Pittsburgh Steelers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has scored in back-to-back contests and will hope to keep the streak alive against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. Although Freiermuth was a limited participant in practice on Thursday with a calf injury, he was removed from the injury report on Friday after logging a full practice. Las Vegas has fared well against tight ends so far this season but is yet to face one that has earned as many opportunities as Freiermuth. The 25-year-old is averaging more targets per contest than Sam LaPorta and Mark Andrews and more fantasy points than Travis Kelce, Dalton Kincaid, and Kyle Pitts. His ceiling will be relatively limited if Pittsburgh continues to run the ball at one of the highest rates in the NFL, but as a focal point of the Steelers' offense, Freiermuth offers fantasy managers a steady floor. He can be started once again as a low-end TE1 on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was unusually quiet last week and will look to make an impact against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Head coach Mike Tomlin labeled Pickens' surprisingly low snap share in Week 5 as "load management", basically stating that he hopes to keep the 23-year-old fresh for when he is on the field. While this could continue to be a part of the team's gameplan, the Steelers were clearly lacking playmakers in their loss to Dallas last Sunday night. Pickens will need the ball in his hands more frequently for Pittsburgh to find success offensively. Las Vegas has been more vulnerable to the run than the pass but should not be considered a pass defense to avoid, especially with the Steelers struggling on the ground so far this season. Pickens is the favorite weapon of quarterback Justin Fields, who will be starting again this week. Even with a reduced snap count, Pickens earned a target on 26% of Fields' pass attempts last week, a far greater share than any of his teammates. The duo should be able to connect on more opportunities against the Raiders, making Pickens a low-end WR2 or flex option with upside.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is yet to find the end zone this season but will be looking to capitalize on a plus matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. The Raiders are surrendering 5.2 yards per carry and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs in 2024. Harris has been disappointing with the backfield to himself, however, and could be joined on Sunday by Jaylen Warren (knee) for the first time since Week 3. Warren logged a full practice on Friday and is officially listed as questionable to make his return. The Steelers' offense has struggled to get things going recently, so although the addition of Warren would be welcome, it could take away from Harris' workload, specifically in the passing game. Harris has generated most of his fantasy output as a pass-catcher over the past two weeks, averaging 2.5 receptions for 44.5 yards on 4 targets per contest. Given the matchup, Harris should be considered a low-end RB2 this week regardless of Warren's availability, but fantasy managers will need to keep an eye on how Pittsburgh splits backfield opportunities moving forward.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (knee) logged a full practice on Friday and is on the "upswing" with his trajectory. Warren will be listed as questionable to play in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but the Steelers are optimistic about his status. Earlier in the week, head coach Mike Tomlin considered Warren doubtful to face the Raiders, but apparently he's made good progress with his knee since then. The 25-year-old was unable to play in last week's loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. If he's able to return on Sunday on the road at Allegiant Stadium, he'll continue to mix in sparingly behind lead back Najee Harris in what is an excellent matchup. Still, fantasy managers will be hard-pressed to be excited to use Warren as a flex play given what he's done so far in 2024. He's averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry on just 14 rushing attempts through three games.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that quarterback Justin Fields will make another start in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, with Russell Wilson (calf) being active on Sunday to back him up. Wilson is recovering from a calf strain that has kept him out all year to this point. He was able to finally return to full practice this week and will serve as Fields' backup on the road in Vegas this weekend. Fields hasn't been amazing as the starter under center, but he's done enough to lead the team to a winning record and has limited the turnovers. The 25-year-old has completed 67.6% of his pass attempts with five touchdowns and one interception while also rushing for 172 yards and three scores on the ground. However, he's going to need to keep playing well to hold off Wilson now that he's past his calf issues. Against the struggling Raiders this weekend, Field has QB1 upside.