Moncrief is expected to be a healthy inactive for Sunday's game against the 49ers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Signed to a two-year deal in the offseason with the expectation that he would prove to be a competent replacement for Antonio Brown in the starting lineup, Moncrief was a disaster through Pittsburgh's first two games, nabbing only three passes for seven yards on 11 targets while being plagued by drops. With Pittsburgh informing rookie Diontae Johnson earlier this week that he would start, Moncrief was already expected to be headed for a downturn in snaps, but the inactive status is even more illustrative of his slide down the depth chart. Moncrief could earn a spot back in the Pittsburgh receiver rotation if he performs well in practices to come, but that may be contingent on Johnson faltering first in his expanded role.

Moncrief is expected to have a reduced role in the offense after rookie Diontae Johnson was named a starting wide receiver, Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moncrief was penciled in as a starter upon signing with the Steelers in March and remained there after the draft and throughout the offseason program, training camp and preseason slate. He suffered a dislocated finger in late July, which lingered into the season and may explain his issue with drops after two games (he has five on his 11 targets). With a reduction in snaps on tap, Moncrief will yield his standing as a vertical threat to Johnson as the Steelers transition to an offense directed by Mason Rudolph due to Ben Roethlisberger's season-ending elbow injury.

Moncrief dropped his only target in Pittsburgh's 28-26 loss to Seattle on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The dislocated finger suffered in training camp appears to be an issue as the ball went through Moncrief's hands, smacked off his facemask and landed in the arms of Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald. This was Moncrief's fifth drop in two games and he should not be on fantasy rosters at this time.

Moncrief will continue to play through a dislocated finger against the Seahawks on Sunday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moncrief suffered a dislocated finger in training camp and has practiced in full for multiple weeks, but he stated Wednesday that he's still playing through pain. "There's nothing you can do to a dislocated finger," Moncrief said, "especially when you're a receiver. You've just got to tough out the pain and go." The lingering injury sheds some light on the context of Moncrief's disappointing Week 1 performance, when he caught only three of 10 targets for seven yards and dropped a would-be touchdown in the third quarter. The No. 2 receiver role in Pittsburgh remains up for grabs, but Moncrief could end up on thin ice if he's unable to overcome his finger injury and put together a convincing game against the Seahawks on Sunday.

Moncrief caught three passes for seven yards in Pittsburgh's 33-3 loss to New England on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Moncrief looked awful in his first game as a Steeler, wasting his team-leading 10 targets. He had multiple dropped passes including a third quarter touchdown that would have closed the Patriot's lead to just 10 points. It is encouraging that Ben Roethlisberger looked to Moncrief so often -- which could translate to some big games -- but another repeat performance may result in those targets going elsewhere.

Moncrief brought in his only target for one yard and lost a fumble in the Steelers' 17-7 preseason win over the Chiefs on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran wideout didn't exactly have the most productive of nights, and his first-quarter fumble short-circuited the Steelers' third possession before it even got underway. Despite the gaffe, Moncrief has enjoyed a solid camp by all accounts, but he is being outperformed by second-year wideout James Washington in preseason action thus far. It remains to be seen if that will be enough for Washington to overtake Moncrief for the No. 2 role he's been largely projected for to open the season.

Moncrief (finger) returned to practice Wednesday, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Coach Mike Tomlin said the 26-year-old wideout picked up right where he left off before his recent finger injury, catching three touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger during Wednesday's session. It does seem Moncrief has competition for the No. 2 receiver job, with James Washington catching four of five targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay. It isn't clear if Moncrief will be available for Saturday's exhibition versus the Chiefs.

Moncrief is listed as a starter opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster on the Steelers' initial posted depth chart.

EDGE Analysis

Moncrief dealt with a finger issue at practice last week, so it remains to be seen if he'll be 100 percent for Friday's preseason opener against the Buccaneers. In any case, if Moncrief is able to hold on to a starting role this season, there's an opportunity for him to flourish in the Pittsburgh offense. With that in mind, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that Moncrief has already developed chemistry with QB Ben Roethlisberger, while predicting that the 26-year-old wideout will be "a big-play receiver and really force defenses to account for him down the field" this season.

Moncrief suffered a finger injury during Monday's practice, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Moncrief suffered the injury while attempting to catch a deep ball during practice according to Lolley, then left the practice field to be attended to by trainers. The severity of Moncrief's finger issue is undisclosed, and it remains to be seen whether he'll miss any practice time. The 25-year-old is competing for the No. 2 wide receiver job in Pittsburgh.

Moncrief opened Pittsburgh's training camp Friday starting opposite JuJu Smith-Schuster, according to Alex Kozora of Steelersdepot.com.

EDGE Analysis

Don't make too much of this as it was only Day 1 of camp and there's a lot of competition at the wide receiver position. Smith-Schuster is a lock to start this season, but Moncrief is a solid candidate to inherit a decent amount of the 168 targets that went to Antonio Brown in 2018. Fantasy owners drafting sooner rather than later should be careful not to reach too early for Moncrief, who has been inconsistent in his career, though he's allso never played in an offense as dynamic as Pittsburgh's.