Steelers' Biggest Sleepers, Busts, Stars to Target in 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a new era in 2022 with longtime starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now retired.
The Steelers also experienced a fair amount of turnover at receiver this season, parting with James Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster. To help replace those two, Pittsburgh drafted Calvin Austin III and George Pickens. Additionally, Pittsburgh added James Daniels and Mason Cole to an offensive line that struggled last season.
While Steelers fans are following training camp to learn what this all means for the 2022 season, fantasy managers are watching with different interests. They're wondering which Pittsburgh players are worth targeting highly in drafts and who can become that coveted fantasy steal.
Here, we'll examine Pittsburgh's fantasy outlook for 2022. We'll also dive into some of the top stars, sleepers and potential busts for the Steelers based on factors like past production, projected role, trending draft stock and any relevant camp buzz.
Sleeper: Mitch Trubisky, QB
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With Roethlisberger gone, the Steelers are holding a camp competition between longtime backup Mason Rudolph, free-agent addition Mitch Trubisky and rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett.
Well, at least that's the perception. The reality is that this is Trubisky's job to lose.
"I’ve taken all the reps with the ones so far," Trubisky told ProFootballTalk's Peter King. "So I’m just trying not to take any day for granted, just take advantage of this opportunity, continue to lead this team."
If Trubisky does win the job, he could provide some sleeper potential in Pittsburgh's offense. The sixth-year signal-caller will have plenty of weapons—Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Najee Harris chief among them—and he does have some dual-threat ability.
Trubisky has averaged 5.3 yards per carry for his career.
We're not talking about Trubisky being a fantasy MVP, of course, but he could be a viable low-end starter or streamer—as Roethlisberger (3,740 yards and 22 TDs) was in 2021.
Trending as the 30th-ranked quarterback, Trubisky isn't even viewed as a draftable option. He could be well worth a late-round flier, though, and it will be worth seeing how he operates in Matt Canada's offense during the preseason.
Rookie wideouts Austin and Pickens are also worth following, as one is likely to emerge with a significant role by Week 1. Pickens (WR75) and Austin (WR122) should both be viewed as low-risk, high-reward draft targets worth gambling on with a late selection.
The challenge for early drafters, of course, will be predicting which of the first-year pass-catchers sees the most playing time.
Bust: Diontae Johnson, WR
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Pickens and Austin have gotten opportunities during training camp, largely because Johnson has been idle. The 2021 Pro Bowler is angling for a new contract and has been "holding in" during camp as part of that effort.
The problem is that by not participating in team practices, Johnson is tanking his chance to establish chemistry with Pittsburgh's quarterbacks. That's bad for him, but good for wideouts like Pickens, Austin and Anthony Miller.
"There could be a battle brewing at the short-term and long-term receiver positions," The Athletic's Mark Kaboly wrote. "The more Johnson decides to be a spectator, the better the chance that battle comes to fruition."
The reality is that Johnson could push himself out of a notable role. And with no established chemistry, replicating his 2021 production (1,161 yards, 8 TDs) will be difficult anyway.
Trending as WR15, Johnson is a massive risk loaded with bust potential.
Though Pickett doesn't carry the same risk of busting, his current average draft position (WR33) suggests that some managers believe he can beat out Trubisky for the starting gig.
That's not likely to happen. If Trubisky isn't the Week 1 starter, Pittsburgh will probably turn to the most experienced quarterback in their system, Rudolph. Pickett may eventually see the field for evaluation purposes, but he's not going to start early enough to warrant a draft flier.
Don't even waste the effort to consider Pickett late in drafts unless there's an unexpected injury or development during the preseason.
Star: Najee Harris, RB
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Running back Najee Harris was a rookie Pro Bowler for the Steelers in 2021. While he wasn't a particularly efficient runner—he averaged 3.9 yards per carry—Harris was a high-volume back who rushed for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns.
Perhaps more importantly, Harris was also a tremendous outlet receiver who caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three more scores.
This made Harris a truly reliable back in point-per-reception (PPR) formats. His role and his fantasy value are unlikely to change with a new quarterback under center. If anything, Harris may see a larger workload, as Pittsburgh looks to ease its next quarterback into the system.
And if the line can get a boost from Daniels and Cole, Harris could produce even better numbers in 2022.
Trending as the fifth-ranked running back, Harris carries massive fantasy expectations into the season. Because of his role in Canada's offense and his PPR upside, he's highly unlikely to disappoint—barring injury, of course.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth is another Steelers standout well worth his ADP. Trending as the 10th-ranked tight end, Freiermuth is being—and should be—viewed as a low-end starter.
The Penn State product was a serviceable fantasy option as a rookie last year, finishing with 60 catches, 497 yards and seven touchdowns. He should be poised for a jump in Year 2, and like Harris, he could see a bigger workload than last season.
A good tight end can be a quarterback's best friend, and Canada will undoubtedly strive to make life easier on whoever is under center.
Freiermuth ranked third on the team in receptions last season, and his role in the offense is highly unlikely to be diminished. The second-year pass-catcher has dealt with hamstring tightness in camp, but it doesn't appear to be serious.
Coach Mike Tomlin called it "day-to-day," according to Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
There's virtually no risk in targeting the 23-year-old as a mid-level starter this season.
*Rankings from FantasyPros and based on PPR scoring.
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