Steelers' Van Jefferson: Nonfactor against Philadelphia
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Jefferson caught one of his two targets for zero yards in Sunday's 27-13 loss to the Eagles.
Jefferson finished the game tied for the most snaps at wide receiver (35) with Calvin Austin, with both handling an 81 percent snap share in the contest. With fellow wideout George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined for the past two contests, the 28-year-old Jefferson has seen an increase in his playing time but saw just three total targets from quarterback Russell Wilson in that span. Unfortunately, the veteran was unable to get anything going against a stingy Philadelphia secondary. Jefferson will look to bounce back in a Week 16 matchup against the Ravens, however, his already limited usage could take a hit if Pickens is able to return.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Finds end zone in win
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Jefferson secured his lone target for a 10-yard touchdown during Sunday's 27-14 win over Cleveland.
The 28-year-old led Steelers wideouts in offensive snaps Sunday with George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined, but Jefferson failed to really capitalize on his playing time. The veteran WR's yardage total dropped in Week 14 after he racked up 82 receiving yards across the prior two games, but he at least reached the end zone for the first time since Week 7 on a 10-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter. While Jefferson has delivered decent production over the last three weeks, he's had a limited target share, securing just four of six targets during that time. He remains a shaky fantasy option.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Records 43-yard reception in win
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Jefferson secured one of three targets for 43 yards during Sunday's 44-38 win over the Bengals.
Jefferson was on the field for 62 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps Sunday, the second-highest mark among the team's wide receivers. While he didn't have many targets against Cincinnati, Jefferson put the Steelers in the red zone with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, which marked the team's longest play of the day. The 2020 second-rounder has secured three of five targets for 82 yards over the last two games, but it seems unlikely that he'll be a reliable fantasy option late in the season since his target share remains low.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Aggravates quad injury
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Jefferson is questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Browns due to a quad injury, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Jefferson dealt with the same issue prior to Week 11 but was ultimately able to suit up. He took a hit late in the first quarter of Thursday's game that seemed to aggravate the issue, and it's now unclear if he'll retake the field.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Fails to secure lone target
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Jefferson was unable to secure his lone target during Sunday's 18-16 win over Baltimore.
Jefferson dealt with a quadriceps injury ahead of Sunday's Week 11 tilt, but he played through the issue against Baltimore. However, he was held without any yards from scrimmage for a second consecutive game. While the 2020 second-rounder has consistently seen the second-most offensive snaps of any Steelers receiver this season behind only George Pickens, Jefferson hasn't been a reliable fantasy contributor and could see his role decrease even more as Mike Williams adjusts to his new team.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Cleared to play Sunday
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Jefferson (quadriceps) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Ravens, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
After missing practice Wednesday, Jefferson was limited Thursday and upgraded to full Friday. The veteran wideout hasn't been a fantasy factor all season and could start losing playing time to trade acquisition Mike Williams as soon as this week.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Racks up four catches in Week 8
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Jefferson secured four of five targets for 62 yards during Monday's 26-18 win over the Giants.
Jefferson has been inconsistent for most of the 2024 season, but he racked up a season-high 62 receiving yards during Monday's primetime win a week after reaching the end zone for the first time this year. The 2020 second-rounder has had more success with Russell Wilson than he had with Justin Fields, and Jefferson played 80 percent of the team's offensive snaps Monday. Over the first half of the season, he has secured 14 of 21 targets for 139 yards and a touchdown.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Tallies three catches in loss
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Jefferson secured three of his five targets for 26 yards during Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys.
Jefferson led the Steelers' receivers in playing time during Sunday's matchup and recorded season-high marks in targets, receptions and receiving yards, but he still had a limited fantasy impact. Jefferson has been on the field for plenty of snaps early in the regular season, but he hasn't had a substantial target share.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Racks up 21 yards in loss
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Jefferson secured two of three targets for 21 yards during Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts.
Jefferson didn't see much playing time in last week's win over the Chargers due to an eye injury, but he was on the field for 86 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps Sunday, which was tied with George Pickens for the most among the team's receivers. However, Jefferson hasn't seen a significant target share, as he hasn't been targeted more than three times in any of the team's first four games. While Jefferson's playing time has been encouraging, he hasn't yet established himself as a fantasy-relevant option in the Steelers' lackluster offensive attack.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Exits Sunday's game
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Jefferson exited Sunday's game against the Chargers due to an eye injury, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Prior to that, Jefferson hadn't been targeted in the contest. In his absence, George Pickens, Calvin Austin and Scotty Miller are available to handle the Steelers' WR duties, while the versatile Cordarrelle Patterson can also chip in on that front.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Logs two catches in victory
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Jefferson secured two of his three targets for 14 yards during Sunday's 13-6 win over the Broncos.
Jefferson saw plenty of playing time for a second consecutive week, as he was on the field for 82 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, which led the team's wide receivers. The Rams second-rounder in 2020 was called for offensive pass interference in the closing seconds of the first half that nullified a touchdown, but he recorded a catch on the next play and nearly took the ball to the end zone. Jefferson has secured just three of five targets for 15 yards over the first two weeks of the regular season as part of the team's lackluster passing attack, but his early-season snap counts have been encouraging.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Limited to one catch in win
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Jefferson secured one of two targets for one yard during Sunday's 18-10 win over Atlanta.
Jefferson was on the field for 72 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps Sunday, which ranked first among the team's wide receivers, but he didn't draw many targets from interim starting quarterback Justin Fields as the passing game struggled to get going. Jefferson appeared in 17 games between the Rams and Falcons last year, securing 20 of 43 targets for 209 yards while rushing once for four yards. He appears to be in line to serve as the Steelers' No. 2 option at wide receiver early in 2024, but the team's passing attack may not be proficient enough to make him a reliable fantasy option.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Early favorite for WR2 job
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Jefferson has "pole position" to be Pittsburgh's No. 2 wide receiver, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.
The Steelers signed four wide receivers with NFL starting experience between January and May, also bringing in Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller and Marquez Callaway. They've each had exactly one season with 500-plus receiving yards, either in 2020 or 2021. Jefferson's so-called pole position prior to training camp may not mean much, as he'll face competition not only from the aforementioned veterans, but also 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson and 2023 third-rounder Calvin Austin. It looks like a wide-open competition for snaps/roles behind runaway No. 1 receiver George Pickens.
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Steelers' Van Jefferson: Moves on to Pittsburgh
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The Steelers and Jefferson agreed to a one-year contract Friday, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Jefferson has a 50-802-6 line on 89 targets in 17 regular-season games from 2021 with the Rams on his resume, but the 2020 second-round pick otherwise has put together 63 catches, 798 yards and four touchdowns in his other three campaigns between L.A. and Atlanta. With his new squad, he'll be a part of a Pittsburgh receiving corps that lost Diontae Johnson via a trade with Carolina, meaning Jefferson currently slots in as the Steelers' No. 2 WR behind George Pickens. Ultimately, Jefferson's place in the pecking order for passes from quarterback Russell Wilson will depend on other additions made this offseason.
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Falcons' Van Jefferson: Catches one pass in win
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Jefferson caught one of two passes for 13 yards during Sunday's 24-15 win over the Saints.
Jefferson was one of six Falcons to catch a pass, but only Drake London (seven) and Bijan Robinson (six) saw more than two targets as Desmond Ridder attempted just 21 passes. In six games with Atlanta, Jefferson has caught six of 16 targets for 56 yards. He's carved out a depth role with his new squad, but given the Falcons' passing struggles, Jefferson doesn't need to be rostered in standard leagues.
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Falcons' Van Jefferson: Held without a catch
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Jefferson failed to secure his only target during Sunday's 25-23 loss to Arizona.
Jefferson played 26 offensive snaps, the third most behind Drake London (55) and KhaDarel Hodge (28). However, Atlanta's passing attack was abysmal, as Taylor Heinicke (hamstring) and Desmond Ridder combined to throw for just 94 yards during the loss.
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Falcons' Van Jefferson: Set to make team debut
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Jefferson is active for Sunday's game against the Commanders, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
The Falcons acquired Jefferson in a trade with the Rams on Tuesday, but it appears he's grasped the playbook quickly and will make his team debut Sunday. However, fantasy managers should expect the 2020 second-round pick to play a limited role during his first game with Atlanta. Across five games with Los Angeles this season, Jefferson caught eight of 15 targets for 108 yards.
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Falcons' Van Jefferson: Decision on status coming Saturday
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Head coach Arthur Smith said Atlanta will make a decision Saturday on Jefferson's status for Sunday's game against Washington, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Jefferson was acquired Tuesday in a trade from the Rams. The wide receiver is healthy, but it remains to be seen if he has mastered enough of the playbook to make his Atlanta debut Sunday against the Commanders. If he plays, Jefferson's likely to have a limited role to begin his tenure with the Falcons.
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Falcons' Van Jefferson: Moved to Atlanta
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The Rams traded Jefferson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Falcons for a 2025 sixth-rounder Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jefferson earned at least an 83 percent share of snaps in the Rams' first four games of the season, with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) on injured reserve. Upon Kupp's return to the lineup Week 5 against the Eagles, though, Jefferson logged just two plays. Earlier Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported L.A. was looking to move Jefferson, which has come to pass. Jefferson joins a WR-needy team in Atlanta, so he may be able to make an impact in short order alongside Drake London, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge and Scotty Miller.
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Rams' Van Jefferson: Plays just two snaps
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Jefferson wasn't targeted during Sunday's 23-14 loss to the Eagles.
Jefferson's zero-catch day was his first since Week 9 in 2022, and his two snaps on offense were less than Ben Skowronek and just one more than Austin Trammell. The return of Cooper Kupp gives the Rams a preferred trio of Kupp, Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell as their starters, and they were on the field for nearly every snap on the day. Without a change of scenery or an injury to one of the aforementioned receivers, Jefferson will likely continue to see scant usage on offense.
