Steelers' George Pickens: Scores third TD in uneven showing
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Pickens recorded three receptions on six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-38 win over the Bengals.
As is often the case, Pickens' performance had plenty of ups and downs. He was involved in a pick-six early in the game when he fell to the ground on a target, only to cash in on a 17-yard touchdown on the Steelers' next drive. Pickens later chipped in long receptions of 36 and 19 yards but was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on each. Setting aside the penalties, Pickens has been very productive in five games since Russell Wilson took over under center, averaging 81.1 yards per game while accounting for all three of his touchdowns on the season.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Co-leads team in receptions in loss
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Pickens secured four of seven targets for 48 yards in the Steelers' 24-19 loss to the Browns on Thursday night.
Pickens set the pace for the Steelers in targets while sharing the team lead in receptions with Pat Freiermuth. The blizzard-like conditions certainly didn't help Pickens' cause and helped lead to his lowest yardage total since Week 5 against the Cowboys. Pickens did extend a streak of recording at least four catches to five games, and he'll draw a more favorable matchup on paper in a Week 13 road matchup against the Bengals on Sunday, Dec. 1.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Eight grabs in Sunday's win
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Pickens caught eight of 12 targets for 89 yards in Sunday's 18-16 win over the Ravens.
The third-year wideout led Pittsburgh in catches, targets and receiving yards, and the volume was his highest in four games since Russell Wilson took over as the team's starting QB. Pickens has posted a 22-365-2 line on 33 targets over that stretch, putting him on track for a huge finish to the campaign. Pickens will look to keep rolling in Week 12 against the Browns.
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Steelers' George Pickens: Continues production with Wilson
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Pickens recorded five receptions on seven targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Commanders. He added one rush for four yards.
Pickens continued to show excellent rapport with Russell Wilson, as he now has 276 yards and two touchdowns across Wilson's three starts. His performance Sunday was highlighted by a 16-yard touchdown to conclude Pittsburgh's first offensive possession, and he also tacked on 34- and 24-yard receptions. Plagued by inconsistency to start the season, Pickens has turned into a reliable weekly contributor, and that should be the case once again in Week 11 against the Ravens.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Start
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I'm starting Pickens with confidence even though the Commanders just traded for Marshon Lattimore. In two games with Russell Wilson, Pickens has scored a combined 33.5 PPR points on nine catches for 185 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets, and he lost a potential touchdown in Week 8 against the Giants that was overturned by replay. Wilson should continue to lean on Pickens even with the addition of Mike Williams, and the Commanders have allowed eight receivers to score at least 14.9 PPR points this season.
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Steelers' George Pickens: WRs to Start
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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: 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.
