Nobody on the Steelers plays more than DK Metcalf. He has been on the field for 95%, 97% and 95% of Pittsburgh's snaps and has drawn 24 targets, the most on the team. By the usual logic, that makes him a starter. He has finished WR50, WR56 and WR35.
The problem is what happens after the ball is thrown. Those 24 targets have turned into 11 catches for 98 yards, about four yards a target. Aaron Rodgers has thrown 113 passes in three games, so this is not a volume problem. It is a conversion problem, and three weeks is long enough to stop calling it bad luck.
His Week 3 touchdown is the only reason he reached WR35. Without it, he has not had a game over 40 receiving yards.
This is not a matchup call. Cleveland has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points to receivers, which is a decent spot on paper, though Thursday's game carries a 38.5-point total, tied for the lowest of the week. FantasyPros' consensus ranks Metcalf WR29, just inside the starter line. We have him as a Sit, a claim he finishes outside the top 30 again.
Sleeper's projection agrees, ranking him 42nd among receivers this week. Eleven catches on 24 targets is the reason.