GeorgePickens

News: 1 day agoPickens recorded nine catches (on 11 targets) for 144 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 33-16 win over the Raiders.

Spin: Pickens was sidelined for the opening possession of Monday's win for disciplinary reasons, per Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLS.com, though that didn't slow him down. He had a determined effort thereafter, showcasing his athleticism and tackle-breaking ability with catches of 37, 21, 19 and 17 yards -- the longest of which went for a touchdown. This marked Pickens' third 100-yard effort of the season, and he now has at least 75 receiving yards in five consecutive contests.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Pickens was traded to the Cowboys after spending his first three seasons in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the change of scenery will get him to the next level, as he's thus far been an exciting playmaker but not yet a consistent fantasy option. Pickens handled a career-high 26% target share (15th among WRs) last season, but he missed three games and found the end zone only three times despite seeing 12 end zone targets (12th most). Pickens has finished 37th or worse in fantasy PPG all three seasons while playing a volatile field-stretcher role (top 15 in aDOT all three years). He will certainly benefit from improved QB play (Dak Prescott), but he now has legitimate target competition from CeeDee Lamb. We likely haven't seen Pickens' best work, but there's enough uncertainty here that the 24-year-old should be valued as a midrange WR3.