RADIO
Is DK Metcalf out for the season? When is DK Metcalf coming back? The latest DK Metcalf injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 17 of 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf isn't necessarily dealing with an injury. Instead, he was involved in an altercation with a fan of the Detroit Lions in his team's Week 16 win over that team.
Metcalf's antics didn't go unpunished by the NFL, and now he'll have to take some time away from the game to think about what he did. Additionally, it could have huge contract implications.
This is important for fantasy football managers. While Metcalf was mostly a disappointing pick, he still is quite important as a flex player and in deeper leagues. So will he be out for the rest of the season? Let's dive in.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Is DK Metcalf Out for the 2025 Season?
Metcalf has been suspended for two games for the altercation. It was reported by some that a Lions fan was using a racial slur toward him, and had done so previously, but that hasn't been confirmed by video evidence.
DK Metcalf appears to have an altercation with a Detroit fan pic.twitter.com/a478Zjg3tR
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 21, 2025
Apparently, this fan has been targeting Metcalf for quite some time now, though there's no definitive proof of it. Metcalf losing his temper isn't unusual during games, but this is the first time he's had such an altercation with a fan during a game.
The NFL appears to be quite serious about prohibiting players from fighting with or contacting fans in such a manner during games, as a two-game suspension will end up costing Metcalf tens of millions of dollars. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reports that it could void his guarantees in the coming years.
The Steelers can now void $45 million in guarantees combined in 2026 and 2027 and avoid paying his salary for the rest of the season. That will add up to massive savings for them and a huge blow to Metcalf. On Tuesday, the league officially upheld the two-game suspension.
DK Metcalf 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
There isn't much more outlook left for fantasy football regular-season contests. With the NFL recently upholding the suspension, Metcalf is officially set ot miss the final two games of the regular season.
Metcalf already had an up-and-down season, as tends to happen for receivers playing for the Steelers. Their offensive systems tend to hold back individual performances from pass-catchers while emphasizing the running back position.
Fantasy managers should keep this in mind going into 2026, and it's likely he'll slide quite far in redraft fantasy football leagues next year. Given Pittsburgh's inconsistent passing game, I would recommend letting Metcalf fall to you in a 12-team league, Round 8 or later.
DK METCALF MY GOODNESS
MIAvsPIT on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/GXEbzt3p4h— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Calvin Austin III, Rico Dowdle, Emeka Egbuka, Colston Loveland, DJ Moore, Michael Carter, Audric Estime. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 17. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 17 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Calvin Austin III, Rico Dowdle, Emeka Egbuka, Colston Loveland, DJ Moore, Michael Carter, Audric Estime. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 17.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 17 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 17 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 17 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 17 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Calvin Austin III, Rico Dowdle, Emeka Egbuka, Colston Loveland, DJ Moore, Michael Carter, Audric Estime compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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!
