Who Should I Start? Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Calvin Austin III

Tuesday, November 4, 11:08 AM

The Pittsburgh Steelers officially signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their practice squad on Tuesday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 31-year-old held a depth role in San Francisco earlier this season, catching four of his eight targets for 40 yards in five games played. Valdes-Scantling has bounced around, with Pittsburgh marking his fourth team in two seasons. The veteran has been a useful player at nearly every stop of his career and now reunites with his former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, in Pittsburgh. Valdes-Scantling's most productive season in the NFL came back in 2020 with Rodgers, where he caught a career high six touchdowns and led the league with 20.9 yards per reception.

Friday, November 21, 10:53 AM

Across eight games this season, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III has recorded 22 receptions for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 37 targets. It's been a struggle for the 26-year-old over in recent weeks, as he's hauled in just three catches for 19 yards on eight targets over his last two games. Perhaps most notably, Austin III saw a significant drop in playing time in the Steelers' Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Austin III played just 19 offensive snaps against Cincinnati, his lowest total in any game this season and nearly 20 fewer than fellow Steelers wideout Roman Wilson. Heading into a Week 12 matchup against the Chicago Bears, Austin III could be fading into a depth role in Pittsburgh. He should not be trusted as a fantasy starter against Chicago.