Pickens has established himself at the very least as one of the game's premier deep threats (his 18.1 yards per reception ranks first among wide receivers to run at least 300 routes in 2023), but 2024 presents the third-year receiver with the opportunity to take the next step both in real life and in fantasy football. Both of the biggest snags he's been hitting as a fantasy receiver since entering the league in 2022 have seemingly disappeared or at the very least been sufficiently addressed, with Diontae Johnson (0.25 targets per route run in 2023) out the door for Carolina and Kenny Pickett being replaced with the combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Pickens has yet to register a target share over 21% in his career after posting 20.8% last season and just 14.7% in 2022, but with Johnson out of the picture and no obvious additions to the WR room to be concerned about, Pickens could reasonably see that number jump comfortably into the WR2-worthy range (22+%) in 2024. Despite a reliance on the big play (his 0.081 first downs per route run rank 5th-lowest out of 34 receivers to earn at least 100 targets last year), his 2.25 yards per route run suggests that with a larger, more diverse share of the target distribution available in 2024, Pickens could make a push for his first top-20 overall finish of his career. With that being said, it remains to be seen whether Pickens can be relied on as a target magnet at all levels of the field. Of course, Pickens' ultimate ceiling could be dictated by volume in what's likely to be a run-heavy offense with former Falcons HC Arthur Smith calling plays in Pittsburgh; the Falcons ran pass plays at the 3rd-lowest rate in 2023, behind only Pittsburgh (2nd-lowest) and San Francisco (lowest). Assuming Russell Wilson draws the start in Week 1, Pickens should enjoy a notable upgrade under center even if Wilson's best days are behind him. That, combined with a more top heavy target share, has Pickens on course to play in the best environment he's had in his career in 2024.