DKMetcalf

News: 2 days agoMetcalf secured four of 10 targets for 40 yards in the Steelers' 20-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday.

Spin: Metcalf's target total led the Steelers by a fairly comfortable margin, but the talented receiver brought in less than half of them and finished behind both Michael Pittman and Pat Freiermuth in receiving yards. The amount of attention Metcalf drew from Aaron Rodgers was nevertheless encouraging, and the valuable experience the duo garnered from working together all of last season could pay big dividends in 2026. A Week 2 road matchup against the Patriots will present less than ideal circumstances, however, as Metcalf is likely to draw plenty of coverage from shutdown cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Metcalf returns for Year 2 in Pittsburgh after a solid but unspectacular debut season. The ex-Seahawk missed two games and finished outside the top 20 receivers in targets, catches and yardage (career-low 850), but still did just enough to produce a 21st-place finish in fantasy PPG (his fifth top-25 in his last six seasons). Metcalf soaked up 11 end zone targets and is up to 107 for his career, which leads the NFL since his debut in 2019. The 28-year-old has added target competition this season in the form of Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Germie Bernard, so while he'll certainly remain busy, a slight dip in usage is probable. Metcalf should be valued as a back-end WR3.