CeeDee Lamb Still King In Dallas Despite Addition Of George Pickens Via Trade

After three productive seasons (52/801/4, 63/1,140/5, and 59/900/3) with the Steelers, Pittsburgh shipped George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, along with a 2026 sixth-round pick, for a 2026 third-round and a 2026 fifth-round pick.

BREAKING: Steelers to trade WR George Pickens to the Cowboys. (via @rapsheet, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/Eh9kMstOPu
— NFL (@NFL) May 7, 2025

George Pickens Fantasy Football Outlook

The Cowboys gain a playmaker who will see more favorable coverage on the opposite side of CeeDee Lamb. Last year, Dallas’ wideouts caught 235 passes for 2,782 yards and 18 touchdowns on 395 targets. Lamb commands a significant portion of their targets, painting Pickens as a 70/1,000/7 type player in 2025.

In his career with the Black and Gold, Pickens delivered boom or bust outcomes due to the style of play by Pittsburgh’s offense. He gained over 100 yards receiving eight times (6/102, 4/127/1, 6/146/1, 5/107, 4/195/2, 7/131, 7/113, and 5/111/1) over 48 games. The Steelers gave him double-digit targets only five times in his career, leading to only three contests with over six catches. Pickens gained 20 yards or more on 32.2% of his 174 catches, with 11 of those plays reaching the 40-yard mark.

George Pickens Trade: CeeDee Lamb Fantasy Football Impact

While some analysts may think that the addition of Pickens will hurt Lamb's value, they couldn't be more wrong. Pickens' ability to take the top off opposing defenses and beat man coverage will open up more space for the All-Pro wideout. Lamb’s fantasy and on-field value remains firmly intact as he is still a top-three wide receiver, trailing only Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.

Lamb is the undisputed WR1 in Dallas, coming off a dominant season where he commanded an elite target share and proved nearly uncoverable out of the slot and on the outside. Pickens profiles more as a complementary deep threat and boundary receiver, which could actually benefit Lamb by drawing attention away from bracket coverage and opening up space underneath. Rather than cannibalizing Lamb’s volume, Pickens' arrival could make the offense more dynamic and efficient, leading to more scoring opportunities overall — and more red zone targets for Lamb.

George Pickens Trade Fantasy Football Impact On Steelers Offense

The Steelers weakened their wide receiving corps, leaving DK Metcalf as their only proven asset. The loss of Pickens requires Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson to be more active catching the ball in 2025. Whoever quarterbacks the Steelers could be in for a long season with the lack of options in the passing game.

The Cowboys win the trade on paper, but it can’t be graded until we see all future draft picks pan out. Dak Prescott is arguably the biggest fantasy football winner following this deal.