Roman Wilson has six targets in Week 1 win

Wilson suffered a dislocated finger in the team’s Week 5 game against the Colts and will now miss four games, at minimum, while on injured reserve. His absence paves the way for rookie Germie Bernard to continue to see increased opportunities. Fantasy managers can start Bernard as a viable FLEX option in Week 6 against the pass-funnel Buccaneers.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that Wilson was going to miss a couple of weeks, so this is not breaking news. The Steelers’ wide receiver corps is very thin. DK Metcalf (illness) is now questionable to play. Germie Bernard should be in fantasy lineups this week.

According to Fowler, Wilson is seeking a second opinion on his injury. He was initially diagnosed with a dislocated finger, but given today’s report, it sounds like this may be more severe than initially expected. Wilson entered Week 5 with back-to-back 60-plus-yard games and had been targeted six times in each of his first four games. Rookie Germie Bernard, who caught 6-of-9 targets for 80 yards in Week 5’s win over the Colts, will be worth a claim on waivers this week and profiles as a WR4/FLEX option in PPR leagues for Week 6 against the Buccaneers.

Wilson had just one target in the first half. He pinned the reception to his hip, but the ball was ripped loose by a defender, which not only made the pass incomplete but also seemed to dislocate Wilson’s finger. With Michael Pittman Jr. also hurt, we should continue to see a lot of Germie Bernard in Week 5.

Pittman aggravated the foot injury that cost him Week 2 last week and will now miss four games, at minimum, while on injured reserve. Roman Wilson appears to be the primary beneficiary of Pittman’s absence and has seen six targets in each game this season while mostly playing a situational role. Wilson is a priority waiver addition over rookie Germie Bernard.

McCarthy told reporters the team is evaluating Pittman’s roster spot, meaning they could place him on injured reserve. He would miss at least four weeks while on IR. Pittman tried to play through the foot injury but only made it two weeks before aggravating the issue. He was spotted using a scooter to support his foot in the locker room on Wednesday. We suspect the Steelers will place him on IR to give Pittman enough time to fully recover. Germie Bernard will now operate as the team’s permanent WR3, with Roman Wilson taking on more work as the clear No. 2 receiver. Both players will be decent FLEX options for Week 5.

Wilson got the scoring started in the first quarter to cap a 17-play opening drive from 12 yards out. He continued to work in a downfield role, padding his stats with 62 additional yards on two more receptions, in addition to drawing an illegal contact penalty earlier on the first drive. Wilson wold briefly depart late in the fourth quarter following his final reception of the game as he appeared to land on the ball awkwardly going out of bounds. Fantasy managers will want to track his practice status closely ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Colts, where Wilson will carry interesting FLEX appeal in a growing role.

Most of Wilson’s production came on the Steelers’ opening drive. He caught a five-yard pass on the second play of the game, and two plays later, he would find himself on the receiving end of a 38-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers after beating his defender in single coverage down the left sideline for the score. Wilson appeared in 18 offensive snaps through the team’s first four possessions, but appeared on only five snaps after he let a ball bounce off his hands and land in the arms of a Bengals defender for an interception. Wilson’s six targets were still enough to lead all Steelers’ receivers on the day, but he’ll need to provide more consistent production before he can be considered a legit fantasy option.

Wilson tied with rookie Germie Bernard for second-most wide receiver snaps on the team, both tallying 55 snaps. He saw mostly short-yardage targets, with his longest reception tallying nine yards. Wilson’s role is as the clear WR3 in the Steelers offense; he did not see a role increase with Michael Pittman out of the game. Playing in a low-ceiling Steelers offense, Wilson is a WR5 at best for Week 3 against the Bengals.

It was a bit of a compliment sandwich, with Rodgers opening his comments by mentioning a route Wilson screwed up early in camp and again today. Rodgers did, however, say Wilson will have to play a big role for the team and that he has the utmost confidence in him. Rodgers is infamously punitive to his younger players, and the Steelers have second-round rookie Germie Bernard behind Wilson on the depth chart. Wilson is firmly ahead of Bernard for now, but one mistake during the regular season could flip the WR3 role in an instant.