Kenny Pickett (QB, PIT) - Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 5

BALLER MOVE: Add in 2QB Team Leagues

ROSTERED IN: 5% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: The Steelers kicked the season off with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and everyone from Pitt bought into that what-if. Only, nobody truly believed that was the real outcome to expect going forward. Nobody except HC Tomlin, who doubled down on starting Mitch Trubisky in all games after that one including this past Sunday although his team was already 1-2 down in the standings.

It took Tomlin two-quarters of play into Sunday's game to finally surrender and bring rookie Kenny Pickett into the game while sending Trubisky packing to the bench. And the result was... something? Looking at Pickett's line alone won't convince you of adding him, but bear with me for a minute.

Pickett played 31 snaps to Trubisky'2 33, a pretty even workload. The former finished the day with a 10-for-13, 120-yard, three-interception line (no TDs) while the latter had a 7-of-13, 84-yard, one-interception outing. That, simply put, stunk for both quarterbacks. Pickett's three interceptions were the only time a QB has thrown so many in the early 2022 season while attempting fewer than 30 passes.

Do you know what didn't stink at all? Pickett scored two rushing touchdowns on six carries for 15 yards. That alone should have Pickett on your radar. I'm not saying Pickett is the new Kyler Murray or the new Lamar Jackson or even the new Trey Lance, but he has the legs and the willingness to carry the ball into the end zone to pump his numbers up.

Quarterback + rushing stats = fantasy profit no matter what. Pickett is the greenest of quarterbacks doing it in the NFL this year until we watch another rookie thrown into a football field. Look at it for the bright side, though: there is one big question mark and (potentially) vast upside related to Pickett.

What do you lose adding him just in case? With Trubisky most probably done for the year as the Steelers came to accept their losing fate, Pickett has already cleared the hardest of hurdles, becoming a starter. It can only go up from there.

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