George Pickens, WR PIT

Pickens has been a bright spot on the unsettled Steelers offense. Still, his team situation and “maturity” concerns have dynasty managers reluctant to value him highly.

I love Pickens’ athletic profile and ability to produce well beyond his WR28 ranking in the future. He’s long, athletic and, while I acknowledge some concern about his emotional profile, my hope is that a combination of age and time will make this a non-issue. His big play ability and plus-level hands stand out. Pickens’ consistency has been lacking in 2023, as was expected, but he’s shown to be the WR1 and is developing.

I’m sniffing around for possible deals to acquire Pickens in al leagues, regardless of the competitive nature of my teams.

Josh Jacobs, RB LV

To say Jacobs isn’t following up on to his huge 2022 campaign would be an understatement. Team dynamic and his offseason hold-out have materially impacted his production. Averaging 2.9 YPC, Jacobs’ dynasty value is falling quickly and he’s now starting to reach bargain basement value.

There’s little chance Jacobs returns to the Raiders in 2024 and acquiring him ahead of a team change is always a risky proposition. At the same time, his value, age and production potential allow him to be acquired for both competitive and nearly-competitive dynasty teams. Another poor game or two will only add fuel to the “sell now” narrative. Once again, I’ll be acquiring if the price is right.

Michael Mayer, TE LV

I’m not fond of listing tight ends in acquisition pieces, as I’m far more likely to simply add a free agent during the season when he begins to break out. I’ve started inquiring, though, about Michael Mayer simply because fellow rookie Sam LaPorta has stolen the show in 2023, leaving Mayer and Dalton Kincaid out of the conversation.

I still very much believe in the profile and upside of Mayer at the NFL level. In fact, I was disappointed to see his minor breakout game in Week 6, hoping instead to see him have another few quiet games to further reduce his cost. There’s no question to me that Mayer has the ability to be a top flight tight end in Josh McDaniels’ system but it may take more quarterback consistency before that is realized.

The DLF Trade Analyzer value for Mayer pegs him as an early-third in 2024 rookie selection return, and that’s low enough for me to seek out an acquisition.

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