George Pickens Says He's Happy With 68 Yards Through Two Games
Nine catches, 68 yards, two drops — Pickens insists his whole game is clicking. History says the volume is coming, and our WR5 ranking agrees.
Slow starts are his thing — the target share and touchdowns are coming.
- 9 catches, 68 yards, 2 drops through 2 games
- Ranked WR5, overall #23 in our model
- 2025: 93 rec, 1429 yds, 9 TD, 290 PPR pts
- Lamb leads Dallas with 13 rec, 197 yds, 3 TD
- 2025 start was similar: 8 rec, 98 yds, 1 TD in 2 games
George Pickens has nine catches for 68 yards and two drops through two games, and he's telling anyone who'll listen that he's fine with it. Meanwhile CeeDee Lamb is eating — 13 receptions, 197 yards and three scores already — which makes Pickens the No. 2 story in his own offense right now. For a receiver our model ranks WR5 (No. 23 overall), that's not the box score managers drafted him for.
Speaking Wednesday, Pickens leaned hard into the team-first line, saying that as long as Dallas is scoring and winning, he's happy whether he's catching passes or throwing crack blocks that spring 37-point outings. He also pushed back on the narrative, arguing that people only look at certain parts of his game while his whole game has been strong. Translate that however you want, but the fantasy footprint is thin so far.
The History Argument
Here's the part that should calm your nerves. Pickens opened last year almost identically — eight catches for 98 yards and a touchdown across the first two games — before turning into one of the most productive receivers in football. He finished 2025 with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns for 290 PPR points across 17 games. Slow starts are apparently just his brand.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer isn't sweating it either. He praised both Pickens and Lamb, noted that Pickens made some big-time plays in big spots against Washington, and pointed out that Pickens draws a ton of defensive attention. Schottenheimer specifically referenced last year's late launch, saying the rest is history, and insisted Pickens will be ready to go this week.
The Fantasy Fallout
The tell is that Dallas is actively hunting ways to get both receivers the ball, and Pickens is running the routes that command coverage. Lamb's early volume is real — our model has him at WR19 (No. 63) coming off a 201-PPR-point 2025 — but this isn't a one-receiver offense. There's enough passing to feed both once the touchdowns normalize.
Bottom line: do not overreact. If a nervous manager in your league floats a buy-low, that's a phone call worth making, but you shouldn't be the one selling. Hold Pickens, plug him into your lineup, and let the WR5 upside show up the way it did in 2025. The blowup game is a matter of when, not if.
