Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly believes TE Pat Freiermuth will reach 100 catches in 2023. Call it a truly bold prediction. Over the past 10 years, only Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, and Zach Ertz have tallied at least one 100-catch season. Freiermuth hit 60 and 63 catches over his first two NFL seasons. Check the TE rankings to see our detailed projections for Freiermuth.

Steelers WR Calvin Austin said he’s healthy and a full participant in OTAs. The 24-year-old missed last year with a Lisfranc injury requiring surgery. Austin now figures to slot in as the WR4 behind Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson. But further decline from Robinson could supply Austin — an explosive slot —with more opportunities. He’s also competing for a role on returns.

Steelers WR Allen Robinson is “not yet involved in all team activities,” per beat writer Brian Batko. Robinson underwent foot surgery for a stress fracture around the start of December. The 30-year-old (in August) isn’t someone to circle as a late-round flier.

According to Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski, TE Darnell Washington was “by all indications a full participant in all drills” at rookie minicamp. “He showed zero visible signs of any injury or hindrance,” Adamski added. Good to know. Recent reports pointed to knee concerns as the reason Washington dropped to Round 3 in April. But at least for now, he appears healthy. We remain uninterested in Washington as a TE3 in best ball leagues.

Steelers TE Darnell Washington dropped in the draft due to medical concerns, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports. Fowler says teams were concerned with at least one of Washington's knees -- and some teams were concerned with both knees. It's a surprising report considering Washington didn't miss any games in college with knee trouble. (He missed 4 with a foot injury in 2021.) We'll look for more information on Washington's health. He, unfortunately, landed in a tough spot for fantasy value behind TE Pat Freiermuth in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers selected Georgia TE Darnell Washington in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Washington’s college numbers aren’t great; he topped out with 28-454-2 last season. But you have to at least take notice of a TE that averaged 16.2 yards per catch. Of course, playing alongside the best TE in the country — Brock Bowers — didn’t help boost production. Washington also goes a supersized 6’7, 264 pounds, so he was heavily utilized as a blocker. That figures to be a key part of his NFL role, especially alongside Pat Freiermuth. We’ll also have to keep an eye on Washington’s health following reports of knee trouble.

The Rams are finalizing a trade to send WR Allen Robinson to the Steelers, pending Robinson passing a physical. No word yet on the compensation, but the Rams probably aren't getting much. Robinson is set to count $18 million against the 2023 salary cap and has been one of the least efficient WRs in the NFL over the past two seasons. He ranked 86th out of 101 qualifying WRs in yards per route run in 2021 and 90th out of 96 last year. Robinson figures to slide in as Pittsburgh's #3 WR behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. He's not an exciting fantasy pick. The Rams, meanwhile, are left with Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and Ben Skowronek atop the WR depth chart. We'll see if they add to the position.

Update: Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers are getting Robinson and the 251st overall pick of this year's draft in exchange for the 234th overall pick. The Rams are also paying $10.25 million of Robinson’s salary. The Steelers will pay the remaining $5 million. If you needed confirmation that Robinson's tank is empty, there you go.

The Steelers have agreed to a three-year deal with LB Cole Holcomb, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The move should make Holcomb the playing-time leader among non-edge LBs in Pittsburgh. He showed that he can produce numbers with a top-10 fantasy finish among LBs in 2021. Holcomb lost half of last season to injury but still managed a top-30 ranking in points per game. He lands in a solid spot for statistical upside, though we'll see what else the Steelers add to a position of weakness.

TE Darnell Washington measured in at nearly 6’7 and 264 pounds at the NFL Combine. He recorded excellent marks in the broad jump (10 feet, 2 inches), short shuttle (4.08) and 40-yard dash (4.64). At his size, Washington is simply an athletic freak. While his production was lacking at Georgia, note that he played with the top TE in the nation (Brock Bowers). Expect Washington to come off the board as a top-50 pick.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth sprained an MCL in Sunday's finale vs. the Browns but won't need surgery, HC Mike Tomlin said. The injury shouldn't have much of an impact on Freiermuth's offseason. He finished his 2nd NFL campaign with a 63-732-2 line across 16 games, ranking 10th among TEs in PPR points per game.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth injured a knee in the 4th quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Browns and was quickly ruled out. That often portends a serious injury, but we'll update Freiermuth's status when we know more.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hip) practiced fully on Friday and doesn't appear on the final injury report ahead of Week 18 vs. the Browns. Though the veteran has scored nary a TD this season, Johnson's team-high 26.2% target share (8.5 targets per game) makes him a quality WR3/flex option on volume alone. This should serve as a good counterbalance to the Browns' defense ranking as the 6th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hip) practiced fully on Thursday. The veteran wideout was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's estimation, so this is great news for his availability for Week 18 vs. the Browns. We'll keep an eye out in case something changes on tomorrow's report.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hip) did not practice on Wednesday. There's still plenty of time between now and Sunday's Week 18 game vs. the Browns for the veteran to ramp up activity. We'll know more about whether or not he's at risk of missing action as the week unfolds. Check back for updates in the coming days

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth logged 3 receptions on 6 targets for 36 yards, leading all pass-catchers in Week 17 vs. the Ravens. WR Diontae Johnson wasn't too far behind with 35 yards and 2 catches on 7 targets. Sunday's win came mainly through the efforts of the Steelers' rushing attack and defensive contributions. This game wasn't a banner day for anyone whose primary responsibility is catching the ball. Week 18 will give this group an opportunity to bounce back in a fairly neutral matchup vs. the Browns.

Steelers RB Najee Harris totaled 111 rushing yards on 22 carries in Sunday's win vs. the Ravens. Harris also contributed a pair of catches for 12 yards and 1 TD as a receiver in Week 17. Rookie RB Jaylen Warren was effective in spelling Harris, logging an additional 76 yards on 12 carries on the ground and 3 receptions for 22 yards through the air. Fantasy managers playing into Week 18 will be thrilled to start Harris in a plus matchup vs. the Browns next Sunday. The Browns' defense ranked 30th in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA entering Week 17 and didn't do much to stop Commanders RB Brian Robinson on Sunday.

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett completed 15 of 27 passes for 168 yards and 1 TD in Week 17's win vs. the Ravens. The rookie hasn't been much of a fantasy factor this season and his performance on Sunday night is more impressive in real life than anything else. Pickett has yet to throw for multiple TD passes in a game through 11 NFL starts and only has 4 games with over 200 passing yards. Still, he's shown flashes of promise at times and will be a fun name to watch in 2023 and beyond as he continues to learn and improve.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (toe) practiced fully again on Friday. It's expected he'll be ready to go for Sunday night vs. the Ravens in Week 17. Consider Johnson a WR3/flex option this week. He's been frustrating all season and has yet to find the end zone, but the target volume will assuredly be there for Johnson. His 130 targets rank 7th among all WRs in 2022.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (toe) upgraded to full practice participation on Thursday. He's trending in the right direction to play in Sunday night's Week 17 showdown vs. the Ravens. We'll let you know about his status on the final injury report tomorrow.

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (toe) logged limited practice on Wednesday. The veteran wideout played through this injury last week. We'll see if it prevents him from suiting up on Sunday night vs. the Ravens in Week 17. Come back tomorrow for an update.