Breakout offenses to target in fantasy football drafts

• Can the Atlanta Falcons live up to the potential of their skill players? The Falcons have hoarded a trio of talented weapons who are full of fantasy value.

• Kenny Pickett helps the Steelers take the next step: Pickett projects as a potential breakout quarterback, and his offense can follow suit.

• Fantasy draft approaching? Use PFF’s AI-powered Live Draft Assistant to win the draft and dominate your fantasy football league.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

There’s no single guaranteed formula for success in the NFL. Every unit, every coach and every team finds success through different methodologies — unique ways of thinking and learning. However, the emphasis and influence of offense in the NFL have shaped what team-building means. Building functional and sustainable offenses is the mission statement for nearly every front office in the league.

How that correlates to fantasy football is quite clear: More good offenses means there’s a bigger pool of players you should be comfortable drafting. When given the choice, would you rather draft a good player in a productive unit or a good one in a bad situation? It’s a no-brainer.

The 2023 NFL season is another step into the offensive revolution, and as a result, a few more offenses are on the verge of breaking out. Take stock of these teams and target their players in all rounds of the draft.

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Pittsburgh Steelers

Things have been bleak offensively the past few years for the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger probably overstayed his welcome by a year or two, and that dragged the offense down. His lack of mobility, paired with a porous offensive line and the struggle to stretch the field with his arm, led to the Steelers finishing 18th and 24th in expected points added per play in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

The Kenny Pickett era got off to a rocky start, but the 2022 first-round pick found his feet toward the back end of the season and earned an above-average 76.5 grade across his final six starts of the season. He showed poise and the ability to make a play and looked good when he played within the structure of the Steelers' offense. There were doubts and issues when Pickett held onto the ball a little longer — but far more reasons to be optimistic. If Pickett can take a step in his second season, good things are in store for the Steelers.