Harold Fannin vs DK Metcalf

“Fannin exploded onto the scene as a rookie, finishing as the TE5 on a team that was pretty miserable in Cleveland. The hope for Fannin is that he will continue to be at least the second target for the Browns, though he may be limited due to questionable QB play.”

“(TE – CLE) What’s the limit for Harold Fannin Jr”

“However, Boston faces an uphill battle for immediate fantasy relevance while competing with first-round pick KC Concepcion and tight end Harold Fannin Jr.”

“(CLE) — TE6, Overall RK80, Bye: 11 A third-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Harold Fannin was surprisingly impactful as a rookie, racking up 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns to finish TE6 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring.”

“Undervalued: Harold Fannin Jr, Tight End (TE6, Pick 79 OVR) This isn’t to say that Fannin doesn’t belong at TE6, as that’s also where I have him. That is to say that he is a fantastic pick at TE6, and he’s going literally the pick before Kyle Pitts.”

“Harold Fannin in 4 full games that David Njoku missed all of most of last season: • 82.6% route rate • 0.28 targets per route • 27.2% target share”

“Harold Fannin Jr. will face intense competition for targets in 2026 after the Browns drafted KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. He averaged 9.3 PPR fantasy points per game in 11 contests with seven or fewer targets last season.”

“During his rookie year, while sharing a position room with David Njoku , Fannin saw the seventh-most targets (104) and averaged the eighth-most fantasy points per game (11.7). Now, with Njoku on the Chargers, there is potential for Fannin to have an even bigger role.”

“The Ballers shared their concerns about Harold Fannin Jr: Jason: "I hate these middle-round tight ends, but I love Fannin so much." Andy: "I want Harold Fannin to not be a sophomore flop." However, there are concerns from the QB play to the increase in competition to the new head coach and offensive coordinator.”

“He drew the second-most targets per route run at tight end last season (25.5%). While the Browns have questions at quarterback, Fannin is unquestionably the top target in the offense, and new head coach Todd Monken's track record would suggest he plans to rely heavily on him.”

“The Browns already have a target-dominant TE1 in Harold Fannin, and there doesn't feel like there's much room left to prioritize Concepcion in any meaningful way.”

“Fannin finished as the TE8 in points per game and has been elevated to the TE6 in ADP, ahead of Sam LaPorta and Kyle Pitts. Fannin seems likely to field passes from both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, and both are responsible for some of the worst quarterback play we've seen in the league over the last five years.”

“Now the Steelers get an offensive-minded coach in Mike McCarthy who should give a boost to every skill position player. I don’t know if Metcalf will ever be a 100-catch receiver, but he established career-lows in receptions and yards, things I believe will be remedied in 2026.”

“Going as the WR34 in PPR leagues, DK Metcalf finished last season as the WR23 in the same format. While he had a lot of middling performances toward the back half of the season, the first six weeks (including a Week 5 bye) featured games with some nice production.”

“He turns 29 in December, and Pittsburgh can get out of his deal next offseason for an $18 million dead cap hit. This time next year, we could be looking at Metcalf coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons as a potential free agent entering his age-30 season.”

“His first year in Pittsburgh was one to forget for DK Metcalf. The Steelers traded a second-round pick to acquire his services and handed him a four-year, $132 million extension in the process. Instead, Metcalf ended up with career lows in targets (99) and receiving yards (850).”

“Bernard likely starts the 2026 season third on the wide receiver depth chart, behind DK Metcalf and newcomer Michael Pittman Jr. in Pittsburgh, though there is a path to targets for the rookie early on.”

“While DK Metcalf finished last year as the WR26, averaging 12.5 PPR fantasy points per game, fantasy players couldn't trust him in their lineups. The veteran scored single-digit fantasy points in 40% of his games, including five of the final eight contests. Furthermore, the Steelers vastly improved their wide receiver room this offseason, adding Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard.”

“DK Metcalf has established himself as the number one option in the Steelers offense and is the only wide receiver of note to have already played with Aaron Rodgers. Last season, Metcalf became a yards after the catch monster, generating 7.2 YAC per reception, the fourth-most among wide receivers with 50+ targets, a massive increase from his career average of 4.25 YAC.”

“Don't be surprised if Metcalf gets back to his 2023 form, when he racked up 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns.”

“With Aaron Rodgers reunited with his former Packers head coach, I think he's going to play a lot better this year, especially since it's his last season in the NFL. That's likely to mean a bounce-back season for Metcalf.”

“DK Metcalf averaged 10.5 fantasy points per game in half-PPR formats last season (WR24). Metcalf recorded his lowest receiving yards per game (56.7) since his rookie year.”

“Metcalf led the team with six receiving touchdowns, but only three came from throws inside the red zone, despite his size advantage down there. If McCarthy's scheme features him more in that area and he can jump to double-digit touchdowns, Metcalf has a chance to be a top-18 fantasy wideout once again.”

“The Steelers drew one of the hardest schedules against opposing pass defenses. Now, fantasy managers are trying to project target distribution between offseason addition Michael Pittman, DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, and the rest of the offense without any guarantee that the quarterback play will even be efficient enough to support multiple fantasy-relevant pass catchers.”