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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) has had a disappointing season so far. He's scored single-digit PPR fantasy points in six of his nine games so far, making him not worthy of starting at all in most leagues. In addition, he's scored under 3.0 points in his last two games.
He was then held out of his team's Week 10 matchup with the Buffalo Bills due to a back injury. The ailment was initially reported several weeks ago, but he played through it since then, to dismal results. From the outside, it seemed like an odd decision for the organization to send him out there.
So is he a starter for the Colts when he returns to play?
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Will Michael Pittman Jr. Start for the Colts When He Returns?
Yes, but it remains to be seen how he can heal from his injury. It's likely that he won't be able to contribute much if recent games are any indication -- he caught just two of his 10 targets for 30 yards in his last two contests combined. The team could opt to use him as a decoy, but that would be odd.
Michael Pittman is averaging 3 catches and 40 yards per game and has not outright led his team in targets in a game since week 1.
This feels like dead weight heading into the fantasy playoffs.
— LaQuan Jones (@RealDealFantasy) November 13, 2024
His play certainly warrants questions on whether his back problems have been bothering him since before the season. He's only gained 366 receiving yards so far, a far cry from the pace he maintained last season when he went for 1,152. Rather than him being benched, another scenario is much more likely.
When he returns, he should start alongside a rotation between WRs Alec Pierce and rookie Adonai Mitchell. In 2WR sets, MPJr is likely on the field the majority of the time, while Pierce and Mitchell fight for snaps. Slot WR Josh Downs has mainly played only in 3WR sets this season.
Michael Pittman Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook
It's really, really bad. He's nothing close to what he was as a fantasy asset in 2023, and unless he's given time to heal from his injury, he may not approach those numbers this year. In addition, the emergence of Mitchell and (sort of) emergence of Alec Pierce might not help, especially if they start eating into his snaps.
it's only a matter of time for Adonai Mitchell
(2025) pic.twitter.com/Ln4oLonSxe
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) November 12, 2024
The rookie seriously impressed in Week 10, and he deserves more playing time. Whether or not he gets it this year is yet to be seen, but it's another thing to worry about for Pittman managers, though many have already justifiably dropped him. He's barely a WR4 as it stands, and with quarterback Anthony Richardson named the starter again, he's a safe player to drop.
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