Steelers go with Pickett over Willis

The Steelers grabbed QB Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickett spent 5 years at Pittsburgh, starting most of the past 4. It wasn’t until 2021 that he broke out, though, throwing for 4,319 yards and 42 TDs. That more than doubled his career total for TD tosses. Pickett brings above-average mobility (72nd-percentile speed score for the position), but he has drawn comparisons with Andy Dalton and Teddy Bridgewater. We see limited fantasy football upside here, but Pickett stands a good chance to beat out QB Mitchell Trubisky this summer. That’s a situation to avoid in early fantasy drafts.

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 QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) practiced fully for the 2nd day in a row. HC Mike Tomlin said earlier this week that he expected the rookie to clear concussion protocol and start against the Raiders on Saturday. This week's practice reports reflect that. While the Raiders rank as the 3rd-best matchup in adjusted points allowed to QBs, the weather in Pittsburgh may cause passing the ball to be challenging for both teams. As such, Pickett is a low-end QB2 worthy of consideration in superflex leagues only.

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) will start this weekend's game vs. the Raiders, HC Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. It sounds like Pickett still has 1 more step to pass protocol, so we'll keep an eye on his practice participation this week. Vegas ranks 30th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs, but Pickett hasn't shown enough this season to be more than a mid-range QB2 for Week 16.

The Steelers downgraded QB Kenny Pickett (concussed) to out for Sunday's game vs. the Panthers and announced that QB Mitchell Trubisky will. Trubisky is a bottom-barrel QB2 but might be good news for WR Diontae Johnson, who drew a 27% target share from Trubisky last week and a 32% share with Trubisky over the first 3 weeks of the season.

Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game vs. the Panthers. He was limited in practice this week, but the team evidently doesn't expect him to be cleared by Sunday. QBs Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph reportedly split reps in practice this week, and HC Mike Tomlin declined to name a starter on Friday. You, of course, shouldn't be messing with the situation in Week 15 fantasy lineups.