X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Kenny Pickett NFL Rookie Profile - Fantasy Football Quarterback Outlook

kenny pickett NFL draft fantasy football rankings draft sleepers

As the buzz and hype surrounding the 2022 NFL Draft grew, it had seemed apparent to everyone that the Steelers were going to draft a quarterback early in much the same way it was known in 2021 that they were going to turn in the draft card for Najee Harris. The final detail that everyone had yet to agree on was which quarterback. Speculation had ranged from Malik Willis, Sam Howell, Desmond Ridder, and Kenny Pickett.

On Thursday night in Round One, no quarterbacks had yet been selected and the Steelers had their choice of whichever one they wanted at 20 overall. When the pick was made, there was a little bit of shock and awe across the fantasy community, but it is a move that we should have all seen coming. The Steelers have never been shy about drafting players from Pitt. They share the same facilities and play on the same field. The Steelers front office and coaching staff are very plugged in on the day-to-day operations of Pitt football and have a leg up on the rest of the NFL when scouting Pitt players.

As mentioned previously, the Steelers are one of the most stable landing spots in the NFL and the ideal landing spot for a rookie quarterback. Does that make Pickett a fantasy star in the making? Let's take a look. Once you're done here, be sure to also read our other profiles and in-depth breakdowns for this year's other fantasy football rookies.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Kenny Pickett's College Recap

Kenny Pickett was a 3-star, dual-threat quarterback prospect in the class of 2017. He had also received offers from Boston College, Iowa, North Carolina, Rutgers, Virginia, and Wisconsin among five others before enrolling at Pitt. After spending five years there and starting four of them, Pickett left with a 33-16 career record and became the school's all-time leading passer.

He has mostly been seen as an average starter from 2018 through 2020 until his breakout season in 2021, where he lead the Panthers to an 11-2 record while throwing for 4,319 yards with 42 TD, which more than totaled all of his TD passes in the prior three years. The question that we must ask about Pickett is whether his 2021 season is a sign of things to come or a sort of anomaly that will regress back towards the mean. Is it possible that he had a sort of "lightbulb moment" in much the same way Joe Burrow did in his final season at LSU? Pickett says he models his game after Burrow in the same way that he can run around to create more time for his receivers downfield, is cool under pressure, mature, and very accurate.

 

What Kenny Pickett Brings to the Steelers

Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger retired after 18 seasons as the Steelers' starting quarterback, which paved the way for them to make a splash in the draft and try to find their next franchise signal-caller. Pickett should be the opening-day starter and brings plenty of experience to the table. While it is likely unfair to compare him to Big Ben, Pickett does provide some rushing upside and scrambling that was not seen from Roethlisberger in his later years.

With a solid roster already in place that made the playoffs the season prior, the good news for the Steelers with Pickett is they are not getting a relative project of sorts, they are getting a quarterback who has the experience to come in and start right away.

 

Kenny Pickett Fantasy Football Outlook

Kenny Pickett projects as a lower-half QB2 with upside for 2022. His fantasy floor is likely Mac Jones's 2021 season. The difficult part is projecting his upside. Pickett has a solid supporting cast with Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth around him. Can he continue to grow and reach similar fantasy upside in the realm with Joe Burrow or even Justin Herbert?

Pickett is more mobile than he is given credit for. He ran a 4.73 40-yard dash at the combine and is willing to scramble for first downs. He tallied 233 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his final season at Pitt. When looking at college stats, it's important to remember that sacks count against a quarterback's rushing yards. It's not likely Pickett will run as much as Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts but he isn't a pure statue back there and will use his legs to make plays when needed.

Barring some preseason miracle, Pickett is the only fantasy football rookie quarterback that you can draft with confidence in being a starter for Week 1 of the upcoming season, which drives up his value in Dynasty Superflex and Keeper leagues. While the Steeler Way will require him to work hard and earn the job, much of the reports coming out about a positional battle at QB in Pittsburgh over the summer will be mostly cannon fodder. Pickett turns 24 here soon. The driver's seat is his.

The biggest challenge is trying to predict Pickett's ceiling from a production standpoint in fantasy football. He does a lot of things well but doesn't have some of the elite traits like a rocket arm or pure speed that can be attractive when drafting a quarterback for fantasy. He is also going to an offense that was 23rd in yards per game and 21st in scoring, as well as an offensive line still in need of an overhaul compared to the Steelers' offensive lines of years past. While the usual Steelers model with a young quarterback is to not make mistakes on offense while playing good defense, that may no longer be a viable option with the rest of their rivals in the AFC North featuring Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and now Deshaun Watson. Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada may be forced to air it out to keep up with the rest of the quarterbacks in the division.

Pickett and Diontae Johnson could be a solid value stack in best-ball formats for the upcoming season being that Johnson's current ADP has taken a little bit of a tumble since Big Ben's retirement.

The choice of Pickett at 20 overall was criticized by many with the argument that he doesn't have much upside and that the Steelers have to get out of the 90s when it comes to their approach to team building. With how well run the Steelers organization is, it shouldn't surprise any of us if they have found another great quarterback. History is on their side.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jordan Mason6 mins ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley2 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant2 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart2 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons2 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun2 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon2 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray2 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić2 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Colby Thomas3 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Saturday
Dee Eskridge3 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey3 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant3 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster3 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Josh Rojas4 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Tennessee Titans4 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Thairo Estrada4 hours ago

Removed From Saturday's Contest
Damian Lillard4 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell4 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Nick Kurtz4 hours ago

Exits After Hit-By-Pitch
Giannis Antetokounmpo4 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray4 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich4 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tobias Myers4 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Brice Turang4 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
Tyler Myers4 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov4 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov4 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony4 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia5 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk5 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell5 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox5 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Andre Drummond5 hours ago

Out Against Dallas
Ja Morant5 hours ago

Questionable On Saturday Night
P.J. Washington5 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Philadelphia Eagles8 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Dante Exum8 hours ago

Diagnosed With A Fractured Left Hand
Los Angeles Rams8 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Amed Rosario8 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Cam Thomas8 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Jose Trevino8 hours ago

Going For CT Scan
Kirk Cousins8 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge9 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers9 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins9 hours ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy9 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee9 hours ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford9 hours ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies9 hours ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller9 hours ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert10 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts10 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Jesús Sánchez10 hours ago

Jesus Sanchez To Miss Four Weeks With Oblique Strain
Jon Gray10 hours ago

Has A Fractured Right Wrist
Bobby Witt Jr.10 hours ago

Back In Cactus League Lineup On Saturday
Washington Commanders10 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets10 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Los Angeles Chargers10 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson11 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk12 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen15 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG15 hours ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic16 hours ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl16 hours ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien16 hours ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson16 hours ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Indianapolis Colts1 day ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Pittsburgh Steelers1 day ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Kenny Yeboah1 day ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams1 day ago

Signs With Eagles
Kene Nwangwu1 day ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Simi Fehoko1 day ago

Signing With Cardinals
Karel Vejmelka1 day ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf1 day ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund1 day ago

Out Week-To-Week
Sam Colangelo1 day ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Andrei Svechnikov1 day ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers1 day ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Mackenzie Blackwood1 day ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman4 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee4 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron5 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry5 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev6 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell6 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson6 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher6 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman6 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith6 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner6 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo6 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos6 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]


James Conner - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Fallers - Players Trending Down In 2025

Fantasy football players trending "down" can mean a few different things. It can mean aging veterans, a new situation for players, regression in production after a stellar season, a change in coordinators, or all of the above. It doesn't necessarily mean these players won't produce; it's just a warning sign to proceed cautiously. Ultimately, marking […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]