Pittman brought in five of eight targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 37-34 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Pittman finished third on the Colts in receptions for the afternoon, but he averaged a meager 7.4 yards per reception. Moreover, 27 of Pittman's yards came on a single reception, underscoring how suffocating the Jaguars' defense was when he had the ball. Nevertheless, Pittman still managed to make it a productive day for fantasy managers by recording his first touchdown of the season, a one-yard grab in the first quarter. The fifth-year pro has now been at Sunday's 37 receiving yards or fewer in four of his first five games, a matter he'll look to rectify at the expense of the Titans in a Week 6 road divisional clash.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Carves up Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Pittman recorded six receptions on nine targets for 113 yards in Sunday's 27-24 win over the Steelers.
Pittman has had an underwhelming start to the season, at least in part due to the limited passing volume and accuracy issues of Anthony Richardson (hip). However, Pittman got involved early with Richardson still under center to tally long gains of 32 and 28 yards. Once Joe Flacco took over, Pittman settled into more of his typical role by working primarily underneath and relying on yards after the catch. That translated to his first game with over 100 yards on the campaign, and his outlook is trending up regardless of who is under center heading into a Week 5 matchup against Minnesota.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
Rotowire
Pittman has been terrible so far this season with 7.6 PPR points or less in three games in a row. He's not connecting on a high level with Anthony Richardson, and Pittman has four catches and 36 yards or less in each outing this season, with no touchdowns. It's hard to expect a turnaround to happen in Week 4 against Pittsburgh, and I would only consider Pittman as a flex option in PPR, even in three-receiver leagues.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Expected to suit up Sunday
Rotowire
Pittman (back/calf) remains listed as questionable but is likely to play in Sunday's game against the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Pittman sat out Friday's practice due to injuries to his back and calf, resulting in him taking a designation into the weekend. However, coach Shane Steichen said Friday that he believed the wideout would be able to suit up for Sunday's contest, and that appears to be coming to pass. Pittman's status will be confirmed when Indianapolis releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Questionable for Week 3
Rotowire
Pittman (back/calf) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears.
The Colts tacked on Pittman to their final Week 3 practice report with back and calf injuries, which kept him out of drills Friday. Still, coach Shane Steichen told Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star that Pittman should be able to play Sunday, something that would be confirmed about 90 minutes before a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Assuming he's active, Pittman will be welcoming back fellow wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) to the lineup, which may eat into the former's target share from quarterback Anthony Richardson.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Managing injuries ahead of Week 3
Rotowire
Pittman is working through back and calf issues, but coach Shane Steichen thinks that the wideout will be available Sunday against the Bears, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Pittman was held out of Friday's practice, per James Boyd of The Athletic, and the reason for his non-participation now has been clarified. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether Pittman heads into the weekend with a Week 3 injury designation.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Not practicing Friday
Rotowire
Pittman (undisclosed) isn't participating in Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Per Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star, Pittman -- who practiced fully Wednesday and Thursday -- was present for Friday's session. There's a chance that the Colts are giving the wideout a rest day, with further context regarding his Week 3 status set to arrive once the team's injury report is posted.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
Rotowire
Pittman has 15 targets in two games against Houston and Green Bay, but he only has seven catches for 52 yards and no touchdowns over that span. He's been outplayed by Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs (ankle) could return this week for the Colts to further complicate things for Pittman. The Bears secondary has been great so far this season in holding Calvin Ridley, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to 8.0 PPR points or less, and Pittman is only worth starting as a No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 3.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Three catches in loss
Rotowire
Pittman brought in three of seven targets for 21 yards in the Colts' 16-10 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
Pittman tied Alec Pierce for the team led in targets and even had the Colts' second-most receptions, but as his final line indicates, he did little with them. The possession receiver has had trouble establishing much rapport with Anthony Richardson through his first two games despite his past success with multiple other quarterbacks, mustering only seven receptions for 52 yards on 15 targets over the first pair of contests. Pittman will aim to turn around the slow start in a Week 3 home matchup against a tough Bears defense.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Contrarian DFS Play
Rotowire
Pittman's production didn't match his target share in Week 1, so I wouldn't expect him to be a popular play in Week 2. But give me a target hog against a team that just gave up a combined 203 receiving yards to A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Expect 10 targets from Pittman and if he scores a touchdown I expect he'll top 20 PPR Fantasy points.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: One catch in dress rehearsal
Rotowire
Pittman caught one of two targets for 12 yards in Thursday's 27-14 preseason win over the Bengals.
Pittman's lone catch came on the first drive, but he couldn't get anything else going as Anthony Richardson went cold on the next few drives, and Pittman dropped his only other target. The Colts are likely to be more effective on the ground than through the air given Richardson's rushing ability and the presence of star running back Jonathan Taylor, but Pittman projects to remain the top dog in a receiving corps that also includes rookie second-round pick Adonai Mitchell, Josh Downs (ankle) and Alec Pierce. Pittman will begin the regular season Sunday, Sept. 8 against a Texans team that held him to two of his six lowest single-game yardage totals in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: In line to see snaps Thursday
Rotowire
Coach Shane Steichen relayed earlier this week that the Colts plan to play their starters, including Pittman, for about a quarter and a half in Thursday's preseason finale against the Bengals, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
The Colts rested key skill players this past Saturday against the Cardinals, but Steichen wants to see regulars like Pittman get some snaps in Thursday before giving way to the team's reserves. As the coming season approaches, Pittman remains the clear-cut top option in Indy's WR corps, a high volume role that yielded him a 109-1,152-4 receiving line in 16 regular-season games in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Not slated to play Saturday
Rotowire
Coach Shane Steichen said Thursday that Pittman won't suit up for Saturday's preseason game versus the Cardinals, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Along with Pittman, the rest of the Colts' starters and No. 2 signal-caller Joe Flacco won't be available for the team's second exhibition. Assuming Josh Downs (ankle) also doesn't play, Indy's available wide receivers figure to be rookie second-rounder Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce and Ashton Dulin (hamstring, if available), among others. In four pro seasons to date, Pittman has two 1,000-yard tallies on his resume, and he's posted 14 receiving touchdowns in 49 regular-season contests the last three campaigns.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: One target in preseason opener
Rotowire
Pittman didn't catch his only target in Sunday's 34-30 preseason loss to the Broncos.
Pittman was the only wide receiver to earn a target from starting quarterback Anthony Richardson, as Richardson's other three passes during his two-drive stint in the game were all directed to tight ends. After racking up 296 catches for 3,159 yards and 14 touchdowns over the past three seasons, Pittman heads into 2024 as the clear No. 1 option in the Colts' passing game. He and the starters could see more action Saturday against the Cardinals in Indianapolis' next preseason game.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Knee issue downplayed
Rotowire
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that Pittman (knee) "should be fine" after he left the practice field early Wednesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Steichen said Pittman "just bumped knees" during 11-on-11 drills. The Colts have no incentive to rush Pittman -- who's fresh off signing a three-year, $70 million extension -- back on the field, so it's possible he misses more of OTAs. Still, the No. 1 wideout ought to have plenty of opportunities to build chemistry with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson this offseason, as long as his knee injury is indeed only minor. Pittman managed a 109-1,152-4 receiving line across 16 games last season despite substandard quarterback play, so having a healthy Richardson back under center should raise his fantasy ceiling.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Inking three-year extension
Rotowire
Pittman has agreed to a three-year deal to remain with the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The team had previously placed its franchise tag on Pittman, but evidently since then the two sides have been working toward a long-term deal. Per Rapoport, the wideout's looming new contract can reach up to $71.5 million and includes $46 million guaranteed. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he posted a career-high 109-1,152-4 line on 156 targets in 16 games. With Pittman staying in the fold in 2024 and beyond, the Colts have secured valuable stability at the wide receiver position, a context that no doubt will benefit the development of young franchise QB Anthony Richardson (shoulder).
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Leads team with five catches
Rotowire
Pittman corralled five of six targets for 44 yards in Saturday's 23-19 loss to the Texans.
Those deploying Pittman in fantasy were unfortunately charged with a lost fumble on the final play of regulation when the Colts were attempting to return a kickoff using multiple laterals. Indianapolis' top wideout still led the club in catches Saturday, ending his 2023 campaign with a new career high of 109 receptions over 16 games. Pittman also set a new high-water mark in yards this year (1,152), but his four touchdowns fell short of the six he scored in 2021. The USC product picked an excellent time to set new career marks, as he will enter the upcoming offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Start
Rotowire
Pittman scored 13.6 PPR points at Houston in Week 2 when he caught eight passes for 56 yards on 12 targets. He's now scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past three games against the Texans, with two touchdowns, and he should do well against them again in Week 18. Since Week 10, a span of eight games, 11 receivers have scored at least 12.4 PPR points against Houston, with five scoring at least 19.7 PPR points, and the Texans have allowed eight touchdowns to receivers over that span.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Team-high five grabs Sunday
Rotowire
Pittman caught five of seven targets for 46 yards in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Raiders.
The Indy passing attack took a back seat to Jonathan Taylor and the ground game, but Pittman still led the team in catches and targets. The fourth-year wideout set new career highs in receptions (104) and receiving yards (1,108) on the season in the process, and with the Colts locked in a three-way tie atop the AFC South, Pittman may need to come up big in Week 18 against the Texans.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Michael Pittman: Clears concussion protocol
Rotowire
Pittman (concussion/shoulder) has cleared the NFL's protocol for head injuries and is in line to play against the Raiders on Sunday, barring any setbacks, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
The Colts' final injury report of the week will confirm whether Pittman approaches the contest with a designation or fully cleared to face Las Vegas, but at this stage it appears as though the team's top pass catcher will return to the lineup following a one-game absence.
