Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens flashed big-play upside as a rookie. Oozing athleticism, Pickens aims to build on an impressive rookie campaign as both he and Kenny Pickett look to take a step forward in their sophomore seasons. Should fantasy football managers draft Pickens at his ADP this season?
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George Pickens’ Fantasy Outlook for the 2023 NFL Season
Were it not for injuries and some off-the-field concerns, Pickens might have been a first-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft. Nevertheless, he was able to put together a healthy and productive rookie campaign, albeit not one that was particularly helpful for fantasy managers.
Pickens certainly flashed his upside. He made several highlight-reel grabs and proved to be a field-stretcher with his 15.6 average depth of target, third-highest in the league. According to Inside Edge, Pickens gained 20+ yards on 17 of his 52 receptions in the 2022 season — best of 68 qualified NFL WRs.
While Pickens’ aDOT is nice, his usage wasn’t. He only saw a 15.6% target share and was targeted on just 16.3% of his routes run. The latter mark was outside of the top 80. Of course, Pickens was a rookie, so it’s not as if we should expect heavy volume.
Even with the limited usage, Pickens still put together several useful fantasy weeks. He had seven games with at least 14 PPR fantasy points.
Pickens enters his second season hoping for the classic sophomore-year fantasy breakout. Historically, targeting sophomore wide receivers in fantasy drafts has been a wise investment.
For Pickens to truly thrive, he will need quarterback Kenny Pickett to take a large step forward as well. Diontae Johnson remains locked in as the WR1. I do not envision Pickens jumping him for that role. But Pickett is no longer a rookie. Therefore, he can undoubtedly support two fantasy-relevant WRs.
Allen Robinson is completely cooked. He is not a threat. Pickens is going to be that second guy aside from Johnson. The question is: How good can Pickens be?
Is Pickens a Good Fantasy Pick?
Fantasy managers are baking in progression for Pickens after his 9.8 ppg, WR48 finish as a rookie — but not too much. His ADP sits at WR35, No. 88 overall.
I’m fine with Pickens at that price, as there’s not much separating him from the guys that go after him. However, I have Pickens ranked as my WR41, which is far enough below the consensus that I will probably not get him. I am easily the lowest on him in our PFN Consensus Rankings.
MORE: 2023 Dynasty WR Rankings
Despite my apparent fade of Pickens, he is a worthwhile investment at his cost in fantasy drafts. He fits the profile of the type of wide receivers to target, and there’s a legitimate top-24 upside if things break right. If you’re into Pickens, don’t let me talk you out of him.