For the second night in a row, we get a classic football matchup on primetime. Week 8 Monday Night Football pits the constantly evolving Pittsburgh Steelers against the stuck-in-the-mud New York Giants. The Steelers pivoted a couple of weeks ago, benching Justin Fields in favor of Russell Wilson. The move paid immediate dividends. Pittsburgh put together its best offensive performance of the season, easily dispatching the New York Jets in a primetime contest last week. Conversely, the Giants have been struggling for most of the past eight years, hoping Daniel Jones will eventually turn into the game-changing quarterback they hoped he would be. That could be the difference as both teams try to head into Week 9 on a winning note.
This article will discuss two or more of my favorite NFL pick’ems from Sleeper Fantasy, where you can use Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.
Sleeper Fantasy Picks for Giants vs. Steelers
Russell Wilson Passing Completions More 18.5
Russell Wilson’s tenure as a Pittsburgh Steeler got off to a promising start. Needing a quarter to get up to game speed, the former Super Bowl winner went just 2-for-8 on his opening three drives before settling in and finding his rhythm. With a game under his belt and a weak Giants defense on tap, Wilson is poised for another solid outing in Week 8.
Altogether, Wilson had a decent start against the Jets, but his stats look even better when we afford him a grace period for getting up to speed with his receivers. After his tepid 2-for-8 start, Wilson settled in by completing 14 of his next 21 passes for a 66.7% completion rate. Those latter metrics are a more accurate representation of what to expect from the Steelers quarterback moving forward. Wilson has a career 64.7% completion rate, going north of that benchmark in five of his last six seasons. We should see him work up toward average over his coming games.
Much of that progression should come against one of the worst pass defenses on Monday Night Football. So far this season, the Giants are giving up the fourth-highest completion rate (71.0%) to opposing quarterbacks. Practically, that translates to an average of 20.3 completions per game. Moreover, all but one quarterback this season has recorded at least 19 completions against the Giants.
Mike Tomlin will exploit any advantage you give him. We don’t expect him to overlook the gaping holes in the Giants’ secondary. Anticipated progression from Wilson should help him exceed 18.5 completions on Monday night.
George Pickens More 4.5 Receptions
The transition to Russell Wilson under center was a much-needed evolution for Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ passing game was growing stagnant with Fields operating the offense. However, Wilson has seemingly re-invigorated the aerial assault, amplifying Pickens’ outlook moving forward.
Pickens had a breakout performance last week. He was finally able to stretch the field and have a quarterback that could get him the ball. His 12.3 yards per target and 22.2 yards per reception were easily season-highs. Further, he got into the end zone for just the first time this season and just the 10th time throughout his three-year career.
Pickens is propped up with solid usage metrics, implying that this is the standard of what to expect from him moving forward. The Georgia product is far and away the Steelers’ target share leader. His 27.9% mark is nearly double that of the next closest player (Pat Freiermuth, 15.3%). Additionally, he’s had at least seven passes thrown his way in all but one game this season.
Devin Singletary Less 43.5 Rushing+Receiving Yards
Six years into Daniel Jones‘ tenure as quarterback, and the Giants are still trying to find their offensive identity. New York has a growing list of players trying to cement themselves as premier offensive contributors, spreading the touches too thin amongst its ranks. One player whose usage has eroded the most is Devin Singletary. As a result, we’re expecting him to fall short of 43.5 rushing+receiving yards against the Steelers.
A groin injury forced Singletary to the sidelines following a Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. In his absence, Tyrone Tracy emerged as a top running back option with Eric Gray also earning a more equitable share of the carries out of the backfield. Upon his return in Week 7, Singletary had a diminished role in the Giants’ offense.
After playing no fewer than 44 snaps through the first four weeks of the season, Singletary was on the field for just 12 in last week’s loss. Predictably, that precipitated limited production. The former third-round pick had just five carries for 18 yards and one reception for three additional yards. While he may see a slight uptick in usage in Week 8, it’s clear the Giants are prioritizing Tracy in the ground game. That hampers Singletary’s ceiling moving forward.
Those concerns are amplified against one of the fiercest defensive fronts in the NFL. The Steelers are among the league leaders in virtually every rushing category, giving up the second-fewest rushing yards per game and the third-fewest rushing yards per carry. With three running backs getting touches out of the Giants’ backfield, we’re betting Singletary comes up short of 43.5 rushing+receiving yards in Pittsburgh.
