The Pittsburgh Steelers are making a significant change ahead of their Week 7 game against the New York Jets , with the team expected to start Russell Wilson under center. Wilson's entrance into the starting lineup is great news for wideout George Pickens.
Wilson suffered a calf injury during training camp, and he reaggravated the injury ahead of Week 1, which led to him being inactive over the first five contests.
Wilson was finally fully healthy last week, but the Steelers opted to stick with Justin Fields for one more game. But with Fields not playing at a high enough level to cement the job, Pittsburgh wants to see what Wilson can do.
Pickens is coming off a Week 6 performance in which he tallied just three catches for 53 yards on eight targets. The lackluster showing has been the story of Pickens' 2024 season.
But with Wilson now in the lineup, there is renewed hope for Pickens. However, is that enough to start the Georgia product? And is Wilson a safe bet to start in his regular season debut? Let's discuss.
Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 7: George Pickens
Pickens has been a major disappointment so far this season, with the Steelers wide receiver ranking as WR49 overall in fantasy points per game, leaving him on the outside looking in for fantasy lineups.
But there is renewed hope this week, as Russell Wilson is expected to take over the starting job from Justin Fields. Wilson is historically a better passer and should give Pickens a boost moving forward.
Admittedly, it might not be the best idea to start Pickens right away, though, as he and Wilson haven't had a ton of reps together and it could take some time to gel. Adding to that, the Jets are giving up the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers and Pickens will draw coverage from Sauce Gardner.
It's probably best to wait a week before inserting Pickens into lineups, but if bye weeks are taking a toll on your team, you could do a lot worse than the former second-round pick.
Verdict: Sit Pickens
Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 7: Russell Wilson
Wilson is finally going to make his first start of the campaign after not playing over the first six games due to a calf injury. However, he makes his 2024 debut against a Jets defense ceding the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks
Adding to that concern, Wilson could be rusty in his first game, and he's playing in a new offense with players he doesn't have a ton of reps with. It's possible the veteran quarterback becomes a QB2 the rest of the way, but we wouldn't bet on Wilson returning a viable fantasy showing this week.
Verdict: Sit Wilson
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