Win. Your. League.

TE Vance McDonald - Pittsburgh Steelers

6-4, 267

Born: 6-13-1990

College: Rice

Drafted: Round 2, pick 2013

Main Career stats Game Logs Game Recaps Split Stats Play-by-play Latest News

Photo: Ken Blaze, US Presswire

Traditional view FanDuel view DraftKings view

Preseason player page

Week 21: bye week

All TE vs

Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP		oSNAP	REC	YD	TD	FumL	Pts
17	vs CIN		41	3	39	0	0	3.9

Weekly Performance vs TE 1, TE 12, TE 24

Percentile ranks

Vance McDonald's percentile rank in each category, among TE with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2018 Week 17 vs CIN (6 / 3 / 39 / 0 rec)

With Brown out of the game there was finally more opportunities for McDonald to make plays for the offense downfield. Unfortunately, McDonald was still being used as an outlet for Roethlisberger close to the line of scrimmage. Best play of the game came off of a short pass and run after the catch. McDonald chipped as he was going into the flat and Ben Roethlisberger found McDonald with no defender within five yards of him.

2018 Week 16 vs NO (4 / 1 / 49 / 0 rec)

McDonald ended Week 16 with a rather undescriptive game. His lone reception came when the defender covering him fell in coverage and McDonald was able to take advantage for a long catch and run.

2018 Week 15 vs NE (3 / 2 / 13 / 1 rec)

Like the previously mentioned wide receivers, Eli Rogers and James Washington, had his time in the sun. McDonald kicked off the scoring in Week 15 for the Steelers. On a play where Roethlisberger had plenty of time in the pocket, McDonald's route broke outside towards the sideline and then back inside. McDonald's inside position provided a big target for Roethlisberger's first touchdown on the day.

2018 Week 14 vs OAK (4 / 4 / 37 / 0 rec)

McDonald continues to be as efficient a target as you'll find, securing 4 of his 4 targets today, and securing 73% of his targets over the season. McDonald did not find the end zone this week, but his impact by taking additional coverage off the top two wide receivers and exploiting the extra coverage those two wide receivers draw. During the second quarter the Raiders had a miscommunication and left McDonald uncovered in the middle of the field.

2018 Week 13 vs LAC (7 / 4 / 28 / 0 rec)

McDonald had another quiet game in Week 13. Even with Roethlisberger over 40 pass attempts McDonald is only able to account for four receptions, his lower total since Week 8, and 28 yards. In fact, Vance McDonald has averaged 30.2 receiving yards over his last five games. While McDonald's recent yardage has been low, he has an optimistic upside.

2018 Week 12 vs DEN (5 / 3 / 27 / 0 rec)

McDonald, like so many others in this game, was so close to contributing to a Steelers victory. The Steelers were at the two-yard line and McDonald was targeted in the end zone for his easies touchdown reception of the season. No one was close, and he dropped the ball. So instead of scoring six points, the Steelers lined up for the field goal and ran a fake field goal for a touchdown. McDonald left Week 12s game with a hip injury and did not return.

2018 Week 11 vs JAX (6 / 3 / 27 / 1 rec)

The numbers aren't gaudy, but McDonald was a reliable target for Ben Roethlisberger in Week 11. McDonald was used mostly on screen passes to try and get Ben Roethlisberger in rhythm. McDonald's touchdown catch came in the fourth quarter to put the Steelers within one score of winning the game. The reception was a high point catch in the back of the end zone showing how much confidence Ben Roethlisberger has in his tight end.

2018 Week 10 vs CAR (4 / 4 / 44 / 1 rec)

The numbers aren't always gaudy but watching Vance McDonald's usage be optimized by the Steelers is a thing of beauty. On McDonald's touchdown catch Ben Roethlisberger threw right down the middle of the field and McDonald made the fingertip catch.

2018 Week 9 vs BAL (6 / 3 / 25 / 0 rec)

Even in the weeks where McDonald is quiet he is close to breaking off the long play or finds other ways to contribute. In the first quarter McDonald had an easy catch on an out route where the defender trailed McDonald the entire way. If it wasn't for the defender making a shoestring tackle, McDonald would've gone for more than 9-yards. McDonald continued to contribute, without the ball in his hands, but freeing JuJu Smith-Schuster on a rub route occupying two defenders. Before the end of the half McDonald had two plays which could have led to turnovers. On the first McDonald caught the ball and was initially ruled to have fumbled the ball and the Ravens took the ball back for a touchdown. The review of the play was overturned, and McDonald was ruled down by contact. The second play had McDonald streaking down the field and Ben Roethlisberger hitting him in stride. McDonald did not secure the pass before continuing upfield and it slipped out of his hands. The play not only could have gained big yardage.

2018 Week 8 vs CLE (3 / 3 / 47 / 0 rec)

It feels like every time McDonald touches the ball he is close to breaking a long play. Vance McDonald was lined up as a fullback in the offense and received a screen pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the second quarter. McDonald shed a tackler and drug another defender who was holding on to his leg for a seven-yard gain. McDonald was not called on to be a double-digit target receiving tight end in this game, but his presence was felt as an effective blocker and he did not allow the linebackers to creep up and commit to the run.

2018 Week 6 vs CIN (8 / 7 / 68 / 0 rec)

The presence of Vance McDonald and all of the tight ends should not be understated. To start Week 6, Roethlisberger did not complete his first pass to a tight end until the Steelers third possession and almost the end of the first quarter. Starting the game McDonald continued his physical domination of the league when he broke a 26-yard run on a crossing route. McDonald was like a bull in a china shop running through two tackles and flipping the Steelers field position on one catch. The following play McDonald was open in the middle of the field for an 11-yard gain where Roethlisberger had almost four seconds to throw the ball.

2018 Week 4 vs BAL (5 / 5 / 62 / 0 rec)

Last week Vance McDonald stiff-armed a defender through a wall. This week McDonald continued displaying his superhuman level athleticism as he caught an inbreaking route, broke a tackle, and drug two defenders for an additional three yards. Following McDonald's heroic catch Antonio Browns scored his touchdown. The Ravens were able to smother McDonald in the second half taking away the middle of the field.

2018 Week 3 vs TB (5 / 4 / 112 / 1 rec)

Almost all of McDonald's production came on one play. The play itself was simple outward breaking route by Vance McDonald. McDonald threw the defender to the ground and scored a 75-yard touchdown in the first quarter