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

Fantasy Football Dynasty Winners and Losers - DK Metcalf Fallout, Player Outlook

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

What a start to the NFL offseason we have had. The normally quiet Seattle Seahawks have made several splash moves as they attempt to usher in a new era. The most notable of those moves was the decision to trade stud wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

From the Seahawks' perspective, Metcalf wanted out. His trade request was made public earlier this week, and the Seahawks did not seem amenable to paying him what he wanted to remain in Seattle. Pittsburgh has been searching for a consistent No. 1 receiving option for years, and they finally have one in Metcalf.

The trade shakes up the outlook for both teams. With several moves ensuing as a result, we will feel the reverberations of this move for the next few years. Let's dive in and check out the fallout from this trade along with the fantasy football implications.

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

 

Winners

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

A case can be made that Smith-Njigba benefitted from Metcalf's presence. That is likely true. However, JSN now has the entire receiving room to himself. The Seahawks will undoubtedly add someone, but the fact that they moved on from Metcalf is indicative of the confidence they have in Smith-Njigba.

JSN projects to be the Seahawks' next big-time wide receiver. His 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 were a bona fide breakout. Impressively, most of that production came over the second half of the season.

If you have JSN in dynasty, you should be elated for the 2025 season and beyond.

Seahawks' Cap Space

Say what you will about whether or not cap space is the be-all and end-all, but one could argue that the Steelers are overpaying for Metcalf. As part of the trade, Metcalf secured a five-year $150 million contract from Pittsburgh. That type of money squarely places Metcalf in the top five earners in the position.

Seattle may have considered the money Metcalf wanted and deemed him unworthy of such a contract. While Metcalf is highly talented, he has not always performed like an elite wide receiver. Since his breakout 1,303-yard season in 2020, Metcalf has not surpassed 1,114 yards. He has been good but not consistently great.

With the extra cap space, the Seahawks have already signed quarterback Sam Darnold and have their sights set on veteran wide receivers and their offensive line. Both of which are positions of significant need. However, the savings do not end in 2025 and the Seahawks will have extra money to spend on their offense for the next several years as a result of the trade.

Pittsburgh Steelers' Offense

No matter what, landing a 27-year-old wide receiver with the physical talent of Metcalf is going to improve your offense for years to come. This is a player who has never recorded less than 900 receiving yards in a season. He has also racked up 48 touchdowns over his six seasons in the league.

Metcalf is a true three-level wide receiver. He thrives on the outside with his one-on-one matchup-winning ability. Metcalf has an uncanny ability to break open and out-muscle defenders on contested footballs. He is a quarterback's dream with his combination of size and speed.

Paired with George Pickens, this could be a truly dynamic duo. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will hold onto Pickens, but it would behoove them to at least give this pairing a trial run in 2025.

Pittsburgh Steelers' Quarterback

While we await the announcement of the next Steelers quarterback, whoever it will be will have an embarrassment of riches around them. The race appears to be down to Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Wilson has significant familiarity with Metcalf from their days in Seattle. I can see the moon balls already.

Rodgers, has not been anything greater than average since the 2021 season. He has ranked in the 20s in total QBR over the last few seasons while struggling through declining mobility. Still, should the Steelers sign him, Rodgers would have a solid offensive line, weapons on the outside, and likely a solid running game. It *could* work and Metcalf won't hurt.

 

Losers

Sam Darnold

Darnold is the clear loser here. He is stepping into an offense that now only boasts wide receiver Smith-Njigba when a week ago, Tyler Lockett and Metcalf were in the fold. No quarterback is going to be better off without Metcalf than with him.

The Seahawks must have gone into these sweeping changes with a plan. They could be looking at the draft to upgrade their wide receiver room. With several quality interior offensive linemen still on the free agent market, the Seahawks will likely spend some of the cash they are saving in that arena.

This feels like a situation in which Darnold was sold on a plan. As a quarterback who very recently rehabilitated his career, it is hard to believe he would have gone anywhere without some comfort surrounding the makeup of the offense.

George Pickens

Pickens went from being the alpha to the No. 2 wide receiver in the blink of an eye. Rumors suggest that the Steelers may not be planning on holding onto Pickens long-term, given the cost associated with him following this season and his lack of consistency in his three-year career.

Should the Steelers move on from Pickens, it remains to be seen what a new situation would do for the walking highlight reel. Should he stay, Pickens will have to contend with an alpha for targets for several years. We have seen how heady Pickens can be, but perhaps head coach Mike Tomlin can keep Pickens under wraps. Either way, Pickens's future is cloudy.

 

Fantasy Implications

Seahawks

On the Seahawks' end, Smith-Njigba should see an other-worldly target share. There is no obvious path for the Seahawks to add a wide receiver who would challenge JSN for the No. 1 role. However, adding a solid No. 2 would open up more room for Smith-Njigba to operate. Expect a big third year from the young receiver.

The Seahawks' offense as a whole is incomplete. The running backs figure to rotate in a way that might not make either one playable in fantasy. Outside of JSN, no one in the passing offense is an obvious fantasy option at the moment. That includes Darnold at quarterback.

With a couple more additions, the Seahawks' passing offense could become far more intriguing. We will need to wait and see how this plays out before delivering our final verdict.

Steelers

Metcalf is unlikely to see an uptick in fantasy production with his move to Pittsburgh. He is not experiencing an upgrade at quarterback, and he is entering a scheme predicated on running the ball. Metcalf is likely to find himself in the WR2 conversation this season. However, if Pickens is not on the team in 2025, there is a path to WR1 production from Metcalf as a simple necessity.

Pickens's fantasy production is likely to stay somewhat in line with what it has been, at least in 2025. He was not producing like a high-end wide receiver anyways. Metcalf's presence could open up more big plays for Pickens which could create more boom games. However, his consistency (or lack there of) should remain the same.

Additionally, should Wilson end up as the Steelers' quarterback, he could be an interesting streamer next season. Wilson was already playable in a few games in 2024 with only Pickens to throw to. Metcalf is a game-changer who can help elevate a quarterback's play. This is a situation to watch.



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

NFL10 mins ago

Cincinnati Signs Lucas Patrick To A One-Year Deal
Deebo Samuel Sr.28 mins ago

"Motivated" For 2025
AJ Smith-Shawver36 mins ago

Could Open Season In Starting Rotation
Drake Baldwin44 mins ago

Officially Makes Opening Day Roster
Spencer Strider51 mins ago

To Throw 45-50 Pitches On Sunday
Houston Texans55 mins ago

Trent Brown Signs With Houston
Nikola Jokić55 mins ago

Nikola Jokic Will Miss Third Consecutive Game On Friday
Yu Darvish58 mins ago

Won't Be Ready For Opening Day
Jamal Murray59 mins ago

Tagged As Questionable Against Trail Blazers
Julio Urías1 hour ago

Julio Urias Suspended Until After The All-Star Break
Lauri Markkanen1 hour ago

Set To Miss Another Game On Friday
Cody Bellinger1 hour ago

To Be Primary No. 3 Hitter For Yankees
John Collins1 hour ago

Out Again On Friday Against Celtics
Brandin Cooks1 hour ago

Returns To The Big Easy
Thairo Estrada1 hour ago

To Miss 4-8 Weeks With Broken Wrist
Nico Hoerner1 hour ago

Back In Spring Lineup On Friday
Kelly Oubre Jr.2 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Friday
Andrew Wiggins2 hours ago

Listed As Probable On Friday
Erik Gustafsson2 hours ago

Facing Long-Term Absence
Sean Brady2 hours ago

Looks For His Eighth UFC Win
Amen Thompson2 hours ago

Likely To Play Against Heat On Friday
Leon Edwards2 hours ago

Set For Main Event
Marcus Foligno2 hours ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Emil Bemstrom2 hours ago

Sitting Out On Friday
Cason Wallace2 hours ago

Considered Questionable Against Hornets
Carlos Ulberg2 hours ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak At UFC London
PIT2 hours ago

Thomas Novak Remains Out On Friday
Jan Blachowicz2 hours ago

Set For Light-Heavyweight Clash
Luguentz Dort2 hours ago

Sidelined On Friday
Leon Draisaitl2 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Gunnar Nelson2 hours ago

Ends Long Layoff
Connor McDavid3 hours ago

Undergoing MRI, Not Playing On Saturday
Kevin Holland3 hours ago

Set For Welterweight Bout
Max Scherzer3 hours ago

To Start Grapefruit League Game On Saturday
Stephen Curry3 hours ago

Set To Miss Start Of Warriors' Road Trip
Alexia Thainara3 hours ago

Set For Her UFC Debut
Starling Marte3 hours ago

To Play Right Field On Friday
George Kirby3 hours ago

Playing Catch
Molly McCann3 hours ago

Aims To Get Back In The Win Column
José Fermín3 hours ago

Jose Fermin Makes Opening Day Roster
Nolan Gorman3 hours ago

Out Sick On Friday
Chris Duncan3 hours ago

Looks For His Second Consecutive Win
Clarke Schmidt3 hours ago

Likely To Land On Injured List
Paul Goldschmidt3 hours ago

Plans To Return On Saturday
Jordan Vucenic3 hours ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
Julio Rodríguez3 hours ago

Julio Rodriguez Returns From Illness On Friday
Romy Gonzalez3 hours ago

Feeling "Fine" After Taking Swings
Morgan Charrière3 hours ago

Morgan Charriere Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Aaron Rodgers3 hours ago

Visits Steelers On Friday
Forrest Whitley4 hours ago

Kaleb Ort, Forrest Whitley Not Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Nathaniel Wood4 hours ago

Set To Open Up UFC London Main Card
Christian Walker4 hours ago

To Be Ready For Opening Day
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.4 hours ago

Mark Shapiro Optimistic On Extending Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey4 hours ago

Giants Sign Big Wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey To One-Year Deal
Kodai Senga6 hours ago

Strikes Out Six In Thursday's Outing
7 hours ago

Saints Showing Interest In Will Sheppard
New Orleans Saints7 hours ago

Dillon Radunz Visiting With Saints
Kansas City Chiefs7 hours ago

Charles Omenihu Returning To Chiefs
Bo Horvat9 hours ago

Strikes Twice In Victory
John Tavares9 hours ago

Tallies Three Points In Victory
Colton Dach9 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Thursday
Ryan McDonagh9 hours ago

Exits Early On Thursday
Stuart Skinner10 hours ago

Exits Early On Thursday
Connor McDavid10 hours ago

Departs With Lower-Body Injury
Jaylen Brown18 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Utah
Detroit Lions19 hours ago

Lions Re-Sign Khalil Dorsey
Ja Morant19 hours ago

Continues To Sit Out
Darius Garland19 hours ago

Set To Return On Friday
Gary Payton II19 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
19 hours ago

Browns Re-Sign Tony Brown
Jake LaRavia19 hours ago

Cleared For Thursday
Zach LaVine19 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Philadelphia Eagles19 hours ago

Eagles Agree To Terms With Patrick Johnson On One-Year Deal
Arizona Cardinals20 hours ago

Cardinals Sign Jaylon Jones On Thursday
Patrick Williams20 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Kansas City Chiefs20 hours ago

Jerry Tillery Signs With Chiefs
Josh Giddey20 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
Seattle Seahawks20 hours ago

Uchenna Nwosu Could Start On PUP After Having Offseason Surgery
Tyler Conklin20 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers
Jalen Brunson21 hours ago

Sheds Walking Boot
Cole Anthony21 hours ago

Questionable For Friday Night
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander21 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Pittsburgh Steelers21 hours ago

James Pierre Re-Signs With Pittsburgh
Feleipe Franks22 hours ago

Joins Atlanta
Tennessee Titans22 hours ago

Lorenzo Carter Inks Deal With Tennessee
Marc-Edouard Vlasic22 hours ago

Unavailable Against Hurricanes
Zach Benson22 hours ago

Unlikely To Play Thursday
JJ Peterka22 hours ago

Cleared To Return Thursday
William Karlsson22 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Stefon Diggs23 hours ago

Patriots, Stefon Diggs To Stay In Touch
Thatcher Demko23 hours ago

Dresses As Backup Thursday
Andrei Svechnikov23 hours ago

Doubtful For Thursday
Cleveland Browns23 hours ago

Jerome Baker Visits With Browns
Leon Draisaitl23 hours ago

Likely Out On Thursday
Casey DeSmith1 day ago

Starting On Thursday
Sergei Bobrovsky1 day ago

Facing Columbus On Thursday
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Looks To Stay Hot At Valspar Championship
Adam Hadwin2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valspar Championship
Cam Davis2 days ago

Avoid Cam Davis At Valspar Championship
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Eyeing Victory At Valspar Championship
Sam Stevens3 days ago

Looking To Get Back Into Form At Valspar Championship
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate At Valspar Championship
Alex Smalley3 days ago

Aims To Continue Strong Form At Valspar Championship
Adam Scott3 days ago

A Risky Play At Valspar Championship
Shane Lowry3 days ago

A Home Run Pick At Valspar Championship
Stephan Jaeger3 days ago

Looks To Continue Momentum At Valspar Championship
Thomas Detry3 days ago

Aims To Regain Form At Valspar Championship
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Continues To Spark But Hopes To Keep It Lit At Innisbrook
Michael Kim3 days ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Tom Kim3 days ago

Looking For Putter Form At Valspar Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard3 days ago

Looking For Form At Valspar Championship
Ben Griffin3 days ago

Needs To Find Ball-Striking Form Ahead Of Valspar Championship
Tommy Fleetwood3 days ago

Looks To Keep Short But Successful Run Going At Innisbrook
Eric Cole3 days ago

Needs To Find A Spark At Innisbrook
Sam Burns3 days ago

Looks To Rebound At Valspar Championship
Roman Dolidze4 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Three
Marvin Vettori4 days ago

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Will Zalatoris4 days ago

Has Been Consistent At Least In 2025
Carson Young4 days ago

Makes The Cut In Second Straight Tournament
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos4 days ago

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Chidi Njokuani4 days ago

Scores TKO Win At UFC Vegas 104
Kurt Holobaugh4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez4 days ago

Wins Decision At UFC Vegas 104
Cody Gibson4 days ago

Submitted At UFC Vegas 104
Da'Mon Blackshear4 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Vegas 104
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Solid Performance Is Derailed By Late Pit-Road Issues At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Struggles End In A Disappointing Exit Late At Las Vegas
Josh Berry4 days ago

Impressively Earns First Cup Series Win At Las Vegas
AJ Allmendinger4 days ago

Scores First Top-10 Finish Of Season At Las Vegas
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Leads The Most Laps, But Settles For A Top-10 Finish At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Obtains A Hard-Fought Top-Five Finish At Las Vegas
Daniel Suarez4 days ago

Scores Career-Best Finish At Las Vegas, But Falls Short Of Winning
NASCAR4 days ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecks At Las Vegas But Shows Promising Speed
Alex Bowman4 days ago

Recovers From Loose Wheel To Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric4 days ago

Wins Stage 1, But Loose Wheel Foils Victory Bid
William Byron4 days ago

Loses Las Vegas Race On Strategy But Expands Points Lead
Ryan Preece4 days ago

Earns Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish At Las Vegas
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Chase Elliott5 days ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
William Byron5 days ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Saquon Barkley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Sell-High Candidates: Five Players To Trade Away

The dynasty fantasy football market is very similar to Wall Street. Player values change by the minute depending on the slightest bit of news that breaks on a particular day. If you can identify players who are incorrectly valued, it can give you an advantage over the rest of your league. Today, we will discuss […]


Trevor Lawrence - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Dynasty Price Check - Trevor Lawrence 2025 Outlook

Coming out of high school, Trevor Lawrence was regarded as one of the greatest QB prospects of all time, and the hype for him only intensified after three great seasons at Clemson. Picked first overall by the Jaguars, he had a tough rookie year, but made the Pro Bowl in his second year and even […]


Rashid Shaheed - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Values: - Sneaky Trade Targets For 2025

There are a few pathways to winning trades in dynasty fantasy football. The first is targeting players who are undervalued ahead of each season. There are a lot of not-so-sexy players you can make moves for that could end up breaking out in 2025. Even if they don't have a huge breakout season, they could […]


Josh Jacobs - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Early 2025 Fantasy Football Busts: Overvauled NFC Draft Avoids

The NFC North, East, West, and South are home to a great many fantasy-relevant players. Picking the right ones for your team is extremely important, yet every season, many players from this conference fail to meet their ADPs and become poor draft picks in fantasy football. It's very important to avoid these, yet while everyone […]


Kaleb Johnson - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Here's How Kaleb Johnson Will Be A Bust: 2025 Rookie Film Analysis

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson is a highly regarded RB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class, and many dynasty fantasy football managers are likely considering using a pick in the first two rounds to select the back, who finished his 2024 season with 240 carries for 1,537 yards (averaging 6.4 yards per carry) and […]


J.K. Dobbins - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

J.K. Dobbins Top Landing Spots: Updated 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

J.K. Dobbins was coming off another devastating injury to begin the 2024 season. A torn Achilles tendon ended his 2023 season in Week 1. The veteran back had lobbied for a new contract in the run-up to the 2023 season, so this was an incredibly tough blow for Dobbins's prospects. He wound up signing a […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Best Dynasty Fantasy Football Formats: Five Ways To Set Up Your League

There are plenty of major fantasy football formats to play. You can play Daily Fantasy Sports cash games or season-long money tournaments. You can set up a casual redraft league with your friends. You can also play Dynasty, which is the preferred format of many of fantasy football's biggest fans. But there are plenty of […]


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers For 2025

Most players don't retain the rankings they had the year before in dynasty fantasy football. There could be a million reasons for this, but change is one of the only constants in the NFL. Whether due to injury, poor seasons, trades, or unrealistic expectations being adjusted as the reality of each player's situation set in […]


Jalen Milroe - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Draft Rankings for Fantasy Football: Top 9 Quarterbacks

Last year's rookie quarterback class was special. The first three players drafted were all quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams going to the Bears at No. 1 followed by Jayden Daniels to the Commanders at No. 2, and Drake Maye to the Patriots at No. 3. Daniels won Rookie of the Year. Maye made the Pro Bowl. […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL First-Round Mock Draft (Featuring Trades)

The 2025 NFL Draft is less than six weeks away. Every NFL team has different needs than they did two weeks ago because of free agency. There are still a few big-name players available on the open market. However, let’s dive into my first mock draft of the year for RotoBaller. This mock draft is […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Florio's Non-Free Agent Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Free Agency takes over the football world every March. It is always such a fun week that shakes up the league. It is followed by plenty of analysis over which players ended up in good fits and which hurt their stock.  Free agents are not the only players whose value is shaken up this week, […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Regression Candidates: Potential Sophomore Slumps

No one, and especially not Dynasty fantasy football managers, wants to hear that their rookie breakout player is going to slump in their second season. Yet we see that happen pretty much every season with certain players. The best example from 2024 was quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award […]