Who Is The Pittsburgh Steelers #1 Dynasty Wide Receiver

It is the middle of July which means the NFL season is just around the corner. So this is the time of year to look at NFL rosters who are stacked at one position and determine who is the better option, in your opinion. There are trios like the Beastie Boys, Blink 182, Green Day, and Nirvana who are synonymous with greatness. While I was on the clock in Scott Fish Bowl 11, I was trying to dissect one of the best Wide Receiver trios in the NFL right now. In doing so, I decided to delve more into the dynasty aspect of the Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiving Corps. Who is my favorite, and who did pick in Scott Fish Bowl 11?

(Player stats are Week 1 through 16 for fantasy football purposes)

Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receivers

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Chase Claypool

Chase Claypool had a very impressive rookie season in 2020, and in 2021 he looks to build upon that and improve in his sophomore season. Claypool was drafted in the second round of the draft, but not many people saw him having the immediate impact throughout his rookie campaign. At 6’4″ and 238 pounds, Claypool is the perfect size for a jump ball and down the field threat for years to come. He led the Steelers in ADOT (average distance of target) at 12.5 yards from week 1 through week 16. Could his ADOT regress depend on who his quarterback is in the future?

Absolutely, but I still believe this will be a statistic that will be to his advantage for years to come. Claypool was targeted 98 times and had 57 receptions; I only see that going up in 2021. I think he will have a lot of success in the play-action game with the addition of Najee Harris to the Steelers’ offense.

The future uncertainty of the Steelers quarterback situation after the 2021 season is the major worry I have for him regarding his dynasty value. Some of his current skills that stand out to me can partially be attributed to Ben Roethlisberger, so that could change depending on Roethlisberger’s replacement in the next couple of years. If you want a high ceiling and upside player, I think Claypool is your type of guy. But if you want a high floor type player and he is on your current roster, this might be the time to sell him.

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Diontae Johnson

Diontae Johnson is entering his third NFL season and hopes to establish himself as the Steelers’ number one receiver. I thought Johnson would have had the lowest ADOT out of the Steelers receivers. However, I was wrong. In weeks 1 through week 16, Johnson’s ADOT was 7.5 yards. The 2020 Steelers had a very weak and lackluster offensive line. Because of that, Johnson was used very heavily in the mid to intermediate routes.

I believe this trend will continue this season. In 2020 Johnson tallied 140 targets and 85 receptions. He recorded 10 targets or more in 10 games last season. Even if he doesn’t repeat that in 2021 he can still have a productive season. One statistic that I believe is sustainable for Johnson is his touchdown production, which he had seven touchdowns in 2020.

Many people in the fantasy football community do not care about dropped passes, and usually, I would agree. Unfortunately, I think this is something to worry about with Johnson possibly. He had 13 drops which is a 9% drop rate. As long as Roethlisberger keeps targeting Johnson, I am not worried.

But with so many pass-catching options, I could see Roethlisberger shy away from Johnson a little bit if the drops continue. With his ability to get open and route running, he will be a fantasy viable even when Roethlisberger is no longer his quarterback.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu Smith-Schuster is entering his fifth season with the Steelers. He signed a 1-year contract this offseason instead of leaving Pittsburgh during free agency. He was the lead receiver for the Steelers, but that has not been the case since Johnson emerged over the 2020 season. Smith-Schuster had 91 receptions on 120 targets, which is a very impressive 76% catch rate. Smith Schuster ended up with an ADOT of 5.5 yards per catch, which was the lowest of the Steelers’ top pass catchers. This was the lowest ADOT of his career. This can be attributed to more than one thing, but the biggest reason to me is the fact that Roethlisberger had to release the ball so quickly because of the Steelers’ offensive line woes. Smith-Schuster is undoubtedly a good wide receiver but is he even the best option on his own team?

Smith-Schuster’s value would be higher as a dynasty asset if he left Pittsburgh for a different team this offseason. The 2021 season is a chance for Smith-Schuster to prove that he is a valuable asset. His ADOT should increase, but I expect there to be a little bit of touchdown regression. I will not be shocked if he has fewer targets as well. If that happens, it’s not necessarily an indictment on his performance, but the fact is the Steelers have a different offensive attack than they did last season.

My Pick Is…

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense in 2021 will undoubtedly be different than they were in 2020. A healthier Roethlisberger revamped offensive line, and a new offensive coordinator are just a part of the puzzle. The addition of running back Najee Harris may be the biggest improvement the Steelers offense will see in 2021. You might ask why I am bringing this up in an article about the wide receivers.

In 2020 the Steelers threw the ball an astonishing 656 times, an average of 41 attempts per game, compared to only 510 pass attempts in 2019. With an improved offensive line and rookie Najee Harris in the backfield, the Steelers will definitely throw the ball less in 2021. In a 17 game season, if the Steelers throw the ball 15% less than last season, they would attempt 61 fewer attempts this season. So, of course, that is 61 fewer targets for the receivers.

All three of the wide receivers are obviously different types of players. In the previously mentioned Scott Fish Bowl 11, I drafted Claypool even though Smith-Schuster was still on the board. My main reasoning is Smith-Schuster is a more balanced player, and in that format, I wanted the high ceiling of Claypool even if he has a lower floor. But for dynasty leagues, I would not be choosing Claypool out of the Steelers’ top three wide receivers.

My pick for my dynasty Steelers wide receiver is Diontae Johnson. Johnson can run short and long routes and might be the least affected by who the quarterback is in Pittsburgh. This matters more to me than normal since this could be the end of the Roethlisberger era. He will always be that type of player who is considered a target monster. So out of this trio, my preference is to roster Johnson over Claypool and Smith-Schuster on my dynasty rosters.

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