You might’ve lost sleep on Sunday due to daylight savings time, but the NFL has been wide awake! D.K. Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and that’s just one of the multiple NFL-related news items.
If you missed the trade details, the Seattle Seahawks got back a 2025 second-round pick for Metcalf. In exchange, Pittsburgh signed the star wide receiver for five years and $150 million.
The Fantasy Football Impact of D.K. Metcalf Traded to the Steelers
D.K. Metcalf & Pittsburgh Steelers Impact
All you need to do is ask a Steelers fan; they desperately needed another wide receiver alongside George Pickens, and they finally got one. Metcalf has seen triple-digit targets in all six seasons in Seattle, but last year was statistically (barely) his worst season. The receiver, who has recorded 900+ receiving yards and five-plus touchdowns in every year of his career, has not finished worse than Points Per Reception (PPR) WR34. However, his streak of five straight top-20 WR finishes was snapped last year.
This trade is likely an upgrade for D.K. Metcalf but not quite a guarantee. We currently don’t know the quarterback situation, as Skylar Thompson is the only quarterback on the Steelers’ roster. We presume they will get a quarterback, but we don’t know who. The only two options I am comfortable with here are Sam Darnold or Justin Fields.
Naturally, the impact on George Pickens will also depend on the quarterback situation. While he will likely lose the targets either way, I’ve already convinced myself to love Pickens as a WR2/Flex option. That is if they ace the quarterback acquisition. In the 2022-2023 seasons alongside Diontae Johnson, the former Georgia Bulldog averaged 57.5 receptions on 95 targets for 970.5 receiving yards and 4.5 touchdowns. In that 2023 season, with Johnson on the field, he averaged 11.5 PPR points. That isn’t far-fetched from last season, throughout which he averaged 11.7 fantasy points.
The only things that can ruin this for the Steelers are either Arthur Smith, “the drama on and off the field” and/or not getting a good quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks Impact
I said it was back to being sleepless in Seattle when Geno Smith got traded, and I will double down on that statement. This has been the offseason from hell for Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN). In the span of a week, he lost QB Geno Smith to the Raiders, fellow WR Tyler Lockett was released and now the D.K. Metcalf trade to the Steelers. While Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a bright spot, you can only do so much with so little.
While I do think JSN is a better player than Pickens, I bring that up because Pickens didn’t have the greatest of seasons last year due to no help from his other wide receivers and quarterback play. I sense the same problem for the former Ohio State Buckeye with the current roster.
Maybe the Seahawks see an upgrade in Jake Bobo that we don’t see. I know that sounds crazy for a wide receiver with a career of 32 receptions, 303 yards and three touchdowns coming into his third year. However, Jake Bobo has been wildly underrated his whole career, beginning as an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA). He might finally get to that potential with him jumping up to WR2 in the depth chart due to the trade.
That said, this is just the beginning of the offseason, with free agency and the NFL Draft happening in the next two months. I’m holding off on Bobo for now. Still, if there’s any sort of upgrade at quarterback and not much of one at wide receiver, he becomes a very intriguing name!
Check out all of our articles on the Fantasy Football Impacts of 2025 NFL Free Agency & Trades:
- NFL 2025 Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners & Losers (Day 3)
- NFL 2025 Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners & Losers (Day 2)
- NFL 2025 Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners & Losers (Day 1)
- The Fantasy Football Impact of D.K. Metcalf Traded to the Steelers
- The Fantasy Football Impact of Geno Smith Traded to the Raiders
- The Fantasy Football Impact of Christian Kirk Traded to the Texans
- The Fantasy Football Impact of Deebo Samuel Traded to the Commanders
Thanks for reading “The Fantasy Football Impact of D.K. Metcalf Traded to the Steelers.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Steven Bisig – USA TODAY Sports*
