This NFL offseason is off to a hot start! The Pittsburgh Steelers got a lot stronger as they added DK Metcalf to their roster for a 2nd round pick. Metcalf requested a trade this past Wednesday, and the Seattle Seahawks granted it just last night. Metcalf will receive a 5-year, $150M contract to accompany his welcome to the Steel City. But how will this affect the fantasy world? Let’s break down the fantasy implications for key players affected by this trade.
Stock Up
Jaxon Smith-Njiba
There is optimism, as it seems the Seahawks have much faith in Jaxon Smith-Njiba as they enter their future with him as the primary target. It may seem a little bleak for JSN as both his veteran quarterback & running mate have departed from the team. JSN played all 17 games last year, while DK Metcalf missed 2 games due to injury. In those games, JSN dropped 12.9 fantasy points against the Buffalo Bills and, more importantly, 37 fantasy points (WR1) against the Los Angeles Rams. JSN has the skillset to be a premier wide receiver in the NFL; now, he just needs someone to throw him the ball.
Pat Freiermuth
Pat Freiermuth has been old reliable for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever since being drafted in 2021. He has 2 top-10 finishes at the tight end position in 2024 (TE9) & 2022 (TE7). When adding another piece to an offense, it is important to identify who complements the others. Freiermuth at the tight end position will find himself over the middle in the short to medium depth of routes. This is a perfect security blanket for any quarterback while DK Metcalf runs the majority of his routes as deep balls or out routes. This will open up the field to allow Freiermuth more opportunities to be open in the middle of the field. He is a perfect late-round selection in this year’s upcoming fantasy drafts.
Steelers’ New QB
The Steelers are loading up on weapons, they still need to figure out who will be under center heading into the 2025 season. There have been rumors of the possibility of reunions between either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, but as of late, Aaron Rodgers seems to be a dark-horse candidate. All mentioned names do have a history of finishing in the top 10 of quarterbacks in fantasy. Pittsburgh does become more appealing to a quarterback with the addition of DK Metcalf to throw to. The Steelers’ mission is to continue to win games, so the fantasy aspect will be trying to score a lot of points. Be on the lookout to see who signs with the Steelers because stocks may just rise rather quickly.
Stock Down
DK Metcalf
Even though Metcalf’s trade request was granted, and he has secured the bag, this move is not beneficial for DK Metcalf regarding fantasy implications. Metcalf is coming off the worst fantasy in his career, finishing as WR31. He now enters a team with a play-caller who is the death of primary wide receivers. Arthur Smith is the kryptonite to any premier wide receiver in terms of fantasy. Since taking his first offensive coordinator job in 2019 with the Tennessee Titans, Smith’s highest-rated wide receiver in fantasy was A.J. Brown in 2020 as WR14. Last season, George Pickens was affected by the Arthur Smith play-calling as he finished the season as WR42. To go along with not knowing who the quarterback will be for the team, as of right now, there are too many doubts for Metcalf heading into the 2025 season.
George Pickens
The new bad boys of the NFL will be representing the black & gold this year in Pittsburgh. Pickens, as mentioned before, is coming off a WR42 finish in 2024. There were some nice highlights for Pickens during the year with 2 top-five performances, but it could also be a testament to how bad the rest of the season was for him. The cherry on top is that Pickens has never even sniffed the top 20 for wide receivers in a fantasy season. In the Pat Freiermuth section, I discussed complements among teammates within their play styles. Unfortunately for Pickens, Metcalf is a carbon copy of a 3-year veteran from Alabama. They both are phenomenal deep ball catchers, with 35% of his route run being a “Go.” On draft days, fantasy managers cannot have both Metcalf & Pickens on their rosters. If you had to choose, I would lean toward the man who just got paid.
Seahawks New QB
Even though I am a believer in Jaxon Smith-Njiba, he is quite literally the Will Smith meme alone in the living room. The Seahawks still have some great pieces among their offense, but the majority is in the backfield with Kenneth Walker & Zach Charbonnet. Unfortunately, power running backs do not do well for quarterbacks in fantasy football. Any quarterback coming into Seattle will have to take a “wait and see” approach to figure out how the rest of this offense is being built. Quite literally the opposite of the positives for whoever becomes the Steelers’ new quarterback. JSN is a beautiful primary target to have, but if there is nothing else to throw to, things will be difficult for Seattle’s new thrower.