DK Metcalf Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

By Derek Brown (FantasyPros), Wed, Aug 12th 2026, 12:40am EDT

Yes, D.K. Metcalf finished as the WR19 in fantasy points per game last year, but if you rostered him last season, you know that it wasn't nearly that glorious to trot him out in your lineup weekly. In nine of his 15 games played, he was outside the top 24 receivers in weekly scoring. Last year, among 109 qualifying receivers, Metcalf ranked 24th in target share (21.1%), 26th in receiving yards per game (56.7), 25th in yards per route run (1.98), 20th in first-read share (27.7%), and 37th in first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Metcalf will still be operating as Pittsburgh's WR1 (most likely), but he has stiffer target competition with Michael Pittman Jr. added this offseason. He's best viewed as a WR3 with some upside. I won't be going out of my way to draft Metcalf this year, but if he slips past ADP, then he becomes intriguing.