Should I Pickup George Pickens For Fantasy Football Week 6? Waiver Wire Outlook

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens was a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and it looks like he might be ready to break out with quarterback Kenny Pickett for an offense that desperately needs production.

The 21-year-old wideout out of Georgia has gained more traction over the last two games with Kenny Pickett in the lineup, and Mitch Trubisky out of it. Pickens had a strong prospect profile but fell to the second round because of personality concerns, so he could begin to outproduce some of the first-round receivers.

Time will tell, but for now, we have to decide whether or not Pickens is worth adding to fantasy rosters heading into Week 6.

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What Did George Pickens Do Last Week?

In the blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, Pickens caught six of his eight targets for 83 yards in Pickett's first career start at quarterback. The rookie duo clearly has some connection, as Pickens drew eight targets the week prior against the Jets when Pickett came in for a benched Trubisky. Pickens continues to make highlight-worthy catches, so he's hot on the fantasy radar.

It's important to note Pickens posted just over a 15-percent target share, and Pickett had to attempt 52 passes thanks to the Steelers getting blown out. Diontae Johnson (11) and Chase Claypool (nine) had more targets.

Should I Pick George Pickens Off The Waiver Wire In Fantasy Football?

Despite Pickens' production being largely volume-based since Pickett won't be attempting that many passes moving forward, he seems like a strong waiver wire add. Rookie wideouts take time to develop, but Pickens is gaining traction with each passing week.

He's already an excellent contested catch player with a huge catch radius, so it won't be surprising if Pickett starts to zero in on him later on in the season. Because the Steelers' offense has proven to be weak thus far, Pickens isn't a must-start but can be played in favorable matchups or games that call for a high number of passing attempts.

It's time to give up on players like Allen Robinson and replace them with fresh, young, late-season breakout candidates with upside.

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