Ever since the days of the Killer B’s, the Steelers’ offensive players have been virtually irrelevant in the fantasy football landscape. Mike McCarthy will bring a much-needed boost to the Steelers’ offense that will finally allow their skill players to enter the fantasy chat. Let’s take a look at the fantasy football impact Mike McCarthy has on the Steelers.
D.K. Metcalf 📈📈
D.K. Metcalf‘s underwhelming season was capped off by a bonehead suspension that left him on the bench for the final two weeks of the regular season. His 6.6 targets per game were disappointing, especially considering he was the only viable receiving threat on the Steelers’ offense in 2025.
Mike McCarthy’s offense has proven fruitful for WR1’s. CeeDee Lamb averaged 14.3 fantasy ppg in his time spent with McCarthy, while his ppg dropped to 11.7 in his first season without him – the lowest since his rookie year.
Metcalf isn’t Lamb, but he also was not properly used in Pittsburgh. McCarthy will move Metcalf around the formation and set him up with ample catch-and-run opportunities to take advantage of his freakish athletic ability. I expect 110+ targets and 10+ TDs for D.K. in 2026.
Pat Freiermuth 📈📈
The frustrated Freiermuth has been shockingly underutilized during his entire NFL career, but none more so than in 2025. Freiermuth set a career low, averaging 3.17 targets per game, and voiced his displeasure after the season.
“I would say that I am disappointed with the lack of opportunities I was given..”
The emergence of Dalton Schultz under McCarthy in Dallas gives reason for optimism that Pat Freiermuth could become fantasy relevant again. In 3 years under McCarthy, Schultz averaged 94 targets, 66 catches, 667 yards, and 6 TDs per season, which is 8.26 fantasy points per game, far better than Freiermuth’s career mark of 6.8.
I would argue that “Muth” is the better athlete with higher upside, given adequate opportunities. He has the potential to be a mid to low-end starter in 2026 and would be comfortable drafting him as TE8-TE12.
WR2 📈
The years-long talking point in the Steelers’ offense has been the lack of a true WR2. In 2024, they put their eggs in Brandon Aiyuk‘s basket and dodged a bullet. They ignored the position in 2025, landing underwhelming veterans like Jonnu Smith, Adam Thielen, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The WR2 position will be ignored no longer under Mike McCarthy.
The 2026 NFL Draft has ample receiving talent, and the Steelers hold 5 picks in the first 3 rounds – a WR2 is coming.
Of course, we don’t know who it will be, but I would expect a starter to be drafted in the first two rounds, and another WR addition in the later rounds.
The receiver to be named will have minimal immediate fantasy impact, but may be worth a late-round flier given that we expect a pass-heavy attack from the Steelers’ new look offense.
Aaron Rodgers 📈
Aaron Rodgers has been non-committal on his return to the field in 2026, but the writing is on the wall with his former coach heading to Pittsburgh.
After a hot and cold season in 2025, McCarthy gives Rodgers the best chance at somewhat returning to form in 2026. Rodgers will have more control in personnel and on the field than he has since he last played for McCarthy, which bodes well for all fantasy football players.
I would look for a far more aggressive pass attack in 2026, which will come with more yards and touchdowns. Rodgers will enter the ’26 fantasy season as a viable backup QB option with low-end starter upside.
Runningback 📉
The running back position is largely an unknown in Pittsburgh. Jaylen Warren is under contract in 2026 and appears to be a solid fit for McCarthy’s offense, but Aaron Rodgers strongly favors team MVP, Kenneth Gainwell.
Gainwell is a free agent, but I can be brought back, especially with Aaron Rodgers’ endorsement, and I expect that to be the case. He’s a good fit for McCarthy’s offense, being that he’s a serious receiving threat and excels out of the shotgun.
Also on the roster is 2025 3rd round pick Kaleb Johnson. Johnson was seemingly in the doghouse all season long and effectively had a redshirt rookie year, receiving little to no usage at all. Unfortunately, he’s not much of a fit in the new offense, as he was most effective in college in under-center formations and high-volume running, neither of which matches McCarthy’s style traditionally.
Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell could both serve as effective FLEX options or a strong RB4. Johnson carries no fantasy value at this time.
Conclusion
All projections are purely based on history. McCarthy could arrive in Pittsburgh with a new look offense, but that is extremely unlikely. His offenses have historically been near the tops in the league, though. In 5 years in Dallas, his offenses ranked 17, 1, 4, 1, 21 in points per game – can anyone guess which seasons he lost his franchise QB?
With a strong QB, he ranked in the top 4 in points scored every season. McCarthy may not have all the pieces immediately, but the players he does have should produce strong fantasy seasons in 2026.
