Russell Wilson was benched and then ran out of Denver by Sean Payton after last year. He found a new home in Pittsburgh, but what does his fantasy outlook look like in 2024?
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: Russell Wilson
2023 in Review
Wilson finished his 2023 season with 3,070 yards along with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That earned him a QB14 finish behind guys like Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence. He averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game, a pace that would’ve seen him crack the top 10 if he wasn’t benched.
His performances weren’t the most eye-opening, but he was consistent. More often than not, Wilson finished every matchup with a total between 15 and 18 fantasy points. He fell victim to Payton thinking the grass was greener on the other side with Jarrett Stidham to finish out the 2023 season.
Wilson wasn’t as bad last year for fantasy as people made him out to be. His performances could get you through a few weeks for byes or an injury.
2024 Projection
Wilson is expected to be the Steelers starting quarterback at least for the beginning of the year. Even though Fields showed bigger flashes at times in the preseason, the job was Wilson’s to lose. He’s now in an offense where he can keep things simple and run the ball more often than not.
Russell Wilson takes 5 snaps and is removed from the game. Sounds like a guy fighting to be QB1 to me. There never was a QB battle. Never.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) August 24, 2024
His primary targets are going to be George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, but there’s not much talent behind them. That means Wilson will have to be careful and not put them in danger. However, it also means he’ll have to buy a little more time for those two to get open.
Wilson is at the point in his career where he’s going to need to earn each start. With Justin Fields breathing down his neck, it may only take a few bad starts for the Steelers to make a change. Assuming Wilson remains the QB1 for all of 2024, expect him to throw for at least 3,500 yards and 25-30 touchdown passes.
Even if it’s a down year for Wilson, fantasy football fans are still going to see an upgrade at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh.
Russell Wilson Fantasy Football ADP
Wilson’s ADP sits at 216 with a range of 124-307. He’s in a position where he’s either going undrafted or being taken in the final round of the draft. He’s not a Top-20 fantasy quarterback anymore, but he’s a player that can be grabbed on waivers if needed.
This is why Pittsburgh Steelers fans were excited to see Russell Wilson become a member of the QB room.
We haven’t seen a confident throw from a Yinz gunslinger in quite some time.
— Loyal Ricks Jr. (@LoyalJRicksJr) August 24, 2024
Those who are drafting him are taking a flyer and hoping he gets back to the level he used to be at in Seattle. The likelihood of that is slim, but it doesn’t mean he won’t produce consistently. Given his ADP, he’s a player that you can look into if you want to stockpile your bench with wide receivers and running backs. He’s a stop-gap guy at quarterback to fill in on a short-term basis. Keep him on your radar in the event of an injury to one of your quarterbacks.
Main Photo Courtesy of Lon Horwedel – USA Today Sports
