Who Should I Start? DK Metcalf or Makai Lemon

Thursday, August 13, 2:44 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers DK Metcalf (undisclosed) and Michael Pittman Jr. (leg) are both in street clothes on Thursday night and will not play in the team's preseason opener versus the Green Bay Packers, according to Brian Batko of Steelers.com. Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will also be inactive. The Steelers are playing it safe with Metcalf and Pittman, their top two receivers while they deal with minor injuries early in the preseason. Both players should be fine for the start of the 2026 regular season in early September, and they could be cleared to play in the team's second preseason game on Aug. 21 against the New York Jets. The 28-year-old Metcalf is still a physical freak, but he failed to return to the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season and his first in Pittsburgh in 2025, and he could fall short of that mark again in 2026 after the addition of Pittman with Rodgers leading the offense for one more season. Metcalf has a safe touchdown floor -- he's never scored fewer than five touchdowns in his seven NFL seasons -- but fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting a return to Metcalf's glory days from his time in Seattle.