Russell Wilson, George Pickens, Steelers' Fantasy Outlook After Diontae Johnson Trade

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded veteran wideout Diontae Johnson and a seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday in exchange for defensive back Donte Jackson and a sixth-rounder, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Johnson has been a big part of the team's offense in recent seasons and was a solid fantasy option in both 2020 (88 catches for 923 yards and seven scores) and 2021 (107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns), though the past two years he's fallen off in that regard.

So, how will Tuesday's trade impact the team's other potentially fantasy-relevant players, including new quarterback Russell Wilson and wideout George Pickens?

You probably don't want to draft Wilson as a starting option at this point. He finished 14th among quarterbacks in fantasy points last season, posting just three games above 20 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues. He was even worse in 2022, finishing 16th.

And while the Steelers could add more playmakers this offseason, namely in the draft, he isn't exactly joining an explosive offense.

Wilson is tough to trust at this point, and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith isn't exactly famous for increasing the fantasy value of his skill-position players. Proceed with caution.

There's a bit more optimism for players like Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth, however.

The former played very well last season when Johnson wasn't available:

And while its questionable how much Wilson has left in the tank, he's still an upgrade over the team's quarterbacks from last season.

Freiermuth, meanwhile, should get a bump in usage given the overall lack of talent elsewhere in the passing game, though Pittsburgh prioritizing wideout at the draft could change that math.

This probably isn't an offense that is going to lead to elite fantasy production. But Pickens could have legitimate WR2 upside next season, while Freiermuth might sneak into the TE1 conversation if his new offensive coordinator doesn't put him in the Kyle Pitts blender.