The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.
This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Pittsburgh Steelers players heading into their matchup with the Baltimore Ravens to help you craft a winning lineup.
Aaron Rodgers, QB
The Steelers had every chance to clinch the AFC North last weekend in Cleveland, but with DK Metcalf on the pine, they simply had no explosive potential.
Pat Freiermuth had a chunk gain late, but 4.3 YPA was a season low for Aaron Rodgers, and with Darnell Washington now out, along with Metcalf, it’s hard to operate with much optimism this week.
Through the first 1.5 quarters of the loss, 146.2% of Rodgers’ passing yards went to tight ends.
Yes, it’s that bad.
We don’t know what the future holds, but I can’t imagine I’ll be prioritizing any Steeler in 2026. Metcalf is talented, but not the type of player that can carry an offense (ala Jaxon Smith-Njigba), and the QB outlook is murky at best.
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Rodgers has four passing scores over his past five games and seems to be playing out the string of his career. He can still perform, but takeover mode is no longer an option, and that means that even the best version of this future Hall of Famer isn’t of interest to fantasy managers.
Jaylen Warren, RB
With an opportunity to clinch the division last week, the Steelers went with a committee.
I was optimistic that they would show their hand with an early featured role, and while Jaylen Warren did get the first few carries, the split six over the first three drives with Mike Tomlin showing no real interest in picking a lead man.
Kenneth Gainwell capitalized on the competitive/negative game script with a 44-21 snap edge over Warren, running 35 routes to his five. The touches were slanted 12-10 in Warren’s favor, and while he averaged 5.3 yards per carry, I just can’t shake the feeling that Pittsburgh isn’t exactly solid.
We’ve all worked at a company that favors the old guard. Maybe Dan from accounting has had better days, but he’s been with the company for three decades, and they just shoehorn a role around what he can still do.
Warren was the pass-catching back opposite Najee Harris for three seasons, and now he’s basically Najee Harris to Kenneth Gainwell’s version of 2022-24 Warren.
Either they value his versatility, or he has been around, and they craved a sense of stability with Aaron Rodgers coming to town. He was a threat in the pass game early this season (7+ PPR points as a pass catcher in four of his first five games this season), but they’ve transitioned to Gainwell in that regard, and that has me leaning toward them simply not believing that Warren is a plus-asset anywhere.
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There are dominoes to fall across the league, but I’d be more likely to buy into Warren if he were to move on.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB
Kenneth Gainwell has earned the trust of Aaron Rodgers (21 catches over his past four games and 76 targets this season), something that stands to pay dividends if you play through Week 18 or (if they qualify) for your postseason leagues.
But beyond that, it might not matter in the least.
Gainwell is just 26 years old, and while he’s yet to be used as anything more than a complimentary back, the fact that he has a 15+ yard carry and a 10+ yard catch in three straight is an interesting profile.
The Steelers have had Jaylen Warren in-house for a few seasons and opted to not only bring in Gainwell, but also scheme parts of their low-octane offense around him. That tells me who this offense is more sold on: Gainwell could project better for me than most in 2026, even if there is a lack of clarity under center in Pittsburgh.
DK Metcalf, WR
Steeler receivers tend to save the viral moments for when they leave Pittsburgh, but DK Metcalf got into it with a fan during the game two weeks ago, and is now forced to watch his team battle for the AFC North crown.
The league suspended him after a quick review of what transpired in Detroit, and if we are being honest, this may have saved you from making a mistake.
Metcalf has only four top-20 finishes this season, struggles that have included just one TD catch since Halloween and under 60 receiving yards in nine of his past 10. This is a second straight season in which his red zone usage has fallen off a cliff from where it stood during his heyday in Seattle.
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He’s a walking mismatch, and that’s going to make him viable on occasion. But based on how this offense has functioned this year, there’s little reason to think things will change next year for Metcalf, with or without Rodgers under center.
In many leagues, I expect his name to drive up the asking price a round or two above where I’m comfortable. Personally, I think you’re stretching to label him a top 30 option at the position in 2026 (I’m assuming that Rodgers isn’t under center, but his return wouldn’t result in me thrusting Metcalf into the WR2 conversation).
