DK Metcalf predicted by ESPN analyst to be 'favorite mid-round target' during 2025 Fantasy Football

DK Metcalf moved from the Seattle Seahawks to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a pre-draft trade during the offseason. The wide receiver had one of the worst seasons of his career, failing to reach the 1,000-yard mark and missing the playoffs despite a 10-7 record.

Metcalf now has Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. The pair was seen training together even before the veteran quarterback signed with the Steelers, and expectations are high for a good season from the offense. Pittsburgh has struggled to pass the ball in past years due to below-average quarterback play; Rodgers' arrival should change this.

ESPN fantasy football analyst Eric Moody projects the 2025 season to be a positive one for the receiver. With the lack of options on the Steelers' offense, Moody believes that the volume will see DK Metcalf becoming a great fantasy football player in 2025:

"Metcalf has four top-25 fantasy seasons in his six-year career on his résumé and leads the NFL in end zone targets since entering the league, yet he's being drafted outside the top 20 at his position (WR22), Moody wrote. "Arthur Smith's system might limit overall passing volume, but his red-zone usage should rebound from a career-low nine targets in that area last year.

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"He has the skill set, opportunity and quarterback upgrade to deliver high-end WR2 production at a WR3 price. He could easily outperform his ADP and is one of my favorite mid-round targets in 2025 fantasy drafts."

Calvin Austin expected to play as WR2 for the Steelers alongside DK Metcalf

The team acknowledges a lack of weapons for Aaron Rodgers but is banking on the development of Calvin Austin for the 2025 season. He finished his second season with 548 receiving yards and is expected to play alongside DK Metcalf.

The Steelers traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys during free agency. Despite his production for the team, he had problems with head coach Mike Tomlin, who said he needed to "grow up" after a divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.

The team also added tight end Jonnu Smith via a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Smith was a useful target for Miami in 2024, finishing the season with 884 yards and eight touchdowns.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Steelers Fans! Check out the latest Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule and dive into the Steelers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Dipayan Moitra