JuJu Smith-Schuster Fantasy

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster returned from Injured Reserve for one more game in the team's wild-card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent for the second straight year this offseason. When asked if he might re-sign again, Smith-Schuster said, "Honestly, it would be a blessing." He had 111 catches in his second season in 2018 and 97 receptions last season, but he played in just five regular season games before his shoulder injury this year and caught 15 of 28 targets for 129 yards and no touchdowns. Smith-Schuster could encounter another cold free-agent market, but the fact that he was able to return late in the year from his shoulder injury will help his cause. If he returns to the Steelers in 2022, Pittsburgh's QB situation without Ben Roethlisberger will be a big factor in Smith-Schuster's fantasy value.

Jan. 17th • 8:17 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) has been activated off the injured reserve. He has missed the last three months while recovering from shoulder surgery. The assumption was that Smith-Schuster wouldn't play again this season. However, he will be available for Sunday's Wild Card matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 25-year-old hasn't practiced until this week, so it's unlikely he has a full-time role this weekend. He should slide in as the No. 3 receiver behind Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson. His return is obviously an upgrade to the Steelers offense. Although, Smith-Schuster is a risky DFS option given the fact he hasn't played in a few months and probably won't see full-time snaps on Sunday.

Jan. 15th • 3:20 PM

Contrary to a previous report, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) had no issues after returning to practice on Thursday and is trending towards playing in the wild-card game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. A previous report stated that Smith-Schuster would likely be healthy enough to play, but that the Steelers weren't expected to activate him from Injured Reserve. The 25-year-old has been out since Week 5 after having surgery on his shoulder, and Thursday's practice was his first in more than three months. If Smith-Schuster is activated and does play against the Chiefs, he'll obviously be an extremely risky fantasy commodity, while his presence would be bad news for Chase Claypool, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud.

Jan. 14th • 4:37 PM