Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth hauled in five of his eight targets for 76 yards in a 31-17 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Following a quiet end to the regular season, Freiermuth was involved early and often on Monday. The 25-year-old was responsible for Pittsburgh's longest play of the contest, a 33-yard catch and run on a deep pass from quarterback Mason Rudolph in the first quarter. He suffered an ankle injury late in the loss that limited his snaps on Pittsburgh's final possessions. It was a disappointing third professional campaign for Freiermuth, who dealt with multiple injuries in 2023, most notably a hamstring strain that kept him sidelined for five games. He will head into the offseason with one year left on his contract and will likely be the subject of extension negotiations.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens caught five of his 11 targets for 50 yards and picked up 15 rushing yards on his lone carry of a wild-card round loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pickens came down with a few impressive grabs in the contest but also made a costly mistake when he lost a fumble on Pittsburgh's third offensive possession. Buffalo had already held a 7-0 lead and quickly went up by two touchdowns following the fumble recovery. The 22-year-old managed to bounce back and operated as a go-to guy for Mason Rudolph down the stretch. Despite dealing with inconsistent quarterback play all season, Pickens turned in an incredibly productive campaign and will look to further establish himself as one of the league's most exciting young receivers next season.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren handled eight carries for 38 yards and two receptions for 16 yards in the team's wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Although Warren was more efficient than backfield mate Najee Harris, neither player made much of an impact on Monday. Pittsburgh struggled early on in the contest and was forced to throw after surrendering 21 quick points. Despite ending the season with disappointment, the 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout campaign in which he totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and ranked third amongst all NFL running backs in yards per carry. He should retain a prominent role in the Steelers' offense along with Harris next season.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled 12 carries for 37 yards and hauled in two of his three targets for 15 yards in a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Harris, who ended the regular season averaging 104 rushing yards over his last three games, was largely shut down by Buffalo's defensive front on Monday. His longest run of the contest went for 10 yards as Pittsburgh was forced to lean on Mason Rudolph and the passing game. Nonetheless, Harris' third professional campaign was his most efficient on the ground. Pittsburgh will need to decide this offseason whether or not to pick up Harris' fifth-year option ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell drilled his lone field goal and converted on both of his extra-point tries in a Week 18 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The veteran will hope to find continued success against the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. This is a difficult matchup for Boswell and the Steelers as the Bills have surrendered just 14.8 points per game when playing at Highmark Stadium this season. Furthermore, Sunday's contest is expected to be a slow-paced battle with gusting winds and snow limiting offensive production. Weather conditions in Buffalo could keep Boswell off the field for much of the game, so fantasy managers should consider other options this weekend.