George Pickens Fantasy Stats

It's a foregone conclusion that the Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on impending free-agent wide receiver George Pickens this offseason after his breakout 2025 season. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport wonders if the Cowboys would be willing to slap the franchise tag on Pickens and then turn around and trade him. Dallas acquired the 24-year-old from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a third-rounder, so in theory, the Cowboys could entertain the idea of flipping Pickens for a potential second-rounder. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has shown in the past that he's not afraid of trading star players (see Micah Parsons just last year) for high-end draft capital. Alongside CeeDee Lamb, though, Pickens took Dallas' offense to another level in 2025, and he finished with a career-high 1,429 yards, 93 receptions, and nine touchdowns in 17 games. If Pickens stays in Dallas in 2026, he'll be a strong WR1 target in fantasy football drafts.

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to place their franchise tag on second-team All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens. Dallas acquired Pickens via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2025 season, and in his first season with the Cowboys, the fourth-year wideout set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl nod. Should Pickens hit the open market, he would be the unquestioned prize of the wide receiver free agency class and could easily demand a top-of-the-market deal. By placing the franchise tag on him, the Cowboys would retain Pickens' rights at the cost of roughly $28 million for 2026, with the hope of working toward a long-term extension. Pickens is a borderline top-10 dynasty wide receiver, and his value should continue to rise if the Cowboys succeed in making Dallas his home for the foreseeable future.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reiterated the team's desire to reach a long-term contract extension with impending free-agent wide receiver George Pickens, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I'm looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time," Jones said. In his first year with Dallas in 2025, Pickens led the Cowboys in receiving and earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors with a career-best 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on a career-high 93 receptions over 17 games. Jones and the Cowboys have a history of dragging out extensions for their star players, though, so nothing is guaranteed for Pickens. However, in Pickens' case, the team seems likely to use the franchise tag to keep him around in 2026 if an extension cannot be reached. If Pickens is in Dallas next season, he'll be a clear WR1 target in fantasy drafts.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, who will be an unrestricted free agent in March, said he "would love to" stay with the team after a career year in his first season in Dallas in 2025, according to Tommy Yarrish of NFL.com. Co-owner Stephen Jones reiterated last week that the Cowboys want to keep Pickens in Dallas for 2026 and beyond. However, the team has yet to reach out to Pickens personally to discuss a long-term contract extension. If Dallas cannot reach a long-term extension with the 24-year-old pass-catcher, they could use the franchise tag on him. One way or another, it seems likely that Pickens will be back in Dallas in 2026 after leading the team with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns on 137 targets in 17 games. Pickens quickly showed great chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, and he'll be a WR1 target in fantasy leagues this fall if he remains with the Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys have not held any contract talks with wide receiver George Pickens' agent, two people briefed on the situation told Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. It's not concerning that the Cowboys haven't talked to Pickens about an extension yet, and they have expressed a desire to re-sign Pickens since the 2025 season ended. The 24-year-old broke out in his first year with Dallas, setting career highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (nine), to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. People close to Pickens were hopeful for a contract worth at least $30 million per season after the Cowboys acquired him from Pittsburgh last offseason, but after the big year he had in 2025, that average salary figure will most likely rise. If a long-term deal isn't worked out, the Cowboys can place the franchise tag on Pickens, starting Feb. 17. Most likely, Pickens will remain in Dallas for at least one more season on the franchise tag, where he'll be an early-round fantasy pick as a WR1.

There is a "strong belief" that the Dallas Cowboys will utilize the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pickens had an excellent first season in Dallas, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. All three of those marks were career-highs, as was his finish as the overall WR5 in full-PPR leagues. Pickens surpassed teammate CeeDee Lamb in all of those categories, too, but it's worth noting that the former played three additional games. Nevertheless, Pickens showed that he is absolutely capable of being a superstar No. 1 wide receiver in any NFL offense. As a result, he would fetch an enormous contract in free agency if he makes it that far. Archer speculates that Pickens could make more than Lamb ($34 million per year) in free agency, so the Cowboys will likely use the franchise tag to bring him back on a one-year, $28 million deal. While $62 million is a lot of money tied up to two receivers, a combination of Lamb and Pickens helps give Dallas one of the best offenses in the NFL, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott playing at a high level. Of course, the franchise tag is just a temporary fix, as it would push Pickens' free agency one year down the road. According to Archer, the last time that Dallas signed a franchise-tagged player to a long-term deal before the July extension deadline was 2015 (Dez Bryant).

In his first year with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, wide receiver George Pickens had a career year, catching 93 of his 137 targets for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games in his fourth year in the NFL. It earned the 24-year-old former second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 his first Pro Bowl nod. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua had more receiving yards than Pickens, and his 93 receptions ranked sixth among all wideouts. Despite CeeDee Lamb's presence, Pickens was Dallas' leading receiver and had the eighth-most targets among all WRs in the NFL. Because of the big year he had for the Cowboys, they will almost certainly keep him around in 2026, via either a long-term extension or franchise tag. Pickens always had high-end talent, but the move to Dallas with quarterback Dak Prescott and a pass-happy offense was the perfect fit. Another big year could be in store in 2026.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens rebounded last week against the Chargers after a two-game lull entering Week 16. Pickens racked up seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in Week 16, marking his fifth game with at least 130 receiving yards, tied with Puka Nacua for the most in the league. It's been a tremendous first season in Dallas for the former Pittsburgh Steeler, ranking as the WR4 in PPR points. He gets another opportunity to add to his career highs in various receiving stats on Christmas Day against a porous Washington Commanders defense that has allowed the sixth most PPR points per game to wide receivers. Pickens should be fired up again as a borderline WR1 in Week 17.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens bounced back with a massive performance during Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Before this game, Pickens was held to under 40 receiving yards in each of his last two contests. Pickens rebounded with a massive performance against the Chargers' defense in Week 16. He hauled in seven of his nine targets for 103 yards and a touchdown in the loss. This marked the fifth time this season that Pickens has surpassed 100 yards in a single game. The 24-year-old has been elite with 88 receptions, 1,342 yards, and nine touchdowns heading into the Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off his worst two-game stretch of the season and faces a Chargers defense in Week 16 that has been the sixth-toughest matchup for opposing receivers. In spite of that, he ranks as RotoBaller's WR12 for the week and should be a reliable play for the fantasy semifinals. The Cowboys are slight home favorites in a game that features the second-highest over/under of the week. Prior to his mini-slump, Pickens faced two of the league's stingiest pass defenses in the Eagles and Chiefs, and was able to put up a combined 234 yards with a receiving touchdown. And despite failing to crack a 20% target share in either of the past two games, with Dallas' high-volume passing attack, that has still been enough for a healthy 15 targets over that span. With Javonte Williams (neck) limited to begin the week and CeeDee Lamb (illness) unable to practice until Friday, it would not be surprising to learn that this week's install featured a healthy dose of Pickens, and he remains a trustworthy start despite his last two lackluster efforts.