Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was suspended for two games following an altercation with a fan during the team’s Week 16 win over the Detroit Lions.
Although Metcalf can appeal the suspension, he is expected to miss Pittsburgh’s Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns — a devastating blow not only to the Steelers but to fantasy managers heading into championship week.
The sidelining of Metcalf, who averaged 12.9 fantasy points per game this season, leaves Pittsburgh without a clear No. 1 receiver against Cleveland. The situation grew murkier against the Lions when Calvin Austin III went down with a hamstring injury.
With an opening in Pittsburgh’s receiver room, could the recently signed veteran journeyman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($3,000), be in line to become a promising flex option for championship week?
Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s Fantasy Outlook
Valdes-Scantling, 31, joined Pittsburgh’s practice squad in November after appearing in five games with the San Francisco 49ers. A two-time Super Bowl champ with the Chiefs, Valdes-Scantling reunited with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, with whom he spent the first four seasons of his career in Green Bay.
He’s since made three appearances with the Steelers, catching just two of five targets for 25 yards and a touchdown — headlined by a 19-yard end-zone connection with Rodgers against the Dolphins in Week 15. That performance earned him 8.9 fantasy points, but the receiver followed it up with a 1.6-point performance against the Lions and averages just 2.3 on the season.
Valdes-Scantling nearly corralled a 60-yard touchdown against the Lions, but the dime from Rodgers slipped through his fingertips.
Outside of Metcalf and Austin III, Valdes-Scantling saw fewer targets against the Lions (3) than Thielen (4), tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth (4), and running back Kenneth Gainwell, who leads the team in receptions this season. The veteran wideout also tied Scotty Miller in receiving looks.
And on Sunday, the Steelers will take on a Browns defense that grades as the third-toughest fantasy matchup for opposing wide receivers. This season, Cleveland’s disruptive pass rush, fueled by sacks-leader Myles Garrett, has allowed the third-fewest opponent passing yards and receptions in the NFL.
The Verdict
Even in a wide receiver room that appears wide open for the taking, there’s little evidence to suggest that Valdes-Scantling’s first three games in Pittsburgh have earned him the top spot in the depth chart. Gainwell will likely continue leading the Steelers in receptions, while Rodgers may lean on his safety valves at tight end against Cleveland’s formidable pass rush. Austin III could still suit up, as well.
If it were earlier in the season, taking a speculative shot on a Valdes-Scantling breakout might have made sense. But this is championship week. It’s simply too risky to bank on an aging receiver who has totaled just six receptions all season.
