Pickens was awesome in his first start with Russell Wilson in Week 7 against the Jets, with five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He's had at least seven targets in five games in a row, but that was just his second game with more than 10.7 PPR points over that span. I expect Wilson to continue to lean on Pickens in Week 8 against the Giants, and I like Pickens as a top-10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in Week 8.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Breaks out with new starting QB
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Pickens had five receptions (nine targets) for 111 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.
Pickens produced his best fantasy score of the season in quarterback Russell Wilson's first start for Pittsburgh. The veteran quarterback brought the best out of his top wideout, which should have Pickens' fantasy managers ecstatic about what might lie ahead. The 23-year-old blossomed as a sophomore last season with a 63-1,140-5 receiving line, but he had gotten off to a slow start with mobile quarterback Justin Fields at the helm for the Steelers' first six games. Now that the more accurate Wilson has taken the reigns of the offense, Pickens should see a boost in projections heading into next Monday's tilt against the Giants.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Another modest showing
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Pickens recorded three receptions on eight targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 32-13 win over the Raiders.
Pickens made headlines throughout the week due to perceived discontent over his role in the Pittsburgh offense, though opportunity wasn't an issue in Sunday's win. His eight targets were his second-highest mark of the season, though he did see some tough contested looks and also dropped a potential touchdown late in the game. Pickens has yet to find the end zone and has topped 100 yards only once in six chances, making him a fantasy disappointment through the first six games of the campaign.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Frustrated with reduced snaps?
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Pickens said Thursday that it was offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's decision to restrict his snaps during Sunday's 20-17 loss to Dallas, NFL.com's Nick Shook reports.
Pickens still was consistently on the field for three-wide formations, but he took just one of 20 snaps (5 percent) in 12 personnel, after getting 79 percent of those snaps Weeks 1-4. Smith curiously used 162-pound Calvin Austin and 174-pound Scotty Miller as the 12 personnel wideouts alongside Van Jefferson, which suggests Pickens' lack of playing time may have been related to effort or fatigue avoidance rather than his actual ability as a blocker. Pickens ran half-hearted routes a few times during Sunday's loss, fueling speculation that the Steelers are displeased with his effort and body language. The team may have a point, but what they don't have is another legitimate receiving threat out wide. Pickens saw a team-high seven targets Sunday night even with the reduced playing time, and coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that he thought minimizing the wideout's reps might actually help his productivity. None of this is ideal for fantasy managers, but Pickens is still a clear favorite to lead his team in targets during Sunday's game in Las Vegas.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Quiet against Cowboys
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Pickens caught three of seven targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys.
Pickens accounted for the only first-half catch by a Steelers wide receiver, as Justin Fields completed only four of nine pass attempts before halftime. Fields was better in the second half, but Pickens remained a near non-factor despite finishing with the team lead in targets. Pickens' yardage totals have fluctuated, but he has yet to score a touchdown heading into a Week 6 road game against the Raiders.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Big plays against Colts
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Pickens recorded seven receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts.
Pickens had a disastrous first half that was defined by a lost fumble near the end zone that cost the Steelers points. However, as Pittsburgh attempted to make a frantic comeback in the final two quarters, Pickens showcased his big-play ability with a pair of catches that went for 38 and 37 yards, respectively -- both of which helped set up touchdowns. The only thing missing from the performance was a touchdown, but Pickens dominated targets and illustrated his upside when the team was forced to take to the air more aggressively.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Start
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Pickens has yet to score a touchdown this season, but it feels like a big game is on the horizon. And that could happen in Week 4 against the Colts. Indianapolis has allowed four touchdowns to opposing receivers already this year, and four guys have scored at least 15.2 PPR points against this secondary. Pickens has two games this season with at least five catches, and I expect Justin Fields to help Pickens have a breakout performance in Week 4.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Five catches in Week 3 win
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Pickens caught five of seven targets for 57 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Chargers.
After picking up 85 receiving yards in the season opener, Pickens has just 86 across two subsequent games. No other Pittsburgh player has more than 108 receiving yards this season, so Pickens' middling production is the result of Justin Fields struggling as a passer rather than Pickens being outperformed by an alternative option. Given that context, Pickens would stand to benefit if Russell Wilson (calf) gains clearance to make his season debut and reclaims the starting quarterback job Week 4 against the Colts, but Fields is likely to remain under center after leading the Steelers to a 3-0 start.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Start
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Pickens had a tough matchup in Week 2 at Denver with cornerback Patrick Surtain, and he finished with two catches for 29 yards on four targets. In Week 1, Pickens had six catches for 85 yards on seven targets against Atlanta, and I'm expecting a similar stat line -- if not better -- in Week 3 against the Chargers. Pickens is worth starting as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Quiet against Denver
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Pickens recorded two receptions on four targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 13-6 win over Denver.
The Steelers took an early lead and were content to rely on their defense and ground game to come away with a win. That, combined with a tough matchup against Patrick Surtain, limited Pickens' opportunity and production Sunday. Pittsburgh is likely to employ a similar game plan against the Chargers -- another conservative offensive team -- in Week 3, which could lead to a quiet performance from Pickens.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Pickens had a solid game in Week 1 at Atlanta with Justin Fields at quarterback with six catches for 85 yards on seven targets, and hopefully Pickens can do something similar in Week 2 at Denver. But I don't like this matchup for Pickens against the Broncos since he'll likely see plenty of coverage from Patrick Surtain Jr. He just shut down DK Metcalf in Week 1 with three catches for 29 yards on four targets, and Surtain can make things difficult for Pickens in this matchup. I would only start him in three-receiver leagues in Week 2.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Racks up 85 yards
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Pickens recorded six receptions on seven targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons.
The Steelers were extremely run-heavy with Justin Fields under center, as they recorded 41 rushes as a team compared to just 23 pass attempts. That resulted in limited volume for most of the team's pass catchers, with Pickens being the only exception. He did the majority of his damage on two long receptions that went for 40 and 33 yards. Pickens' big-play ability will help him put up big production on limited volume in the Pittsburgh offense, but he's still likely to be inconsistent as the season progresses.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Two catches in final rehearsal
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Pickens recorded two catches on two targets for 26 yards in Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss to the Lions.
Pickens appeared in one drive with Russell Wilson under center and was targeted twice. The latter was an explosive catch as he ran deep across the middle of the field for a 32-yard gain. Pickens is unquestionably the top pass catcher in Pittsburgh and should be set to receive a large number of targets, barring a late addition to the wide receiver corps.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Narrowly misses acrobatic catch
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Pickens recorded one reception on two targets for four yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason loss to the Bills.
Pickens played with Russell Wilson in Saturday's game after catching passes from Justin Fields in Pittsburgh's first preseason contest. He had a quiet stat line, though the offensive line struggled and failed to give Wilson consistent time to throw. Pickens also narrowly missed out on a highlight reel catch on his final drive, as he was ruled to have not tapped down his second toe as he was falling out of bounds.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Catches two Fields passes
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Pickens caught both of his targets for 25 yards in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.
Pittsburgh's starters played only one quarter, but Pickens showed a nice rapport with Justin Fields, who started at quarterback with Russell Wilson getting the night off. Regardless of who is under center for the Steelers come Week 1, Pickens is primed to lead Pittsburgh's receiving corps. The Steelers have two more preseason games left before then, including a Saturday, Aug. 17 matchup versus the Bills.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Tallies 65 total yards in loss
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Pickens secured five of 11 targets for 50 yards and rushed once for 15 yards in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon. He also lost a fumble.
Pickens had serviceable numbers overall and co-led the Steelers in receptions while setting the pace in targets. However, it was largely a frustrating afternoon, beginning with a fumble on the Steelers' 29-yard in the latter portion of the first quarter that was eventually confirmed via replay, and that led to a touchdown on Buffalo's first play after gaining possession. Pickens also was the intended receiver on Mason Rudolph's fourth-down pass with 4:53 remaining that ended in an incompletion but also included what appeared to be a missed pass interference call that would have given the Steelers new life via a first down. Pickens finished the regular season with an impressive 63-1,140-5 line across 17 games despite subpar quarterback play, so he could be in for an even bigger season in 2024 if there is more stability under center.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Start
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After Pickens had his big game in Week 16 against Cincinnati with four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns on six targets, I doubted him last week at Seattle. And he proved me wrong with seven catches for 131 yards on nine targets. He's now scored at least 20.1 PPR points in each of his past two games, and he appears to have a great connection with Mason Rudolph, who is starting again in Week 18 at Baltimore. The Ravens are expected to rest several starters on defense, and Pickens should be considered a solid No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues. Keep in mind that he also had six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against the Ravens in Week 5.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Another big performance
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Pickens recorded seven receptions on nine targets for 131 yards in Sunday's 30-23 win over the Seahawks.
Pickens continued to show rapport with Mason Rudolph, topping 100 receiving yards for the second consecutive game. That production came primarily on a trio of long gains of 37, 34 and 24 yards, though Pickens has also been his target volume tick back up in recent weeks as he's seen at least six opportunities in four straight contests. That bodes well for his potential to produce again in a pivotal Week 18 matchup against the Ravens.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Sit
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Pickens popped off in Week 16 against the Bengals with a career game of four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns on six targets for 35.5 PPR points. It was awesome to watch, including a ridiculous 44-yard catch along the sideline just before halftime. He showed you his big-play ability and that he can dominate a game, but unfortunately that hasn't happened often this season. Prior to Week 16, Pickens had scored 8.8 PPR points or less in six of seven games, with no touchdowns over that span. Now, the game against Cincinnati was the first one with Mason Rudolph under center, and hopefully more big stat lines are ahead, including Week 17 at Seattle. But the Seahawks have held A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and DeAndre Hopkins to 12 catches for 126 yards and no touchdowns in the past two games on 19 targets. I would only use Pickens in three-receiver leagues in Week 17, and he's more of a bust alert than
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Steelers' George Pickens: Quiets critics with career game
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Pickens caught four of six targets for 195 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's 34-11 win over the Bengals.
After a tumultuous week in which Pickens' effort in recent games was called into question, the second-year wideout rewarded coach Mike Tomlin's decision to keep him in the lineup by taking a slant to the house for a career-long 86-yard touchdown on Pittsburgh's second offensive play. Pickens added a spectacular 44-yard catch along the sideline in the two-minute drill to set up a 50-yard Chris Boswell field goal, which gave the Steelers a 24-0 lead heading into halftime. He got free for another long touchdown in the third quarter, this time hauling in a deep ball for a 66-yard score. This was the best game of Pickens' young career, as he set a new career high in receiving yards while scoring multiple touchdowns for the first time. He's up to 1,009 receiving yards and five touchdowns heading into a Week 17 road game in Seattle.
