The Dallas Cowboys have acquired George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 3rd-round pick and a late pick swap. The Steelers offload their young receiver to give Dallas a WR2 in their offense. Who and how does this impact our fantasy outlook?
Stock Up
George Pickens
The Steelers used a second-round pick on former Georgia wide receiver George Pickens in 2022. Pickens posted an 800-yard season in his rookie year, followed by a 1,140-yard season in his sophomore year. He has been a pure 50/50 ball catcher in his career, but the quarterbacks he has played with are laughable. Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson have been under center during Pickens’ tenure in Pittsburgh.
Pickens now heads to Dallas with Dak Prescott throwing him the ball. This is a real opportunity for Pickens’ fantasy value to explode. He has not finished any of his seasons in the Top 20 of WRs, but there is only going up from here. Paired with Ceedee Lamb, Pickens will be a perfect WR2.
Dak Prescott
Adding a new weapon to an established offense is always a positive thing. Prescott gets a new big-play downfield target in Pickens. In recent years, Dak has been a constant top 10 finisher for quarterbacks when he plays a full season.
Dak Prescott Fantasy Finishes (16+games)
2023 – QB8
2021 – QB7
2019 – QB2
2018 – QB10
2017 – QB11
2016 – QB6
After only playing 8 games in 2024, Prescott is primed to bounce back in 2025. Cowboys will always be in win-now mode, and with promoting Brian Schottenheimer, the offensive system will stay the same. Which means, Prescott is going to be slinging the ball all over the field. According to his current ADP, Dak Prescott may be the steal of everyone’s drafts this year.
DK Metcalf
I wrote a similar article about DK Metcalf when the Steelers traded for him in March. The pairing of Metcalf & Pickens did not make sense to me at all, especially for fantasy. Now, Metcalf is the lone target in Pittsburgh. He is a true WR1 for any NFL team, but he just needs a quarterback. Reportedly, the Steelers’ quarterback for 2025 will be Aaron Rodgers, but as of right now, he is not on the roster.
IF Rodgers does become the quarterback paired with Metcalf, the sky’s the limit for DK Metcalf’s fantasy season. I currently have DK in my tier 5 of wide receivers for this upcoming fantasy season. But with the departure of Pickens and the hopeful acquisition of Aaron Rodgers, Metcalf will be climbing in my rankings.
No Change
Ceedee Lamb
Ceedee Lamb will be drafted early in everyone’s fantasy drafts. The acquisition of George Pickens will not hurt his fantasy stock whatsoever. Simply because he is the true WR1 for the Dallas Cowboys. The offense will still run through him and be Dak’s number 1 target. Lamb’s stock also doesn’t go up because there is no where higher to go for him.
As mentioned before, Pickens & Prescott will benefit the most from this trade for fantasy. Pickens could take some pressure off of Lamb, in essence. But Lamb is so talented that he does not even need the help. He will get his numbers regardless of who is running opposite him.
READ: Steelers Trade Pickens to Cowboys for 3rd Round Pick and Late Round Trade Swap
Stock Down
Jalen Tolbert
This may be a stock down for deeper fantasy leagues. Jalen Tolbert has had a decent performance in 2024, finishing as WR45. His finish was only 2 spots behind George Pickens (WR42), but Tolbert did have a top 20 finish in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers (21.70). Other than that, Tolbert flirted with a few double-digit point performances.
If you had dynasty stock in Tolbert, you may have been excited when Dallas did not draft a receiver just a few weeks ago. But now his stock plummets with giving up a 3rd-round pick for Pickens to join the offense. His stock isn’t complete zero, but it does take a huge hit.
