Michael Pittman Jr. Fantasy Football Week 5 Scouting Report

Michael Pittman Jr.
WR
, Indianapolis Colts

Age: 28
Weight: 223 lbs
Height: 6' 4"
College: USC

ADP: 100
Depth Chart Ranking: 1

Pts	RecYds	RecTD	Rec	RuYds
41.4	234	3	21	0

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Scouting report

by Brandon Niles

· Oct 04, 2022 · 6:04 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 5 at Denver Broncos

Michael Pittman Jr. struggled last week in what should have been an easy matchup, catching just three of the six balls thrown his way for 31 yards. Pittman was on the field for 89% of the team’s offensive snaps, however, far more than any other Colts wide receiver and he remains the primary pass-catcher in Indianapolis.

This week, Pittman faces a Broncos defense that ranks third in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. It’s a tough matchup with a tough corner likely to cover him, so fantasy managers should temper expectations. We have him ranked at the lower end of WR2 territory, rather than his usual WR1 ranking.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 27, 2022 · 6:29 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 4 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans

Michael Pittman Jr. returned to action last week and caught eight of the nine balls thrown his way for 72 yards. While he was held out of the end zone, it was great to see him nearing double-digit targets. He has 22 targets and 193 yards in just two games and clearly has already built up a solid rapport with quarterback Matt Ryan.

This week, Pittman faces a Titans defense that ranks 29th in aFPA to opposing receivers. It’s a nice matchup for the team’s top wide out, and we expect Pittman to be a solid WR1 option, ranking him just inside our top-10 receivers. Start him.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 22, 2022 · 7:06 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Michael Pittman Jr. missed last week with a quad injury, but there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to play against the Chiefs on Sunday. He had a great Week 1 and the Colts sorely missed him in a drubbing by the Jaguars last week. Watch the injury report closely, but if he’s active, he should be an automatic fantasy starter against the Chiefs. Kansas City gave up big numbers to Mike Williams last week, and moderate numbers to the tandem of Greg Dortch and Marquise Brown in Week 1, so there’s room for Pittman to thrive against this defense. We have him ranked just outside WR1 territory.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 14, 2022 · 5:50 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 2 at Jacksonville Jaguars

Michael Pittman Jr. had a great start to the season, catching nine balls for 121 yards and a touchdown. There appear to be no issues adjusting to new quarterback Matt Ryan, and he led the team with 13 targets.

Pittman faces a Jaguars defense that just allowed four touchdowns to Washington’s trio of wide receivers, including a 49-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin. With questions in the Jacksonville secondary, and his unquestioned status as the primary pass-catcher in Indianapolis, Pittman should be considered a solid WR1 option in all fantasy leagues.

Update: Pittman has been downgraded to out, so be sure to get him out of your lineup. Ashton Dulin and Parris Campbell could see more targets, but I’d stay away from Colts pass-catchers altogether until we see who steps up.

by Brandon Niles

· Sep 08, 2022 · 5:48 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 1 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 1 at Houston Texans

Michael Pittman Jr. had 129 targets last year. Jonathan Taylor was second on the team with 51. He’s clearly the WR1 on the team and expectations are huge coming off a breakout campaign where he finished with a 88-1,082-6 line, despite Carson Wentz at quarterback and conservative play calling. Pittman Jr. should be even better this year with Matt Ryan under center.

Pittman Jr. starts the season off against a Texans defense that ranked 19th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers last season. Even though they added a top-shelf cornerback in Derek Stingley Jr. with the third pick in the draft, the Texans should still be vulnerable. Pittman Jr. should see plenty of targets from Ryan, making him a solid WR1 option. We have him ranked inside our top-10 receivers and he’s a must-start.

by Brandon Niles

· Jul 25, 2022 · 2:37 PM EDT

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook

2022 Fantasy Upside
Michael Pittman had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2021, catching 88 of 129 targets for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. He finished as the WR21 in half-PPR formats despite the Colts ranking 27th in the league in pass attempts. Matt Ryan should be a quarterback upgrade over Carson Wentz. While the Colts are built to run the ball and win with excellent defense, the addition of Ryan could open up the playbook a little. Wentz was most effective last season when he wasn’t asked to do too much, and the play-calling seemed to reflect that. Pittman is big, talented, and seems to be getting better. It’s a good time to buy the third-year receiver out of USC.

2022 Fantasy Downside
While Pittman is definitely on the upswing, the Colts added Alec Pierce out of Cincinnati in the second round. While Pierce could draw attention away from Pittman, he also means Pittman isn’t the only game in town anymore and could draw targets away as well in an offense that already didn’t throw the ball a ton last year. Pittman also will need to find the end zone more frequently, and Ryan wasn’t necessarily good at providing touchdowns to his elite receivers in Atlanta. Here’s the list of players with double-digit touchdown passes in a season with Matt Ryan:

2018 – 10 – Calvin Ridley
2012 – 10 – Julio Jones
2010 – 10 – Roddy White
2009 – 11 – Roddy White

That’s it. Four times, three of which were a decade ago, and never more than 11 touchdowns. Sheesh.

2022 Bottom Line
Pittman is really good and has a ton of upside, but you’ll pay a premium for his services. He’s being drafted as the WR14 in the third round of drafts right now, seven slots higher than his 2021 finish. We’re bullish on his output though, ranking him as a fringe top-10 wide receiver and we think he’ll continue his ascension into WR1 status.

by Brandon Niles

· Dec 31, 2021 · 10:40 AM EST

IND WR Michael Pittman Jr. - Week 17 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 17 vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Michael Pittman Jr. had a nice game last week against the Cardinals, catching eight of 12 targets for 82 yards. He’s been held out of the end zone in six straight games, but still gets heavy targets when the team chooses to throw. The problem is the team doesn’t want to throw if they can help it. That being said, Pittman has enjoyed a nice sophomore season, leading the team in every major receiving category, and he needs just 29 yards this weekend to reach 1,000.

This week, Pittman faces a Raiders defense that surprisingly ranks 10th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. Expect another run-heavy approach from the Colts, and with Sam Ehlinger in line to start, it’s going to be risky to trust any of the pass-catchers. Consider him a WR3 option at best.

Update: Looks like Pittman may have Wentz behind center after all. That makes him a legit WR3 option instead of a fringe one, but it's still risky to bank on the Colts' passing game.