George Pickens

An extremely polarizing player, George Pickens went from Pittsburgh to Dallas in an offseason trade. Known for circus catches and erratic on-field behavior, Pickens will now have to share targets with one of the best receivers in the game, CeeDee Lamb.
But playing with Lamb might help Pickens. He might get less defensive attention and matchups against lesser cornerbacks. Pickens will also get to play with Dak Prescott, one of the better pure passers in the league. By no means is Pickens an A-plus route-runner, but Pickens' ball skills are extraordinary. There are very few receivers as good at the catch point as George Pickens is. I think Pickens is worth considering at his midrange WR3 price.

George Pickens has been freed from the horrid quarterback play that he has been saddled with since entering the NFL. There's no doubt that Dak Prescott will be the best quarterback that Pickens has played with during his NFL career. Last year, Pickens finished as the WR35 in fantasy points per game. He proved that he could operate as a number one option, ranking 16th in target share (23.9%), 25th in yards per route run (2.18), ninth in first-read share (32%), and 24th in receiving yards per game (64.3, per Fantasy Points Data). His numbers were even better in Weeks 1-13, before his hamstring injury, when he ranked 18th in separation, eighth in yards per route run (2.53), and 25th in route win rate. Pickens should enjoy the bump in passing volume as CeeDee Lamb's running mate. Last year, Pittsburgh had the fourth-lowest passing attempts, while Dallas had the third-highest. Pickens should settle in as a strong WR2 this season, who could easily post a career-best season.

George Pickens heads to Dallas with plenty of real-life upside, but fantasy managers should tread carefully based on the Steelers' hit rate of moving on from "polarizing" WRs before it's too late. While he flashed WR14 production during a six-game stretch with improved QB play in 2024, Pickens remains a volatile, big-play specialist who doesn't command high target volume. Pairing with Dak Prescott is an upgrade, but in a system where CeeDee Lamb dominates touches and Dallas just extended KaVontae Turpin, Pickens' role isn't guaranteed to be stable. His ADP will likely climb, making him a potential fade in 2025.