Cowboys Get Big WR Upgrade with George Pickens

What They're Saying

Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan in Texas, first to report: "The Cowboys have been working the phones on potential receiver trades and have begun to zero-in on Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens."

This is noteworthy because it points to the Cowboys seeking a WR upgrade rather than specifically going after Pickens from the start.

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Timing is not ideal for Steelers on the George Pickens trade, as it puts a big old question mark right back at WR2 with the draft in the rear view, but this always made sense big-picture. We all were awake for the past three seasons, correct?"

This, of course, gets to why a physically talented 24-year-old WR on his rookie contract was available in the first place.

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Pickens clearly upgrades an area that needed help in Dallas.

The Cowboys acquired Jonathan Mingo from the Panthers last season, but his career appears likely to fizzle out quietly.

TE Jake Ferguson ranked second on the team in targets last year despite missing three games, with Jalen Tolbert behind him. Tolbert averaged just 4.6 targets per game as the de facto No. 2 WR.

Pickens lands in a spot with decent target upside, especially when you factor in a lackluster backfield and a new HC -- Brian Schottenheimer -- who reportedly left his OC post in Seattle because he didn't want to run the ball as much as then-HC Pete Carroll did.

Pickens goes from likely operating as the No. 2 WR in a run-heavy Pittsburgh scheme to clearly standing as the second wideout in what should be a pass-friendlier Dallas offense. He might gain fantasy upside with this move. We'll have to see how the draft market reacts.

The Steelers, meanwhile, don't even know for sure who'll be playing QB yet. We'll be watching to see how the next month goes there.

Other Winners & Losers

Dak Prescott might be the biggest winner here. Pickens pairs with CeeDee Lamb to give Prescott his best WR duo since at least the Lamb-Amari Cooper combo of 2020 and 2021.

Prescott lost 12 games to a knee injury in 2020, but he averaged 300.2 passing yards per game for the 21 contests he played over that span. He also went for 2.2 TDs per game and a 103.0 passer rating.

Prescott has showed us plenty of times that he has top-8 fantasy upside at the position. He was a strong draft value this year even before the Pickens news.

Tolbert -- and any other hopeful Dallas reserve WRs -- are obvious losers.

Metcalf gets a minor win, though he might be at his best with a decent-to-good second receiver sharing the field. His value, of course, depends more on whether Aaron Rodgers actually heads to Pittsburgh.

TE Pat Freiermuth wins by available targets. He got disappointing usage (4.6 targets per game) in a similar situation last year, though. So he's still a TE2 in drafts, with upside into the top 12.

If 2024 third-round WR Roman Wilson's gonna be a thing in the NFL, he now has a clearer path to get there. Calvin Austin III looks like Pittsburgh's No. 2 WR at the moment.

Of course, the open market still holds Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Nelson Agholor, and D.J. Chark -- among others -- as options.

Dynasty Impact

Pickens has plenty of talent. He now lands in a good situation, with the best QB he's had in his career. But teams don't just send talented, 24-year-old wideouts away for third-round draft picks.

Pickens' biggest issue is his attitude, which has been the case for several other recent (good) WRs who have left Pittsburgh.

If he can get out of his own way, there could be a bright fantasy future.

It's worth noting that he shares an agent with Cowboys Edge Micah Parsons. Jerry Jones reportedly said he "did not know" David Mulugheta's name while talking about negotiations with Parsons on a long-term deal.

Rankings Movement

Metcalf now checks in at WR23 in our half-PPR rankings. That makes him a value vs. his current best ball ADP: WR28 on Underdog Fantasy.

Pickens stands as an even bigger value at the moment:

• WR31 in our half-PPR rankings
• WR41 in Underdog Fantasy ADP

Take advantage if you're drafting right now.