George Pickens — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

More on Pickens

Pickens caught 52 of 84 targets for 825 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Pittsburgh was slow to involve him early, as he managed just five catches for 65 yards across his first three games (1/3, 1/23, and 3/39). He turned heads in three of the next four outings (6/102, 6/83, and 6/61/1) before the Eagles blanked him on three targets the following week. The Steelers gave him six or fewer targets in each of his final nine starts, yielding only three worthwhile performances (4/83/1, 5/57/1, and 3/72/1) despite an impressive 17.8 yards-per-catch average.

In 2023, Pickens took a step forward across the board, posting career highs in catches (63), receiving yards (1,140), touchdowns (5), and targets (106). He showed big-play ability throughout, generating 22 receptions of 20-plus yards, with six of them gaining 40 or more. Five outings stood out above the rest (4/127/1, 6/130/1, 5/107, 4/195/2, and 7/131), but inconsistency remained a concern. He failed to crack 10.0 PPR fantasy points in 11 of 18 starts, including the playoffs, finishing 30th in wide receiver scoring at 209.00 PPR points.

Pittsburgh looked to elevate Pickens in 2024 by upgrading its quarterback position, raising the ceiling on what he could become. He delivered six solid performances (6/85, 7/113, 5/111/1, 5/91/1, 8/89, and 3/74/1) across his first 12 games while averaging 7.5 targets per outing, though a hamstring injury wiped out three games. He signed off on the season with a strong postseason showing, going 5/87 on five targets.

The best thing for the development of Pickens last season came when CeeDee Lamb was injured. It wasn’t the increase in possible targets; it was due to Dallas giving him chances closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing him to show he could make defenders miss in tight quarters. When blending his new catch floor with his ability to make big plays, Pickens blossomed into an impact WR1 (93/1,429/9 on 137 targets) in high volume passing attack.

From Week 2 to Week 14, covering 12 starts, Pickens had a floor of nine targets in 11 matchups. He caught 75 of his 110 targets over this span for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns (19.83 FPPG). Pickens was at his best in five contests on the year (8/134/2, 9/168/1, 9/144/1, 9/146/1, and 7/130/1), showcasing his impact ceiling. The Cowboys, in essence, gave him Week 18 off (25 plays – one catch for nine yards on three targets), leaving Picken six catches shy of his first 100-catch season.

I believe in his growth. Dallas franchised him for $27.3 million in April, giving Pickens more motivation to sign a longer big deal next offseason. Next step: 100 catches for 1,500 yards and 10 scores.