Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

ESPN's Brooke Pryor says the Steelers are "likely to push the ball down the field more than in recent years." That would obviously be good for the fantasy football upside for everyone in the passing game (except maybe RB Najee Harris), but it would be an especially positive development for rookie WR George Pickens and 3rd-year WR Chase Claypool. Pickens has generated seemingly nonstop buzz in camp, while Claypool has displayed his downfield talent through 2 pro seasons. Both look attractive in reserve territory of fantasy football drafts.

Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell was back at practice on Sunday. He missed less than a week with a minor hip injury. Some Eagles insiders believe Gainwell is in line for pass-catching and goal-line duties for Philly this year. That'd make him a valuable fantasy asset.

Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell has missed a couple of practices with a hip injury. The issue is believed to be minor, but we’ll keep an eye on his status going forward.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, according to Steelers Depot's Alex Kozora. Freiermuth dealt with a hamstring injury early in camp, but it looks like a non-issue going forward.

Buccaneers WR Scotty Miller says he added 10-15 pounds of muscle this offseason, looking to rebound from an injury-derailed 2021. "I've always been undersized, so this year I really focused on gaining a couple pounds to show the coaches I can do a lot of different things in the offense," he told Pewter Report. "I just feel more explosive and really fast. The fastest I've ever been." Miller will have trouble reaching fantasy relevance, with Julio Jones joining an already loaded top 3 at WR: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage. But he flashed with Tom Brady in 2020 and count present enough versatility to earn a roster spot. At 25, Miller is heading into his 4th NFL season.

Eagles insider John McMullen believes RB Kenneth Gainwell "seems to be penciled in for high-leverage situations like third downs, the hurry-up offense, and goal-line work." The passing-down work isn't a big surprise considering Gainwell led Eagles RBs in targets, catches and receiving yards last year. The note on goal-line work is eye-catching, though. Gainwell is just 200 pounds and tallied only 3 carries inside the 5-yard line last season. We'll continue to keep an eye on this backfield in camp and preseason action. Pass-catching and goal-line work could make Gainwell the most valuable Eagles RB in fantasy football, even if Miles Sanders leads in carries.

Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson admitted that he was “banged up” and unable to play the way he wanted to late last season. C-Pat easily set a career high with 205 touches last year, and the Falcons are happy to limit his offseason reps. In fact, the 31-year-old sat out OTAs/minicamp and has been limited in training camp. “He’s got good work habits,” HC Arthur Smith said in camp. “Everybody is in different parts of their careers. With CP, where he is, at the usage rate he had last year, we are trying to maximize him.” Patterson’s also hoping for more return opportunities, as he needs just one more kick return TD to break the NFL record. “I’ve got a record to break,” he said. “I need one more before I can hang it up. I get one more, I’ll stop doing it.”

"If the first three practices are any indication, George Pickens is going to be a huge factor in this [Steelers] offense," ESPN's Brooke Pryor tweeted on Friday. It reads a little hyperbolic, but Pickens has been creating consistent buzz from multiple Steelers beat writers early in camp. And we loved him as a prospect, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him make a significant rookie-year impact. Highlight Pickens as an intriguing late-round flier in fantasy drafts.

According to SB Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton, Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell was "the first team running back" in Friday practice. The team not only lined him up in the backfield but had him run routes from WR spots. Miles Sanders was available but working with the 2nd team. It's just 1 day of work -- for now. But the sheer possibility of Gainwell landing ahead of Sanders on the depth chart (or even with) makes the 2nd-year man an enticing value in the double-digit rounds of fantasy football drafts.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth is dealing with a hamstring injury, according to HC Mike Tomlin. We don't have any other details at this point but will keep you updated as we learn more.

The Seahawks and WR D.K. Metcalf agreed to a 3-year extension worth $72 million, with $52.8 million of that guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. It ends the brief hold-in for the 24-year-old wideout and puts him under contract through 2025.

Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski described WR George Pickens as the “clear WR3” early in training camp. As expected. Pickens’ raw talent has flashed early on, but it’ll likely take something close to a flawless performance over the coming weeks to overtake Chase Claypool. Pickens remains an intriguing redraft stash and best ball flier.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll confirmed to reporters after practice Wednesday that WR D.K. Metcalf is sitting out practices in hopes of landing a contract extension -- and not because of lingering effects from his winter foot surgery. "We are right there," Carroll said, referring to the negotiations. We'll keep an eye on Metcalf's status.

Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf reported for the start of training camp on Tuesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports. "It’s unclear whether Metcalf will practice with the team, but his appearance at camp can be considered a positive," Fowler adds. Metcalf skipped June minicamp as he angles for a new contract. But it doesn't look like he's planning to sit out regular-season games.

Steelers beat writer Chris Adamski believes WR George Pickens is in position to play a “significant role” by the end of the 2022 season. Patience might be key here, as he's coming off a March 2021 ACL tear. (Pickens, however, managed to appear in 4 games with Georgia last year.) While his size (6’3, 200), speed (4.47 forty) and early breakout age (18.5) signal a potential difference-maker, targets will be tough to earn early on. Current 2022 WR projections have him down for 63 targets.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth shared his expectations for the 2022 season. “I should be more in the range of 800, 900 (season) yards, so I think I definitely need to get (yards/reception) higher and want to push the ball down the field,” Freiermuth said. As a rookie, the Penn State product posted 497 yards at just 8.3 yards per catch. Eric Ebron departed this offseason, while Pittsburgh only added rookie Connor Heyward in Round 6. Increased production is likely for Freiermuth, but current projections have the TE falling shy of the 800-900-yard range.

Speaking on the Inside the Birds podcast, NFL insider Adam Caplan said that RB Kenneth Gainwell’s role “will grow” in year 2. Caplan particularly noted Gainwell’s involvement in the passing game, where he collected 33 catches (on 50 targets) as a rookie. Gainwell added ~4 carries per game across 16 appearances. Ultimately, barring a Miles Sanders injury, Gainwell’s unlikely to exceed PPR flex range. On skill set alone, though, the Memphis product makes for an intriguing RB4/5.

Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf did not report for the start of minicamp as he continues to angle for a new contract. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler confirms that Metcalf's absence is unexcused, subjecting him to fines up to $93,000. The Seahawks have made it clear that they'd like to get Metcalf a new deal, but there's obviously still work to be done between the 2 sides. It's a situation to monitor as we get closer to training camp in late July.

Steelers OC Matt Canada commented on rookie WR George Pickens. “He can go down the field, he can make plays, he goes up and gets the football… we were impressed with his hands -- all those things you like about a wideout,” Canada said. “But I think probably for me sitting here, I think that [returning from a torn ACL late last season] said a lot about his character. He wanted to be part of that team, he wanted to be part of that championship and he fought to come back.” Pickens declared himself 100% healthy earlier this month. His 2022 path to targets isn’t clear, but it's easy to see him carving out a decent-sized role as the season develops. He’s currently our WR90 in redraft.

Speaking at rookie OTAs, Steelers WR Calvin Austin said his weight fluctuates between 170-175 pounds. At 5’8 and even 175, he’ll likely struggle to see a full-time role — even a few years down the line. Pittsburgh also added Georgia WR George Pickens in Round 2, and he’ll join a strong top-2 of Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. Johnson does enter a contract year, so Austin could be setup for a 2nd-year bump. Still, odds are, he’ll provide more real-life value than fantasy value. At Memphis, Austin returned 2 punts for scores on 29 opportunities.