Chase Claypool or George Pickens: Who Will Step Up If Diontae Johnson is Out in Week 1?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their quarterback, as Mike Tomlin announced veteran Mitch Trubisky will be the team’s starter in Week 1. 

However, there’s a chance that Trubisky will be without his top weapon, Diontae Johnson in Week 1, who suffered a shoulder injury in the final week of the preseason. Johnson sat out of practice on Monday, and his status for Sunday is up in the air. 

The Steelers have a tough Week 1 game with the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow waiting, so they’d love to have their weapons healthy. If not, where does Pittsburgh turn? 

Well, the Steelers could go to second-round pick George Pickens or Chase Claypool to lead the way in Week 1. However, if you’re looking for a player to bet in the prop market, who is the better pick?

Chase Claypool and George Pickens Touchdown Props for Week 1

• Chase Claypool: +270
• George Pickens: +330

• Diontae Johnson: +220

Oddsmakers think Claypool has a better chance to score than Pickens, which makes sense since we don’t really know how the rookie will fit in, even if he’s the No. 2 receiver should Johnson miss Week 1. 

The argument for Pickens is that he has dominated in camp and in his lone preseason action, catching three passes for 35 yards in the Steelers’ preseason game against the Detroit Lions. 

Claypool is more of a boom or bust player, as he caught just 59 of his 105 targets in 2021, but Trubisky should be better at throwing the ball deep than Ben Roethlisberger was last season. 

If Johnson misses this game, I think Pickens could help move the sticks, along with running back Najee Harris, more than Claypool, which could be good for receptions or yardage props. 

However, Claypool is always the big-play threat for Pittsburgh, and he likely is the better player to trust to score in Week 1, especially since the odds at FanDuel indicate that as well.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.