of DeShon Elliott in free agency should facilitate that plan.
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  • Luq Barcoo: Injury settlement reached

    Rotowire
    The Steelers waived Barcoo (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. The 25-year-old corner most recently appeared in a game with the Jaguars in 2020. Now that he's reached an injury settlement with Pittsburgh, Barcoo is free to sign with another team once he's medically cleared.
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  • Steelers' Cole Holcomb: On track for training camp

    Rotowire
    Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that Holcomb (knee) is on track to be ready for training camp, Nick Farabaugh of SteelersNow.com reports. Holcomb's knee injury had previously been believed to be significant enough to force the 27-year-old linebacker into medical retirement, but he looks as though he'll be able to return to the field after all. Before sustaining his season-ending injury, Holcomb appeared in eight games for Pittsburgh and recorded 54 total tackles and two forced fumbles. Assuming the knee issue isn't still slowing him down during camp, Holcomb should fill a starting role at inside linebacker for the Steelers in 2024.
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  • Steelers' Cameron Sutton: Rejoining Pittsburgh

    Rotowire
    Sutton agreed to a contract with the Steelers on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. He previously spent six years with the Steelers after they drafted him in the third round in 2017. Sutton signed a three-year contract with the Lions last offseason and started all 17 regular-season games, but he was frequently picked on by quarterbacks and later released in March amid reports of a warrant being out for his arrest. Sutton eventually turned himself in to Florida police and was charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery.
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  • Steelers' Luq Barcoo: Lands on IR

    Rotowire
    Barcoo (undisclosed) reverted to injured reserve Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. Barcoo will now remain on the shelf for the 2024 campaign unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team.
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  • Luq Barcoo: Cut by Pittsburgh

    Rotowire
    Barcoo (undisclosed) was waived/injured by the Steelers on Monday. If the cornerback gets through waivers unclaimed, he will revert to the Steelers' injured reserve list. Barcoo last appeared in an NFL game in 2020 with the Jaguars.
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  • Giants' Elijah Riley: Signs with Big Blue

    Rotowire
    Riley signed with the Giants on Thursday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports. Riley wasn't re-signed by the Steelers after a two-year stint with the team where he recorded just 66 defensive snaps across 17 regular-season games. Indeed, the 25-year-old will need to make an impact on special teams to secure a spot on the 53-man roster in 2024.
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  • Steelers' Cory Trice: Nearly back to full speed

    Rotowire
    Trice said Wednesday that he'll be fully clear for training camp, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports. Trice was forced to miss his entire rookie season last year due to a ruptured ACL he sustained in August, but he's now on track to play in 2024. However, Pittsburgh traded for Donte Jackson in March and drafted Ryan Watts in April, so Trice won't be guaranteed playing time or even a roster spot.
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  • Steelers' Joey Porter: Back on field

    Rotowire
    Porter (concussion) participated in OTAs on Wednesday, Chris Adamski of Triblive.com reports. Porter was unable to finish the Steelers' wild-card loss to the Bills in January after suffering a concussion. However, the second-year cornerback has since cleared protocol and is back on the field this spring, signaling that he'll be ready to go for the start of the 2024 season.
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  • Steelers' T.J. Watt: Back in action

    Rotowire
    Watt (knee) participated in OTAs on Tuesday. Watt was unable to play in the Steelers' wild-card loss to the Bills in January due to a Grade 2 MCL sprain. However, the star pass rusher looks to have fully recovered from the injury and will head into training camp in optimal health.
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  • Steelers' Cameron Heyward: Could hold out of OTAs

    Rotowire
    Heyward (groin) plans to skip Steelers OTAs unless he receives a contract extension, Joe Rutter of TribLive.com reports. Heyward is on track to earn $16 million in 2024, but he has no such assurances for after the upcoming season. He's coming off a down year in which he recorded just 2.0 sacks in 11 games, but he'll still probably be a plus starter for Pittsburgh in 2024 if he doesn't continue to hold out for a new contract.
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  • Steelers' Ryan Watts: Corner help added in Pittsburgh

    Rotowire
    The Steelers selected Watts in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 195th overall. Watts is a rangy corner at just under 6-foot-3 with 34.5-inch arms. He started his career at Ohio State before transferring to his native state of Texas, where he attended UT-Austin and started for two seasons. He ran a 4.53 in the 40 at the combine and while his frame is interesting for a corner, being that upright can be a detriment without the requisite make-up speed. If nothing else, Watts helps a cornerback room that needed some help behind Joey Porter and Donte Jackson. There is some thought that if he doesn't stick at corner, Watts could move to safety.
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  • Steelers' Logan Lee: Headed to Pittsburgh

    Rotowire
    The Steelers selected Lee in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 178th overall. Lee fit in perfectly with Iowa during his collegiate career, as he's known primarily for his toughness and work ethic. He played defensive tackle for the Hawkeyes, though he's undersized for the position in the pros at 281 pounds. His fit defensively is thus unclear, but he blocked a pair of kicks in college and could land a roster spot as a special teams ace.
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  • Steelers' Payton Wilson: Pittsburgh ends fall in third round

    Rotowire
    The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 98th overall. Wilson would have gone much earlier than this if not for his extremely long injury history at North Carolina State. Wilson's right knee and both shoulders have required multiple surgeries at various points, and he heads into the NFL a 24-year-old rookie after spending so much time on the shelf. His strengths as a prospect are obvious -- at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds Wilson is freakishly fast (4.43-second 40-yard dash), and this lends well both to his pass-rushing and his coverage abilities. Wilson will never be the linebacker you want lining up in the middle -- he stands very upright and his arms are bizarrely short, making it easy for guards to grab him first -- but in the open field, very few ballcarriers can lose Wilson's pursuit.
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  • Steelers' Alex Highsmith: Restructures deal

    Rotowire
    Highsmith and the Steelers agreed Wednesday to restructure his contract and create roughly $7 million in cap space, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Highsmith is likely converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus, with Rapaport calling the move a "simple" restructure. The 2020 third-round pick notched seven sacks across 17 regular-season appearances in 2023, a far cry from his career-high 14.5 sacks in 2022. Nonetheless, he remains an integral part of Pittsburgh's defense for the foreseeable future.
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  • Steelers' Cole Holcomb: Future status still in question

    Rotowire
    Holcomb (knee) still doesn't have a timeline for when he may be able to return to the field, Adam Borst of SteelersNow.com reports. Holcomb suffered a significant knee injury Week 9 against the Titans that required season-ending surgery to repair. Since then, there has been speculation that the damage done was enough to keep the North Carolina product on the sidelines permanently, bringing an early end to his career. However, according to GM Omar Khan, Holcolmb is "working extremely hard to get back. I don't really have much to add on a timeline." Khan further stated, "It was a major injury, but he is working hard and I'm optimistic about all the effort he's going to put into getting back on the field."
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  • Broncos' Levi Wallace: Slated to join Denver secondary

    Rotowire
    Wallace is in line to sign with the Broncos, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports. The looming addition of Wallace, who turns 29 in June, would bolster the Broncos' depth at cornerback ahead of this week's NFL Draft. During the 2023 campaign, Wallace recorded 38 tackles and two picks in 16 regular-season games for the Steelers, and in his new locale the Alabama product could compete for a starting role opposite Patrick Surtain.
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  • Steelers' Cameron Heyward: Should be 100 percent by camp

    Rotowire
    Coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that he expects Heyward (groin) to be a full participant by the start of training camp, Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now reports. Heyward currently is recovering from a cleanup procedure undergone to address a groin/core injury, but Tomlin said he's "not anticipating it to be a factor by the time we get to training camp." The veteran defensive end managed to finish 2023 with 33 tackles (25 solo), two sacks and one pass breakup in 11 games, despite playing through a core-muscle injury for much of the season, so he could bounce back this year if he's simply healthier. Heyward tallied a combined 20.5 sacks across his previous two seasons.
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  • Commanders' James Pierre: Signs with Washington

    Rotowire
    Pierre signed a contract with the Commanders on Thursday. Pierre spent the last four seasons in Pittsburgh, where he suited up for 16 regular-season games in 2023 while mostly contributing on special teams (267 snaps). He now gets an opportunity to compete for a depth role in the Commanders' cornerback corps this offseason.
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