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WR George Pickens, PIT (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JohnnyU
- Start date
Neil Beaufort Zod
Footballguy
Ditched him weeks ago. No regrets. Glad he utilized some of his natural talent. He could be a great player.
goose_egged
Footballguy
Obviously Pickens played well but I think that explosion yesterday had more than a little to do with the terrible Cincy pass defense. Decent chance anyone who starts him next week gets burned trying to ride the tail of a fireball.
BladeRunner
Footballguy
Agree. One game, at this point, is doing nothing but proving to be the exception to the rule.
Drake Hater
Footballguy
Who else has this guy on the bench? Unreal production on 6 targets. I did a triple take when I checked his PPR points thinking my app had a malfunction as I couldn't watch the game. Were those long touchdowns due to busted coverage?
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
First one wasn't so much busted coverage, but a missed tackle/bad angle by both Bengal safeties. Rudolph hit Pickens on a pretty traditional slant where he'd gotten a half a step on his guy. Good play for an easy first down...until the FS came up and lowered his head. Pickens juked around it, then he beat the other safety coming in pursuit in a foot race and housed it.
Second one I wasn't in the room to see, so can't comment there.
massraider
Footballguy
brewer
Footballguy
None of his catches were broken coverage. He just put forth the effort and had a QB and game plan that finally targeted him.
Boston
Footballguy
It is not a question of talent with Pickens...the issues are all between the ears.
brewer
Footballguy
Agreed, he has a lot of maturing to do, but some of his outbreaks and general malaise have been due to a sub par offensive scheme and at times bad QB play. Not giving him a pass, it's not acceptable, just that there are other factors out of his control.
Boston
Footballguy
The issue is this was the book on him coming out of Georgia...if the kid can mature the sky is the limit but he needs to grow up to be trusted,
Dickies
Footballguy
DropKick
Footballguy
Sure, but at least receptions, yards and TDs are an accepted and understood measure. Receiving yards over expected? Essentially, that's just exceeding expectations. Or, in other words, we thought you would suck today!
Ilov80s
Footballguy
That’s not quite what it is. Yards over expectation is based on what the NFL average is - essentially how much better a player performed given the NFL average for their targets based on down, distance, depth of a target, etc. So like if a player catches a 5 yard curl at midfield in the first quarter and the player breaks 2 tackles and scores a 50 yard TD that’s a huge + for their expected yards because typically a 5 yard curl at midfield only would result in something like 5-10 yards.
Depends who else you got and if you need floor or ceiling right?
Personally I can see him getting you 3 or 33 PPR points. He’s all over the place.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
A hot Finals Bowl waiver move in one of my leagues, was cut several weeks back and I really didn't have room in non-PPR
Either take him as a defensive move or watch him fall to my opponent, small rosters and limited bench spots
Either take him as a defensive move or watch him fall to my opponent, small rosters and limited bench spots
rockaction
Footballguy
Pretty sure he played. Dan Orlvosky was dedicated to talking about how he should get the ball.
Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens
rockaction
Footballguy
Considering my advice to you about Zamir White went so swimmingly, let me inquire about this . . .
Is it a keeper league or short dynasty bench?
I'll keep any advice to myself. I just want to see how you're valuing Pickens.
Doug B
Footballguy
16-man rosters, six players are kept. The other ten are thrown back into the pile.
I thought Pickens was a hammerlock to at least become something like peak Mike Wallace. Steelers #1 WR had been fantasy gold for over 20 years running. Even with Big Ben retired, I figured the team would keep it all going somehow.
The way things look right this second .., Jayden Reed looks to like a good bet to be the Packers best fantasy WR in 2024. Same for Rashee Rice with the Chiefs. I’d have to rank Pickens behind both those guys … and I’m not keeping three receivers, so Pickens would be the odd man out.
I thought Pickens was a hammerlock to at least become something like peak Mike Wallace. Steelers #1 WR had been fantasy gold for over 20 years running. Even with Big Ben retired, I figured the team would keep it all going somehow.
The way things look right this second .., Jayden Reed looks to like a good bet to be the Packers best fantasy WR in 2024. Same for Rashee Rice with the Chiefs. I’d have to rank Pickens behind both those guys … and I’m not keeping three receivers, so Pickens would be the odd man out.
InDitkaWeTrust
Footballguy
My advice is to keep him as long as you physically can. Pickens is an uber talented WR in an offense with QBs who are actively bad. If PIT were to go out and get a talented QB, Pickens immediately becomes gold. TBH, I don't see PIT running it back with Pickett/Trubs/Rudolph next season. The DEF that carried them all season is in an increasingly closing window and they are a QB away from competing.
If PIT doesn't make a move before your cut deadline, then he's good to cut. Otherwise, hold.
Boston
Footballguy
I think the Steelers would love to upgrade the QB position but the question is what are their options.
Rookiefever
Footballguy
I wouldn’t base yesterdays game on anything. They didn’t throw the ball much at all and it was clearly gameplanned for the tes and rbs for get them a tough win.
As far as gb goes. Reed looks darn good for sure but that team is stacked with young wrs who flash. The best wr on the team hasn’t peaked imo. Reed could find himself third in targets next year pretty easily. I’m not forecasting gb wrs for that very reason. I’ll take the cheaper options where I can just to have a part of the group. This is just something id consider as I believe Pickens has a higher ceiling than reed or rice. However I’d be super tempted to keep all three.
Rookiefever
Footballguy
I was thinking about this last night. I couldn’t come up with anything that points the arrow up other a deal with chicago. I’m not sure they would even entertain that idea though when guys like penix and nix will be around a bit later.
InDitkaWeTrust
Footballguy
There are options. Free agents or less than a 1st trades include Fields, Howell, Cousins, Wilson to name a few. They are also in position to get into the 2nd/3rd tier of rookie QBs like Nix and McCarthy and the possibility (not likely knowing the Steelers) of trading up to grab one of the big 3 rookies.
Boston
Footballguy
Fields does seem like an obvious one if he is moved...I have a feeling that his price is going to be a little higher than expected due to competition...as for the QBs if they targeting one I don't think they can just sit back and target one at their draft position and the question is if it is a Nix or JJM how soon will they be ready to play...if Penix's knee checks out OK I think he will be gone before the Steelers draft.
Doug B
Footballguy
Could happen. It would mean me moving off of long-time keepers Alvin Kamara or Travis Kelce. But that’s the nature of keeper leagues - you’ve got to make the moves when the time is right.
Doug B
Footballguy
Exactly. It’s OK to have down weeks. But multiple zeroes during a season are killers.
EDIT: Five 100-yard games this season, and five games of 25 yards or less. Also, between weeks 9 and 15 (seven games), Pickens put up a total of 292 yards and zero TDs. With that run, there was no way we could start him for the fantasy semifinals if we had any other options. Then he goes and blows up
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Boston
Footballguy
Agreed...kid is a total enigma right now...so much going on...super-talented but head-case tendencies...capable of winning you one week than doing nothing the next week...only 22 but no idea who his QB of the future will be...no clue what to do with him...on one-hand it is appealing to move on from him and let someone else deal with it but on the other-hand the return would probably not be anything special and you could really regret moving him...unfortunately I think the best bet is too sit tight but make sure you are not in a position where you have to rely on him.
joey
Footballguy
1000% agree about consistency. No way anyone but the most decimated, desperate teams started Pickens for the games he blew up. I know he was always on my bench the game when he did well, and I reluctantly started him some weeks only to get <10 ppr points.
Rookiefever
Footballguy
I’d be really tempted to let go of kelce at this point.
The game plan for the Ravens D was to shut down George Pickens. They pretty much double covered him. Plus the weather was very bad.
Mason Rudolph 'Very Proud' of George Pickens despite zero target game
Mason Rudolph 'Very Proud' of George Pickens despite zero target game
Faust
MVP
David J. Gautieri
Russell Wilson’s deep-ball (20+ yards) attempt-rate:
13.4% (4th highest among QB’s)
George Pickens’ ADOT:
13.6 (9th highest among WR’s)
A perfect match.
SuperFantasyFootballGuy
Footballguy
How many Russell Wilson moon balls is this guy going to catch next year? 
I'm nutso on Pickens this year. 3rd year breakout. If you can get him as your WR3/FLEX it will be like stealing.
I'm nutso on Pickens this year. 3rd year breakout. If you can get him as your WR3/FLEX it will be like stealing.
Rookiefever
Footballguy
I’m not super stoked about Russ. I’ll be honest Pickens doesn’t seem like a Russ type of favorite wr. I hope Russ ends up having a ton of trust in him but I’m not sold that he will.
Taller but less reliable Lockett
