Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf And More

Indeed, Aaron Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh. Not just back in a Steelers uniform, but back with HC Mike McCarthy, after they made such beautiful music together in Green Bay. Now could this be the last dance for Rodgers in Steel Town? Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland bring you everything you need to know about the Steelers for fantasy football with their 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet, highlighting their fantasy football rankings and more.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

2025 Record / Rank in PPG: 10-7 / 23.4 (15)
2026 Proj TDs per game: 2.1 (rank: 24)
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (new)
Offensive Playcaller: McCarthy (OC Brian Angelichio/new)
Projected Plays Per Game: 61 (rank: 18)
Projected Dropback Rate: 61.3% (rank: 12)
Matthew Freedman’s Projected Win Total: 9.1
Offensive Line Grades: D
Key Departure: Kenneth Gainwell
Key Additions: Michael Pittman Jr., Rico Dowdle, Germie Bernard, Drew Allar, Kaden Wetjen, Eli Heidenreich

Steelers Fantasy Football Rankings and Depth Chart

QB: Aaron Rodgers (QB30)

RB: Jaylen Warren (RB29) | Rico Dowdle (RB32) | Kaleb Johnson (RB69)

WR: DK Metcalf (WR32) | Michael Pittman Jr. (WR43) | Germie Bernard (WR67)

TE: Pat Freiermuth (TE36) | Darnell Washington (TE39)

2026 Fantasy Football Overview for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers is back and remains capable of slinging the pill with the benefit of a clean pocket; the problem is the mobility is long gone, and the old man (understandably) isn't too keen on hanging onto the ball too long at the risk of taking hits. Credit for leading the Steelers to their best scoring offense rank (15th) in the post-Big Ben era, but there's no semblance of fantasy upside for the soon-to-be 43-year-old future Hall of Famer in the year 2026.

This profiles as a two-headed committee between incumbent starter Jaylen Warren and ex-Cowboy/Panther Rico Dowdle, who HC Mike McCarthy once described as "a bowling ball full of butcher knives.” Dowdle is a threat to split, or even take over, early-down and goal-line work, but Warren's PPR-ceiling gets a boost after Kenneth Gainwell (73 receptions in 2025) took his talents to Tampa Bay. Both Warren and Dowdle profile as weekly FLEX options with contingent RB1 upside should the other miss time.

DK Metcalf was the WR26 in PPR points per game last season and has the paycheck of a No. 1 WR, although it's possible ex-Colt Michael Pittman Jr. is deployed closer to the line of scrimmage and accordingly competes for the team lead in targets. Credit to Pittman for posting PPR WR24, WR22 and WR14 fantasy finishes in 2021-2023 before dealing with a fractured back in 2024 and a literal Grandpa in 2025. Both receivers are reasonably priced as WR3/4 types with proven WR2 upside. Bernard should start from Day 1, but it’s tough to be too enthused with his overall upside considering the likelihood he’s the No. 3 option in this low-flying passing game.

Pat Freiermuth's full-time role evaporated in 2025 due to the presence of massive-human-being Darnell Washington and Arthur Smith's longtime BFF Jonnu Smith. The absence of the latter could help breathe some life into Freiermuth's fantasy stock, but we'd still most likely be looking at the probable No. 4 target in a meh passing game.

Utilization Notes

Jaylen Warren has a new backfield mate in Rico Dowdle. Unfortunately, it feels like we will never experience the full-time Warren era. Early reports indicate that Dowdle, who played under Mike McCarthy in Dallas, will be highly active on base running downs, where he thrived for the Panthers in 2025. Still, Warren projects as the better fantasy asset, given his passing-down ability. His 1.45, 1.44, and 1.58 yards per route data align with historical top-6 RB1s. Warren projects as a mid-range RB3 with borderline RB1 upside should he ever handle a full-time workload. Same as it ever was.

Players Mentioned in this Article

Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf And More