DK Metcalf Fantasy Stats

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf is seeing elite usage to begin the 2026 campaign and should remain heavily involved against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Although Metcalf leads the NFL in deep targets and unrealized air yards, his inconsistent play makes him difficult to trust for fantasy purposes. To make matters worse, the Bengals' pass defense has been stout so far this season, surrendering the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts. Metcalf's role as Pittsburgh's top receiver should persist, even if Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) returns to the lineup this week, but he profiles as just a boom-or-bust WR3 or flex option in this matchup.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has been disappointing in fantasy football through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Despite being an extremely talented athlete and the alpha receiver in Pittsburgh's offense, he has been held to single-digit fantasy points in each of his two games so far. It hasn't been for a lack of targets, though, as Aaron Rodgers threw the ball in Metcalf's direction 10 times in Week 1 and nine times in Week 2. However, his 19 total targets have resulted in just eight catches for 67 yards, indicating some sort of disconnect between the veteran quarterback and his No. 1 receiver. The Steelers' offense looked pretty weak last Sunday against the Patriots, so we wouldn't be surprised if Metcalf's underwhelming start could be an indicator of more struggles to follow. He has dropped to the WR3/flex tier for Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and managers must be wary of his low floor.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf secured four of his nine targets for 27 yards in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Metcalf wasn't the only Steeler to struggle on Sunday, but his performance unfortunately stood out for the wrong reasons, as he had multiple drops in the second half. Through two games this season, Metcalf has been the clear favorite target of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Still, he was unable to capitalize on a significant opportunity with Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) sidelined and was out-produced by rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard and third-year pro Roman Wilson. Until the Steelers' offense shows signs of life, Metcalf will be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups. He'll look to get back on track in Week 3 against a surging Cincinnati Bengals defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf already opened the season as Aaron Rodgers' busiest target, and his path to another heavy workload got clearer Saturday. Michael Pittman Jr. has been ruled out for Sunday's game against New England because of a foot injury after missing practice Thursday and Friday. Pittman caught all three of his targets for 58 yards in Week 1 and ran a route on 92.9% of Pittsburgh's dropbacks. Metcalf had already drawn 10 targets in the opener, good for a 27% target share, despite finishing with only four catches for 40 yards. Pittsburgh will have to redistribute Pittman's snaps and routes, but there is no guarantee those chances all flow to Metcalf. He was already the clear volume leader before the injury. Now one of the other receivers who rarely left the field in Week 1 is unavailable. That is enough to give Metcalf's fantasy stock another bump heading into Sunday.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was heavily utilized in the team's Week 1 win and should continue to see plenty of opportunities against the New England Patriots in Week 2. Although Metcalf finished with just four receptions for 40 yards on 10 targets against the Falcons, he played 96% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, earned a 25% team target share, and ended the week with the second-most air yards in the NFL. Simply put, if Metcalf's usage in the season opener sticks, he should have one of the most fantasy-friendly roles in the league this season. The bigger question is whether he can capitalize on that opportunity, as he could struggle against a stingy Patriots defense that held opposing wideouts to the 13th-fewest fantasy points last year. Metcalf's fantasy outlook could also be impacted by the availability of teammate Michael Pittman Jr. (foot), who hasn't practiced since Wednesday. The 28-year-old appears locked in as Pittsburgh's WR1, putting him on the fantasy radar as a WR3 or flex option in a tough matchup. However, he'll become an even more enticing fantasy option if Pittman is sidelined.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf only caught four of the 10 passes that quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw his way for 40 yards in the team's Week 1 season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons, but that is not going to stop Rodgers from feeding Metcalf, according to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. In addition to the dropped passes, Metcalf was flagged twice for offensive pass interference. "I'm not worried about DK at all, man," Rodgers said. "I love DK. He's one of my closest friends on the team, and I'm going to keep feeding him." DeFabo points out that the Metcalf-Rodgers connection is "one of the most important relationships" on the team. The duo must improve upon their weak season-opening performance on Sunday if they want to make any noise in 2026. Going into the Week 2 matchup in New England against the Patriots, Metcalf should be viewed as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3/flex with a potentially bigger target share if Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) is limited or out. Pittman was limited in practice on Wednesday and was held out on Thursday.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf didn't do much with his chances in Week 1, finishing with four catches for 40 yards against Atlanta. The encouraging part was how often Aaron Rodgers looked his way. Metcalf drew 10 targets and accounted for 27% of Pittsburgh's targets, up from 19% last season. He also stayed on the field for everything but the final kneel-downs. The Steelers weren't just feeding him short throws, either. Metcalf averaged more than 20 air yards per target, and Pittsburgh repeatedly took shots to him downfield. Michael Pittman Jr. saw three targets, Pat Freiermuth had five, and Roman Wilson had six. That makes the 40-yard final line easier to live with. Metcalf still has to turn those chances into production, especially after a down 2025, but Week 1 gave fantasy managers something they didn't have much of last year: heavy volume. Ten targets from Rodgers is enough to move his stock up heading into Week 2.

Wide receiver DK Metcalf will be a big piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers' aerial attack in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old wideout was sidelined for the final few weeks of training camp with an undisclosed ailment, but came off the injury report less than a week before the Steelers' season opener. Metcalf's numbers dipped in his first season in Pittsburgh, and he finished the 2025 campaign with 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns in the air. Though Michael Pittman Jr. will be competition for targets this season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers told reporters on Sept. 2 that he "needs to get the ball" to Metcalf, so that effort should start on Sept. 13. Metcalf is a solid WR3 in fantasy headed into Week 1 and should flex his muscle as a red-zone threat against Atlanta.

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ready to get the football to wide receiver DK Metcalf as much as possible in 2026, according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We gotta get the ball to DK. He's our No. 1 for a reason," Rodgers said on Wednesday. The 28-year-old veteran receiver has missed the last several weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury, but Metcalf is expected to be fine for Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, and he could be targeted heavily right out of the gates. In his first year in the Steel City in 2025, Metcalf caught 59 of his 99 targets for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 regular-season starts. He is looking to bounce back in 2026, but the addition of veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr. could pose a roadblock. The two-time All-Star should remain the focal point of the Steelers' passing game, but with the aging Rodgers running the show for one more year in an offense that could lean on the ground game, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations for Metcalf as more of a WR3/flex.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (undisclosed) is going to be eased in, but he is expected to be ready to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Metcalf missed a good chunk of time in training camp this summer with an undisclosed ailment, but he was able to return to practice last week and should be active to kick off the regular season. Fantasy managers setting lineups for Week 1 do not exactly want to hear that the 28-year-old is being eased in, though, which means he could be on a snap count, along with Michael Pittman Jr. (hamstring). Not only will Metcalf be working with an aging quarterback in the final year of his career in 2026, but he will have added competition for targets from Pittman, so fantasy managers should not just assume he will bounce back from a 59-850-6 line in 15 regular-season games in 2025 in his first year in the Steel City. With a minor injury concern heading into his eighth year in the NFL, Metcalf is more of a WR3/flex with touchdown upside in 2026 fantasy drafts.