Michael Pittman (foot) questionable, after 3 DNPs

Pittman has been on injured reserve since October 10th, and began running last week. While the veteran receiver said he hopes to return after the Steelers’ bye week, he also said that there’s “no time frame” for his return. Pittman’s foot injury was a reaggravation of a previous injury he had earlier in the season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers exercised extreme caution to ensure it doesn’t flare up again when he returns. Pittman’s first season in Pittsburgh has been disappointing, to say the least. He has appeared in just three games and has totaled seven receptions for 89 scoreless yards.

Freierumuth is the Steelers’ designated tush push option, which will give him a little added fantasy value here and there. Despite the fact that Darnell Washington outproduced Freiermuth today, Freiermuth ran a route on 11 of the team’s 26 dropbacks, compared to just five for Washington. This simply wasn’t a big day for the Steelers’ passing attack, but we’d expect Freiermuth to remain a mid-range TE2 option going forward.

This was not a great game for Metcalf. He and Rodgers struggled to connect all day, and one of Metcalf’s drops was a near-40-yard pass that hit him square in the chest. The receiver simply dropped the ball and wound up hitting it forward directly into the cornerback’s hands. The good news is that Metcalf ran a route on every single dropback today, but he and his quarterback are not on the same page. Maybe the bye week will help, so don’t drop him yet.

Freiermuth didn’t appear to be bothered by his calf injury, and he quadrupled the targets of Darnell Washington (4-to-1) in this game. Washington was able to convert his only target for a touchdown, however, and Freirmuth dropped what would have been a 20-yard gain in the third quarter. Freiermuth will likely get a similar amount of targets in Week 8 against the Browns, for better or worse.

After having a whopping 15 targets in the Week 6 win over the Bucs, Metcalf was essentially a non-factor in this one. He was able to haul in a 51-yard connection that set up the lone touchdown for the Steelers, but for the second time in three weeks, Metcalf was held under four catches. He’ll be a volatile WR2/3 for Week 8 in a matchup with the Browns.

The Muth was clearly limited by his nagging calf injury in this game. He was added to the injury report over the weekend and played through the issue despite being hit with a late questionable tag. He was spotted hobbling to the sidelines at least once during this game, though he ultimately gutted it out and played through the issue. He and Darnell Washington each played 54 of 76 offensive snaps. Better days should be ahead for Freiermuth once he’s healthy, but it will be hard to trust him as anything other than a TE2 flyer for his Week 7 game against the Saints.

Aaron Rodgers couldn’t get much going outside of check-downs for the better part of three quarters. Then, in desperation mode, Rodgers started forcing targets to his No. 1 receiver. Metcalf saw 12 targets in the fourth quarter and overtime. He turned that into 81 yards, otherwise known as nearly all of his production for the day. Metcalf’s ability to win downfield and on the boundary isn’t being maximized by Rodgers, but the team is throwing so often that Metcalf can still rack up fantasy points with ease. With a vulnerable Saints defense on deck for Week 7, Metcalf is on the WR2/3 border as we approach the midpoint of the season.

Muth was a late addition to the injury report, with the Steelers adding him on Saturday and listing him as questionable. With multiple starting receivers out this week, Muth will be asked to take on more work as a pass-catcher, moving him up the TE2 ranks. Inactive for the Steelers are WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Terell Smith, and DL Kevin Jobity Jr.

Freiermuth was added to the injury report on Saturday. The team listed him as questionable for Week 6. A last-minute addition to the injury report is never a good sign, so we wouldn’t be surprised if his snaps are limited even if he is active. On the other hand, with Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman out, the Steelers may have no choice but to play a banged-up Muth more than expected. He will be a high-risk TE2 if active.

Freiermuth popped up on the injury report Saturday afternoon with a calf injury. He’s questionable for this weekend against the Buccaneers. Freiermuth would’ve been in line for a sizable workload with the Steelers down multiple wide receivers. Coming off a two touchdown performance in Week 5, fantasy managers need a backup plan in case Freiermuth is ultimately ruled out against Tampa Bay.