Are DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. A WR Duo For Big Fantasy Football Production?
Fantasy

Are DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. A WR Duo For Big Fantasy Football Production?

Ian Hartitz previews the Pittsburgh Steelers passing attack, with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. leading the way.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers passing game last season just felt like it was missing a piece. Then they got two pieces in the form of Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard, who will complement DK Metcalf and a pair of TEs to give futher Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers a plenty full cupboard of pass catchers. Will any give us fantasy football success in 2026? Ian Hartitz breaks it down as part of his Pittsburgh Steelers Team Preview.

Are both DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman nice clicks at cost?

Credit to Metcalf for working as the WR20 in PPR points per game last season despite not reaching triple-digit targets across 15 games. However, we did see six-year lows in receptions (3.9) and yards (56.7) per game, and the returns across the first eight weeks of the season (14.7 PPR points per game, WR19) compared to the second half of the season (10.5, WR31) were certainly eye-opening.

Of course, those numbers were achieved as the only show in town of this one-man passing attack. The newfound presence of Pittman, who got a three-year, $59 million deal to rock black and yellow for the foreseeable future, suddenly throws some questions into this pecking order. While Pittman's high-end flashes might not match Metcalf's, he's posted WR24, WR22, WR14, WR45 and WR27 finishes in PPR points per game during the last five seasons, with the latter two campaigns being influenced by a broken back and a literal Grandpa at quarterback.

Fantasy Life Projections accordingly have this passing game fully centered around these two receivers, with Pittman actually getting the slight nod in overall volume!

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Here's where things get interesting: Both Metcalf (WR37, pick 76.9 ADP) and Pittman (WR48, 104.1) aren't even priced inside the position's top-36 receivers despite having these gaudy triple-digit target projections! This places them among fantasy's cheapest options with solid target projections.

Ultimately, I'm a big fan of the entire WR4 tier in fantasy land—and the Steelers' pair of receivers are part of the reason why. While it'd be pretty shocking if either returns legit WR1 production, each profiles as the sort of "eat your vegetables" pick that you won't be calling home to brag about. But hey, you can do a lot worse in Rounds 7-8 than good receivers poised to see triple-digit targets from a future Hall of Famer.

Also note: Germie Bernard profiles as the clear-cut No. 3 receiver here, although this HIGHLY paid tight end room could result in less of an emphasis on 11 personnel than past editions of the McCarthy offense. Credit to the Alabama product for boasting the lowest career drop rate among the top-15 or so incoming rookie receivers; he's a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none sort of talent in the similar mold of say Robert Woods. Still, it's tough to paint too optimistic of a Year 1 outcome as the No. 3 (at best) pass-game option of an offense not exactly expected to resemble the 1999 Rams. Bernard is nothing more than a late-round dart in best ball formats or a mid-round rookie draft option.

Is there a tight end in Pittsburgh worth betting on in fantasy land?

The Steelers employ two of the league's only six tight ends with a total contract value north of $40 million. This is a testament to the ability of both Pat Freiermuth and human wrecking ball Darnell Washington, but unfortunately, the presence of *two* capable real-life tight ends usually results in *zero* overly relevant fantasy ones. This is reflected in the Fantasy Life projections, as neither Freiermuth (65 targets) nor Washington (40) rank inside the position's top-27 top-targeted options.

Maybe the absence of Arthur Smith and Jonnu Smith condenses things, but even then, it's tough to see either Freiermuth or Washington actually taking over meaningful volume in a passing game that is now much deeper at wide receiver than it was last year. Enjoy all the broken tackles and fun plays that Washington will inevitably rack up, but there are better late-round options at the position to target in fantasy leagues of all shapes and sizes.

Players Mentioned in this Article

  1. DK Metcalf
    DKMetcalf
    WRPITPIT
    PPG
    10.2
    Proj
    176.3
  2. Michael Pittman
    MichaelPittman
    WRPITPIT
    PPG
    9.4
    Proj
    159.6
  3. GermieBernard
    WRPITPIT
    Proj
    87.6
  4. Aaron Rodgers
    AaronRodgers
    QBPITPIT
    PPG
    13.3
    Proj
    245.5

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