Fantasy managers who have been patient with George Pickens can finally rejoice. The rookie out of Georgia logged his first 100-yard receiving game against the Jets on Sunday, largely thanks to an upgrade at quarterback with Kenny Pickett.
Pickens is clearly a must-add, but how antsy should managers be to get him on their rosters? Our experts weigh in below on the new situation in Pittsburgh.
Sean Koerner: Pickens is a must-add now that Pickett has taken over as the Steelers' QB. Pickett seems much more willing to throw downfield and could unlock the WR3-plus upside Pickens possesses.
As long as all Steelers' pass-catchers are healthy, Pickens could be limited to being a weekly boom/bust WR4, though he is a Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, or Pat Freiermuth injury away from being an every-week WR3 with upside for more.
Samantha Previte: Pickens made it into last week’s waiver wire article after his highlight-reel catch against the Browns.
You have even more reason to pick him up now on the heels of his breakout game, which was due in part to the Steelers’ quarterback switch from Mitch Trubisky to Pickett. The rookie reeled in 6-of-8 targets for a team-high 102 yards.
Pickens was a great draft pick by Pittsburgh and now offers even more upside with Pickett under center. The Georgia product could be a star in the making and has even higher value in keeper formats.
I will note the Steelers’ upcoming schedule is brutal, so Pickens may be more of a bench stash as opposed to an immediate play.
Chris Raybon: Pickens should be added in all formats.
With Pickett at quarterback, he should be a top-50 fantasy WR going forward. The rookie was already an every-down player, he just needed a quarterback willing to throw the ball downfield, as his aDOT is 18.5.
Pickett’s aDOt was 13.2 in his first appearance – more than a three-yard uptick from Mitch Trubisky (10.1).
