George Pickens fantasy value: Is Cowboys' new WR a better pick after leaving Steelers?

George Pickens has been a solid fantasy football wide receiver during his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers so far. He has totaled 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns across three seasons with the team. This has resulted in three consecutive finishes as the WR42 or better, putting him in the range of a reliable flex option in most formats.

His fantasy outlook will significantly change in the upcoming 2025 NFL season after he was recently traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He joins a more productive overall offensive system, but will serve as their WR2 rather than as a featured player like he was with the Steelers. This creates an interesting situation for his fantasy value this year, as his upside likely makes him a better pick in Dallas.

George Pickens fantasy outlook with Cowboys

George Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys have been seeking another wide receiver to join their offense and give Dak Prescott another solid option to line up across from CeeDee Lamb. Their depth was extremely weak after they passed on the position during the 2025 NFL draft, but they theoretically solved it by trading for George Pickens to fill this role.

Lamb has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL during his career and has ranked among the top overall fantasy football players. This should remain the case despite adding Pickens to the mix, but it will be interesting to see what kind of workload the former Pittsburgh Steelers star receives.

George Pickens has built a reputation for being a vertical threat, which should be a weapon in Dallas as the Cowboys' offense has been missing one that they can truly count on. He can stretch the field for Prescott and has plenty of upside in their high-scoring offense when the quarterback has been healthy.

He finished as the WR42 last season, according to Fantasy Pros, despite missing three games. He currently ranks as the WR34 at this point in the offseason ahead of 2025 fantasy football drafts. This suggests that he is expected to take a step forward as compared to last year with his new team.

It's a relatively polarizing situation as the presence of Lamb could limit his targets, but the upgrade to Prescott at quarterback could more than make up for the difference. For what it's worth, he would have had to compete with the newly acquired DK Metcalf if he remained with the Steelers, and given their lack of an established quarterback, he appears to be in a better overall situation right now.