Pittsburgh, Team Mood and Players We're In or Out On

As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will look at one team per day with our extremely in-depth Team Reports and our quick-hitting Team Mood and Players We're In and Out On, where we check out the overall mood of each team's offense and let you know the players we are in on (because they are great values at the cost it takes to acquire them) and who we're out on (because they are too expensive and won't have a good return on that investment).

Here are all of the Team Mood and Players We're In and Out On articles:
Arizona | Atlanta | Baltimore | Buffalo | Carolina | Chicago | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Dallas | Denver | Detroit | Green Bay | Houston | Indianapolis | Jacksonville | Kansas City | Las Vegas | LA Chargers | LA Rams | Miami | Minnesota | New England | New Orleans | NY Giants | NY Jets | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | San Francisco | Seattle | Tampa Bay | Tennessee | Washington

Quick Hits

Want a brief overview? Here it is:

• Mood - Neutral
• We're In On at Cost - WR Diontae Johnson
• We're Out On at Cost - WR Chase Claypool

Want a longer breakdown of how it's going in Pittsburgh? Read on.

Pittsburgh, Team Mood

• Good - 0
• Neutral - 11
• Bad - 3

Staffers in a Good Mood

• None.

Staffers in a Neutral Mood

• Jason Wood: No NFL head coach has been as consistent as Mike Tomlin, and Trubisky/Pickett could be better than 2021 Roethlisberger.
• Will Grant: Not a fan of Mitch Trubisky at all, but there is a lot more talent around him now than he has ever had. It won't be all on him (or Kenny Pickett).
• Ben Cummins: This offense finished 25th in DVOA last year and may not have upgraded at quarterback. But there are enough fun fantasy pieces on the team for relevance.
• Justin Howe: The drop off from late-stage Ben Roethlisberger to the new guns isn't huge, but this attack will probably stay grounded as much as possible.
• Zareh Kantzabedian: Ben Roethlisberger was beyond the tail end of his career in 2021, and the Steelers offense still produced high-end fantasy players,
• Andy Hicks: We will see if Pittsburgh utilizes Mitchell Trubisky’s athletic abilities and if he can get this offense moving.
• Ryan Weisse: I understand entirely not trusting Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett, but can they really be worse than Ben Roethlisberger has looked these last two years?
• Sam Wagman: It would seem that Pittsburgh’s movement in either direction is halted until the team sees what they have in Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.
• Kevin Coleman: The quarterback competition looms large, but the weapons on this offense are still fantasy relevant.
• Dan Hindery: It all comes down to whether Kenny Pickett can be the solution at quarterback.
• Jonathan Morris: The quarterback situation and offensive line are big question marks, but there is still a lot of firepower at the other skill positions.

Staffers in a Bad Mood

• Chad Parsons: In Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, I have zero faith in sustaining a quality NFL offense. Unfortunately, plenty of skill position talent is likely to be suppressed around them.
• Christian Williams: The quarterback situation is one of the worst in the NFL, and there will be growing pains in the first year without Ben Roethlisberger.
• Jeff Bell: Relying on Mitch Trubisky behind a porous offensive line to support multiple options with aggressive ADPs.

Players We're In On at Cost

• Diontae Johnson - 8
• Najee Harris - 3
• Chase Claypool - 2
• Pat Freiermuth - 2

Reasons to be In on Diontae Johnson

• Jason Wood: I think he'll see enough target share to deliver as a weekly top-20 receiver regardless of the quarterback.
• Will Grant: Johnson would be a good pick in the top three rounds.
• Justin Howe: Johnson's ADP continues to subtly slip, though he's just as dynamic and much more proven than some of the more exciting names.
• Chad Parsons: The clear WR1 on the depth chart and the volume can fuel a top-12 season even with questionable quarterback play.
• Zareh Kantzabedian: Johnson's third-round ADP is more than justifiable as the odds are high that he sees another season of 140-plus targets.
• Christian Williams: Many fear he won't receive as high a target share, but Trubisky and Pickett favor one target, which should be Johnson.
• Ryan Weisse: He's a proven top-10 fantasy receiver despite poor quarterback play. If he is targeted 140 times, he'll play to his ADP, which might be his floor.
• Sam Wagman: Johnson keeps slipping down boards into the fourth round but has proven he is extremely valuable.

Reasons to be In on Najee Harris

Will Grant: Harris is a legitimate top-five pick.

• Kevin Coleman: Harris’s ADP has slowly dipped the past month, and he’s a great option toward the back end of the first round.
• Jonathan Morris: Harris is going to have a heavy workload. He should be a top fantasy running back based on his volume in the running and passing game.

Reasons to be In on Chase Claypool

• Ben Cummins: Claypool reportedly lined up in the slot with the first team offense to begin training camp. Sign me up for the big slot Claypool.
• Andy Hicks: Claypool is a huge boom or bust player. Ben Roethlisberger missed him on about one or two big plays every game last season.

Reasons to be In on Pat Freiermuth

• Jeff Bell: A TE11 ADP with a chance to emerge as the second option on this team.
• Dan Hindery: He performed incredibly well last year, considering the typical struggles of most rookies at the position. He should emerge as a go-to option in 2022.

Players We're Out On at Cost

• Chase Claypool - 8
• Diontae Johnson - 3
• Pat Freiermuth - 2
• Najee Harris - 1

Reasons to be Out on Chase Claypool

• Jason Wood: He's a limited player who was exposed last year. If he doesn't evolve, he'll be an asterisk in Steelers history.
• Will Grant: He has the potential to have some big games, but he doesn't have the consistency you want from a wide receiver.
• Zareh Kantzabedian: Pickens is already a better wide receiver than Claypool and could usurp Claypool sometime this season as the WR2 on the depth chart.
• Christian Williams: There's a non-zero chance that rookie Calvin Austin takes true slot reps away from Claypool with Pickens eating up the outside work.
• Ryan Weisse: Talk about boom or bust: 11% of Claypool's career fantasy points and 30% of his touchdowns came in one game against Philadelphia in 2020.
• Sam Wagman: Claypool had a very tumultuous season last year, and the drafting of George Pickens could mean he is on the chopping block soon.
• Kevin Coleman: Adding Calvin Austin and George Pickens could eat into his target share. He looks like a touchdown or bust fantasy option again.
• Jonathan Morris: Claypool is someone who I'm avoiding at his ADP. There is a good chance he falls to the 5th-6th weapon on this offense.

Reasons to be Out on Diontae Johnson

• Ben Cummins: Johnson is a good player, but it remains to be seen how the quarterback shake-up will alter targets. He’s too pricey for me.
• Jeff Bell: A volume hog in 2021, lack of big plays and emerging secondary options lower his floor.
• Dan Hindery: Benefited from being peppered with short targets from Ben Roethlisberger. Expect the targets to drop substantially in 2022 and Johnson to struggle to justify his lofty ADP.

Reasons to be Out on Pat Freiermuth

• Chad Parsons: Do not assume a step forward with strong wide receivers and Najee Harris competing for targets. Freiermuth is on the pricey side of the other tight ends beyond the top tiers, considering he has a low chance to challenge for the top five.
• Andy Hicks: Freiermuth has little upside in this offense at this stage of his career.

Reasons to be Out on Najee Harris

• Justin Howe: Harris deserves a first-round pick on volume alone, but fantasy folk may be disappointed by his production in this offense (and with this front line).