The Pittsburgh Steelers look to rebound from their disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears as they prepare for a crucial Week 13 home matchup against the Buffalo Bills. DK Metcalf appeared on Wednesday’s practice report with an ankle injury. Should fantasy football managers be concerned about their star receiver’s availability?
DK Metcalf Injury Update
Metcalf has been healthy throughout the 2025 campaign and has not missed a single game. His durability has been a cornerstone of the Steelers’ passing attack since his arrival via trade from Seattle. The sudden appearance on the injury report caught many by surprise.
The veteran receiver did not practice on Wednesday with the ankle issue. This marks the first time all season Metcalf has been held out of practice due to injury.
Metcalf hurt his ankle in the first half following a two-yard completion to Pat Freiermuth. Video showed Metcalf hopping off the field, unable to put weight on his left leg as he made his way to the sideline.​
Despite the concerning visuals, Metcalf returned to action and played through the injury. He logged 61 of the Steelers’ 72 offensive snaps, finishing with five receptions for 22 yards on eight targets. His willingness to play through discomfort and remain on the field for 85% of offensive plays suggests the injury is not severe.​
Head coach Mike Tomlin addressed Metcalf’s status on Tuesday, stating the receiver would be a limited participant in practice early in Week 13 preparation. However, Wednesday’s official injury report listed Metcalf as a non-participant rather than limited, indicating the Steelers took a more cautious approach than initially anticipated.​
The Steelers are notoriously tight-lipped when it comes to injury information. The organization has a long-standing policy of providing minimal details about player health, making it difficult for fantasy managers to gauge the true severity of any injury.
Pittsburgh also has a well-documented history of holding players out of Wednesday practices as opposed to having them practice on a limited basis. The team frequently uses Wednesdays for veteran rest days, particularly for players dealing with minor ailments.
Given Metcalf’s ability to finish last week’s game and the timing of the injury report, this seems like more maintenance than anything else. The Steelers are being cautious with their top receiver on a short week of preparation, ensuring he has maximum recovery time before Sunday’s critical matchup.
There is not yet cause for concern regarding Metcalf’s availability for Week 13. As long as Metcalf returns to practice on Thursday, even in a limited capacity, he should be fine to play against Buffalo. The injury is not believed to be anything that will prevent him from suiting up this weekend.​
Thursday’s practice report will be crucial in determining Metcalf’s outlook. If he upgrades to limited participation, fantasy managers can breathe easy knowing he’s on track to play. If he remains sidelined for a second consecutive day, the situation becomes worth monitoring more closely.
Fantasy managers rostering Metcalf should operate under the assumption that he will play Sunday unless evidence emerges suggesting otherwise. His track record of durability this season, combined with his willingness to play through the ankle issue last week, indicates he will be available for the Bills matchup.​
Metcalf’s Fantasy Outlook
You know how hard it is for a player built like Metcalf to average 2.8 yards per target against a vulnerable defense?
This system simply isn’t built to make our dreams come true.
Metcalf did record his sixth touchdown of the season last week, a swing pass that was technically backwards and thus recorded as a rush (even when he scores he can’t do it right and get us the point for the reception!).
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He suffered an ankle injury in the first half and while he was able to return, if we are looking at any physical limitations, the per target projection could lose some of the little value that is there in the first place.
The Bills have allowed more of a short range target to hurt them in four straight weeks (Rashee Rice, Jaylen Waddle, Sterline Shepard, and Christian Kirk all led their respective teams in WR PPR points when facing Buffalo), and that allows you to get away with flexing Pittsburgh’s WR1, but the floor/ceiling equation isn’t close to what we thought it’d be.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
