2026 Team Outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Mason Rudolph, PIT - Not Draft Worthy

Through his first three seasons in Pittsburgh, Rudolph appeared in 17 games, compiling 2,477 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11

interceptions. He averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt and offered little as a runner, carrying 33 times for 89 yards at 2.7 yards per carry. His most encouraging stretch as a Steeler came late in 2023, when Pittsburgh handed him four starts, including a postseason appearance. He went 3-1, completing 68.2% of his passes at 8.6 yards per attempt, both strong numbers. The catch was his low volume of passing chances; Pittsburgh averaged only 27.5 pass attempts in his starts, capping his overall output at 969 yards and five touchdowns across those four games. In 2024, Tennessee painted a weaker starting picture. Over five starts in his eight appearances, Rudolph went 1-4 with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. His completion rate of 64.0% was a career best, and he set a new personal high in rushing production with 25 carries for 106 yards and a score. His standout individual performance came in Week 8, when he posted 24.20 fantasy points, a bright spot in an otherwise difficult stretch. Fantasy Outlook: Rudolph will turn 31 in July, with a 9-9-1 career record. His resume doesn’t support a starting quarterback job in the NFL. He finished last year with one start and four relief appearances, leading 310 passing yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by success in his completion rate (73.1%), but emptiness in his yards per pass attempt (6.0). His direction and stats suggest a backup player at best.

Aaron Rodgers' desire to get the ball out quickly and avoid sacks led to Pittsburgh’s running backs setting three-year highs in catches (115), receiving yards (834), targets (133), and touchdowns (5). They accounted for 31.5% of the team’s receptions, up from 26.8% in 2024. Their backs ran the ball well (4.5 yards per carry), highlighted by a rebound in scores (15) on the ground despite finishing with fewer rushing attempts (379). The Steelers’ running backs ranked fourth in the NFL in PPR fantasy points (487.30).

15. PK Chris Boswell, PIT - Bye Week Fill-in

Across 11 NFL seasons, Boswell has hit at least 90% of his field goal attempts in eight of them. After his career-best mark of 41-for-44, he connected on 27 of 32 attempts in 2025 while remaining one of the league's more reliable options from 50-plus yards (43-for-51 over the past five seasons). He has also been nearly automatic on extra points, missing just four of his last 153 attempts. From a fantasy perspective, Boswell ranked second among kickers in 2024 with 202.70 points, topping double digits in seven games with a high of 27.80. He slipped to ninth last season at 161.80 points, though he again reached double digits in seven matchups. Pittsburgh generated 45 touchdowns and 32 field goal attempts in 2025, giving him a reasonable volume of opportunities. Despite his consistent track record and strong leg, Boswell sits as the 19th-ranked kicker heading into mid-May.

17. RB Jaylen Warren, PIT - Solid/Safe Pick

Warren entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after a strong final season at Oklahoma State, where he rushed for 1,216 yards and 11 touchdowns on 256 carries while adding 25 catches for 225 yards. His rookie year in Pittsburgh was a limited but promising introduction. He saw minimal early usage (17 touches, 77 combined yards, and seven catches over his first four games) before flashing in a spot role against Buffalo with 63 yards and four catches. Warren followed that with back-to-back 75-plus-yard efforts in Weeks 8 and 10, then closed 86 0.268 673 0.19 7.83 110 1 Pittsburgh Steelers

the season with a heavier workload over the final four games (43 touches, 173 rushing yards, a touchdown, and eight catches for 47 yards). He was on the field for 29.4% of Pittsburgh's snaps, compared to 65.7% for Najee Harris. His 2023 season was a clearer step forward. Warren carved out a genuine role in the passing game with 61 catches for 370 yards, but averaged only 6.1 yards per reception. He was more impactful on the ground, rushing 149 times for 784 yards and four scores at 5.3 yards per carry, including six rushes of 20-plus yards. His best fantasy outing came in Week 11 (nine carries for 129 yards, a touchdown, and three catches for 13 yards). He was also remarkably consistent in the passing game late in the year, recording at least four catches in each of his final five games. His snap share climbed to 48.1%. Warren regressed in 2024, partly due to missing two early games with a knee injury, and managed just 158 touches on the year. He was largely a non-factor through Pittsburgh's first eight matchups, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry on 41 rushes with 12 catches for 67 yards. He found more of a rhythm down the stretch, scoring between 10.00 and 16.50 fantasy points in six of his last nine games and peaking at 17 touches in Week 16. Still, he has totaled only six touchdowns across 48 career games, a scoring rate that limits his fantasy ceiling considerably. Surprisingly, Warren played second fiddle at running back for Pittsburgh last season behind Kenneth Gainwell (50.5% to 47.3% in snaps). He finished 18th in PPR fantasy points (222.40), with one impact game (14/143/2 with two catches for eight yards). Warren scored between 11.00 and 20.00 fantasy points in nine of his 16 games, giving him a consistency factor as an RB2. His season ended with 1,291 combined yards, eight touchdowns, and 40 catches on a career-best 251 touches. He missed one game with a knee issue while battling a minor ankle issue midseason.

Fantasy Outlook: Pittsburgh removed Kenneth Gainwell from their pass-catching equation this year, but they signed Rico Dowdle to compete for touches with Kaleb Johnson still sitting in the background for early down and scoring touches. He brings a 15-touch feel while on a path to see a significant uptick in receptions. Despite the Steelers’ back success last year, Warren comes off the board as the 28th running back in the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship with an ADP of 78. His ceiling has the best chance of repeating and rising if Aaron Rodgers starts. My early thought is 50 catches with about five touches and 1,200 combined yards.

24. QB Aaron Rodgers, PIT - Over the Hill (decreased production)

After signing with Pittsburgh in 2025, Rodgers brought veteran stability to the Steelers' offense, though his lone season in New York proved to be the worst of his career record-wise at 5-12. Despite the struggles, his Jets numbers nearly mirrored his 2022 season (3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions). That 2022 campaign in Green Bay was already a down year, largely blamed on the departure of Davante Adams and a thin receiving corps that couldn't adequately replace him. Rodgers finished with a career- low 3,695 passing yards, a spike in turnovers (12 interceptions and four fumbles), and a notable dip in touchdowns to 26 after back-to-back elite seasons of 37 and 48. He ranked 13th in quarterback scoring (292.75 fantasy points in four-point TD leagues), topping two scores just once in 17 starts without a standout performance all season. His New York year was marginally better in production but still far from inspiring. Rodgers eclipsed 300 passing yards only once, took 40 sacks (his most since 2018), and rarely used his legs (22 carries, 107 yards). He did show a notable home/away split, throwing 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions in New York. Rodgers finished 15th in quarterback scoring (308.75 fantasy points), averaging just 6.7 yards

per attempt on roughly 34 passes per game, numbers that reflected a conservative, short-window passing approach throughout the season. Rodgers finished drives in the red zone with passing touchdowns (24) in his first year with the Steelers, while minimizing the damage in interceptions (7), and adding two lost fumbles. He had to get the ball out quickly (6.7 yards per pass attempt), with a respectable completion rate (65.7%). Pittsburgh's conservative approach to its offense led to Rodgers averaging only 29.2 passes per game and a low ranking in passing yards (3,322). Despite the appearance of weakness in his stats, he finished 17th in fantasy points (269.30) in four-point passing touchdown leagues, with only three playable games (244/4, 249/4, and 284/1 with a rushing score). Fantasy Outlook: Rodgers' ties to Mike McCarthy led to him taking his final NFL quarterback run with the Steelers after signing a one-year deal in May. Pittsburgh acquired WR Michael Pittman in the offseason, while also investing in WR Germie Bernard in the second round of this year's draft. I expect a more aggressive passing plan for the Steelers, giving Rodgers a chance to be a better player in 2026. In the high-stakes fantasy market in June, Rodgers is the 27th quarterback drafted. He will land in the free agent pool in most 12-team redraft leagues over the summer until he produces better fantasy stats. At best, a league-average player with some matchup value.

27. TE Pat Freiermuth, PIT - Bye Week Fill-in

Freiermuth had his best statistical season in 2022, setting career highs in catches (63), receiving yards (732), and targets (98) despite a missed game and zero-catch performances in Weeks 15 and 18. His yards per catch climbed to 11.6 (up 3.3 yards from 2021), and he recorded seven Year TRC SPT TYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 112 0.307 1087 0.30 9.71 154 8 2024 94 0.293 933 0.26 9.93 121 7 2023 62 0.194 536 0.16 8.65 93 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

or more catches in four games. His inconsistency was still a theme, however, highlighted by six or fewer targets in eight matchups. His 2023 season was largely a washout. He managed just eight catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets through his first four games before a hamstring injury sidelined him for six weeks. He returned with little fanfare before exploding for nine catches and 120 yards in Week 12, only to go quiet again over his final six regular- season games (14 catches for 128 yards on 22 targets). His second- best output of the entire year came in the playoffs with five catches for 76 yards. Freiermuth scored below 10.00 PPR fantasy points in eight of his first 11 games in 2024 before Pittsburgh leaned on him more heavily down the stretch, giving him at least three catches and a touchdown in five of his final six contests. He set a new career high in catches (65) and ranked ninth among tight ends in PPR scoring with 170.30 fantasy points, a quietly solid finish despite averaging only 4.6 targets per game throughout the year. Despite leading the Steelers in tight end production (41/486/4 on 54 targets), Pittsburgh only had Freiermuth on the field for 51.6% of their snaps last year. He had one impact game (Week 7 – 5/111/2) against the Bengals (worst tight end defense). In his remaining 16 games, Freiermuth gained over 35 yards in only three other matchups (3/45, 3/63, and 3/51) while adding two more scores in 2025. Fantasy Outlook: With a pass-catching profile and no edge in blocking, Freiermuth is a challenging player to time, especially based on the Steelers' tight end rotation last year. With Jonnu Smith removed from the tight end equation in 2026, Pittsburgh should settle more into a two tight end rotation in 2026. Sneaky player, but he should be treated as a backend TE2 this fantasy season with a free price point. Possible 50 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns.

29. WR DK Metcalf, PIT - Solid/Safe Pick

Metcalf put together his best statistical season in 2022, setting career highs in catches (90) and targets (141) while surpassing 1,000 yards for the second time. Seattle deployed him closer to the line of scrimmage that year, which pulled his yards per catch down to 11.6 from 14.7 over his first three seasons. He was at his best in four standout games and maintained a floor of seven catches in seven of his 19 appearances. Seattle pivoted back to using him as a deep threat in 2023, and the results were mixed. His yards per catch jumped back up to 16.9, but his catch rate dipped from 63.8% to 55.5%, and he received double-digit targets in only two games. He again cleared 1,000 yards and finished Year WRC SPT WYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 136 0.373 1716 0.47 12.62 232 13 2024 139 0.433 2003 0.56 14.41 229 10 2023 169 0.528 2334 0.68 13.81 277 11 Pittsburgh Steelers

with eight touchdowns, but his workload was inconsistent. Metcalf averaged just 6.2 targets per game over the final five weeks. A rib injury cost him Week 7, and he battled hip, toe, and back problems down the stretch. He finished 21st among wide receivers in PPR scoring with 225.40 fantasy points. His final season with Seattle was the most unsettling. A knee injury cost him two midseason games, and he played through a shoulder issue late in the year. After a quiet Week 1, Metcalf strung together three straight 100-yard performances (10/129/1, 4/104/1, and 7/104) before going relatively quiet the rest of the way, with only one other game of real fantasy value in Week 7 (4/99/1). Following his knee injury, he averaged just 10.68 PPR fantasy points per game over his final eight appearances, a disappointing close to an injury-hampered year. His move to Pittsburgh suggested upside over his first five games (19/3565/4 on 31 targets – 15.72 fantasy points in PPR formats) despite averaging only 6.2 targets. Metcalf scored fewer than 10.00 fantasy points in seven of his final 11 matchups while flashing upside in only one other contest (7/148). He was suspended for the final two games due to an off-the-field incident. Fantasy Outlook: The changes at wide receiver and Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh led to Metcalf slipping to WR37 in June, six spots higher than a month ago (31st) at wide receiver in the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, with an ADP of 72. To regain his receiving momentum, Pittsburgh must throw the ball more often while developing into a better overall offense. I see value in his early price point as Metcalf was pacing as a mid-tier WR2 in 2025 if he played 17 games. Over the past couple of years, these types of wideouts have had bounce-back years, so keep an open mind. I’ll set his bar at 70 catches for 900 yards with five to seven touchdowns.