DK Metcalf Traded to Steelers: Fantasy Football Advice (2025)

The Steelers are acquiring WR DK Metcalf from the Seahawks for a 2025 second-round pick and are signing him to a five-year, $150 million contract extension, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.

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DK Metcalf Trade Fantasy Football Impact

The Steelers needed more firepower at wide receiver. George Pickens has abundant talent, but the 24-year-old wideout can also be maddeningly immature. Pickens led Pittsburgh wide receivers with 59 catches and 900 yards last season. Calvin Austin had 36 catches and 548 yards. No other Steelers receiver reached 300 receiving yards.

The 27-year-old Metcalf is coming off a down season by his standards: 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns. Metcalf has topped 1,000 yards in three of his six years in the NFL, and he’s never had fewer than 900 yards in a season.

George Pickens & DK Metcalf Value

With the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Metcalf and the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pickens, the Steelers have a physically imposing pair of outside receivers with serious big-play potential. But Metcalf and Pickens have primarily been X-receivers, so it will be interesting to see how Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith deploys these two. (Pickens and Metcalf will also have to figure out which of them gets to wear jersey No. 14.)

For fantasy purposes, Pickens and Metcalf should tentatively be regarded as either low-end WR2s or high-end WR3s, though it depends on how the Steelers resolve their quarterback situation. They currently have a vacancy at quarterback, though it seems likely they’ll re-sign either Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, who both made starts at quarterback for Pittsburgh last season and are both free agents.

But fantasy managers should probably acknowledge the risk of Metcalf and Pickens cannibalizing each other’s production — not to mention the possibility these two alpha receivers won’t be able to play nicely together.

Pat Freiermuth Value

The acquisition of Metcalf puts a slight dent in the 2025 fantasy value of TE Pat Freiermuth, who might be hard-pressed to match his 65 receptions from last season with two high-quality receivers on the roster. And it seems unlikely Austin, Roman Wilson or any of the other Pittsburgh receivers will be consistently fantasy-relevant.

Seahawks Outlook

The Seahawks seem to be entering a rebuild, having traded away Metcalf and QB Geno Smith over a single weekend. The Seahawks are also releasing veteran WR Tyler Lockett.

The Seahawks’ moves would seem to leave third-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in line for a smorgasbord or targets, though it’s unclear who’ll be delivering him those targets. Unless the Seahawks’ quarterback situation is completely unpalatable, Smith-Njigba figures to be a low-end WR1 in 2025 fantasy drafts.