Week 17 vs. Cincinnati
Dennis Pitta had 75 yards on eight receptions against the Steelers last week, turning in a pretty good day for fantasy owners that used him. Pitta has struggled to take advantage of the quantity of targets he gets this season though, and he’s been far too risky to count on in any given week. He has a little upside against the Bengals to close out the season, as Cincinnati has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to the TE position this year, but in most leagues, there should be better options available to you than Pitta.
Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh
Dennis Pitta had only 16 yards on a pair of receptions last week against the Eagles. He continues to be an underwhelming option at the TE position, despite being targeted the second most on the team this year. Pitta has a tough matchup against the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh ranks ninth in the league in scoring defense and has allowed only four touchdowns to the TE position all season. Fantasy owners should be able to find better options than Pitta on the waiver wire this week.
Week 15 vs. Philadelphia
Dennis Pitta followed up a two touchdown performance against the Dolphins in Week 13 with only 18 yards on four receptions against the Patriots last week. Pitta has continued to rack up targets all season long for the Ravens, but his two scores against Miami are the only ones he’s had all season.
This week, he’ll face a Philadelphia pass defense that has only allowed 33 catches and four touchdowns to the TE position this year, which doesn’t bode well for Pitta. Expect another 5-8 targets for the veteran TE, but another disappointing outing. There should be better streaming options available in most leagues.
Week 14 vs. New England
Dennis Pitta had a great game against Miami last week, putting up 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine receptions. He was targeted a team-high 11 times and it was good to see him finally find the end zone after being shut out through the first twelve weeks of the season.
Pitta will probably have a harder time this week against New England. While the Patriots should be able to score points and keep Baltimore throwing the ball, they’ve only given up two touchdowns to the TE position all season, making it hard to think Pitta will repeat his success from last week. He should be considered a borderline starter at best in most leagues.
Week 13 vs. Miami
Dennis Pitta had three catches and 34 yards last week against the Bengals. He continues to be a low-end TE option that racks up targets but hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season and has only eclipsed 50 yards twice this year.
This week, Pitta has some upside against a Dolphins defense that has given up five touchdowns and 605 yards to opposing TEs this season, but he’s too risky to count on in most leagues. He simply hasn’t been productive enough, even in good matchups, to warrant legitimate fantasy consideration. Unless you’re desperate, look elsewhere.
Week 12 vs. Cincinnati
Dennis Pitta had another disappointing outing against the Cowboys last week, catching only three passes for 30 yards. He was targeted five times on the day, and that kind of production should continue, but he has not shown the ability to put together good fantasy days regardless of the number of targets he gets or his matchup. Until he shows something more, fantasy owners should keep away from Pitta.
Week 11 vs. Dallas
Dennis Pitta gets targets, but he hasn’t turned those targets into production so far this season. He had six caches but for only 26 yards last week, despite a great matchup against the Browns defense. Fantasy owners should look to a higher upside option than Pitta, who seems like a low-end PPR option at best right now. There should be more exciting options on the waiver wire in most league formats.
Week 10 vs. Cleveland
Dennis Pitta only had 14 yards on two receptions last week against the Steelers, his lowest catch and yardage total of the season thus far. The Ravens offense struggled aside from a 95-yard catch-and-run from Mike Wallace, and Pitta ended up only seeing three passes thrown his way (also the lowest for him this season).
This week should be better for the veteran out of BYU. The Browns have allowed more touchdown passes this season than any team besides than Atlanta and got torched by Jason Witten last week. The Browns have allowed eight touchdowns to the TE position this year, and while Pitta isn’t a sure thing, he has tremendous upside and a high floor in this matchup. We have him just outside our top-10, making him a borderline starter and a nice fill-in option in Week 10.
Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh
Dennis Pitta has been heavily-targeted this season, but hasn’t put up big fantasy numbers. He had only 40 yards on four catches, despite being targeted nine times against the Jets before the bye last week. Pitta is still valuable though, as he leads the Ravens in receptions and should continue to be heavily targeted.
This week, Pitta faces a Steelers defense that has only given up two touchdowns, but has allowed 38 receptions to the TE position this year. Pitta isn’t an elite option, but he’s a good streamer who gets a little bump in PPR leagues and a big bump in a week where a lot of TEs are off on byes. We have him inside our top-10.
Week 7 vs. New York Jets
Dennis Pitta had only 36 yards against the Giants last week, but he was targeted a team-high ten times and caught six passes. He’s second on the team in targets this year, but his problem has been a lack of production in the red zone. Pitta has failed to score a touchdown this season.
This week, Pitta has some upside against a struggling Jets defense. They’re allowing an average of 5.5 catches and 65 yards to the tight end position so far this season, and they gave up either 100 yards or a touchdown to the starting TE on opposing teams for three separate weeks before Monday night’s matchup with the Cardinals, who don’t use the TE. Pitta isn’t an elite option, but we have him as a borderline TE1 option just outside our top ten considering the matchup.
