Who Should I Start? DK Metcalf or Michael Pittman Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 53.2 | 0.4 |
DK Metcalf News
Tuesday, July 28, 8:11 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy said the team is going to move wide receiver DK Metcalf around the formation more this year, according to Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. McCarthy also added that he has been pretty impressed with the chemistry between Metcalf and veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "We need him going....DK can change games," McCarthy said. In his first year in the Steel City in 2025, Metcalf didn't have much help around him and finished with just 59 receptions for a career-low 850 yards and six touchdowns on 99 targets across 15 regular-season starts. The addition of veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr. will allow Pittsburgh to move Metcalf around more on offense to try to create mismatches for the two-time Pro Bowler. McCarthy's offense should be more friendly volume-wise for Metcalf, but the problem is that the Steelers added more target competition, and Rodgers is no longer the player he once was in his last NFL season. The reality is that Metcalf's fantasy ceiling and floor are much lower, so fantasy managers should be targeting him as a WR3/flex and not a WR2 set for a big bounce-back season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 46.9 | 0.3 |
Michael Pittman Jr. News
Thursday, July 16, 7:39 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy said he views wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. as a "versatile pass-catcher who can run all routes," which is a preference for receivers in McCarthy's offense, according to Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Live. In his final season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, Pittman played 283 of his 615 snaps in the slot. In his six seasons with the Colts, the 28-year-old former second-rounder out of USC caught 485 passes for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns, but he regressed in 2025, finishing with an 80-784-7 line in 17 games. His 784 receiving yards were his fewest since his rookie year in 2020. Pittsburgh made an aggressive move to acquire Pittman from the Colts in a March trade, then signed him to a three-year, $59 million contract to give DK Metcalf some help. Last year, Metcalf led the Steelers with 59 catches on 99 targets, but the team lacked a reliable option to complement him. McCarthy is hoping Pittman is that man. A bounce-back campaign could be coming for Pittman, but with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers in the last season of his storied career, fantasy managers shouldn't just assume that Pittman will bounce back as a reliable weekly fantasy starter. RotoBaller currently has the former Colts wideout ranked as the No. 41 fantasy WR for 2026.
DK Metcalf vs. Michael Pittman Jr.
Still trying to decide between Metcalf and Pittman Jr.? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DK Metcalf is projected to score 11.3 points this week while Michael Pittman Jr. is projected to score 10.7 points.
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