Michael Pittman Jr. 2023 Outlook
The parade of revolving quarterbacks in Indianapolis hasn't prevented Pittman from putting together consecutive strong seasons. Pittman set a career best for receptions last season and did the same via receiving yardage in 2021. Carson Wentz was the one-and-done quarterback in 2021 and veteran Matt Ryan flopped last season, leading to Sam Ehlinger (three starts) and Nick Foles (two) having stints. Gardner Minshew is slated to be the starting quarterback this season with first-round pick draft pick Anthony Richardson eventually becoming the lead man. Despite the lack of stability at the position, Pittman caught eight or more receptions on four occasions, including outings of 13 and 10 grabs. He had two 100-yard outings, both coming early in the season. Pittman found the end zone in each of the last two games after having trouble finding his way there most of the season. The hope is that Pittman will take another step forward this season with the Colts hiring offensive-minded Shane Steichen as their coach. Building quick rapport with Minshew would also be valuable as Pittman aims for another strong season.
Michael Pittman Jr. 2022 Outlook
After a relatively quiet rookie season, Pittman stepped up and laid claim to the Colts WR1 spot. He caught 88 of 129 targets for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. As Pro Football Network suggested, it wasn't a stellar fantasy season by any stretch, but Pittman showed a lot of promise. More importantly, he got true WR1 treatment from the coaching staff. According to FantasyPros, Pittman ran a route on 96 percent of offensive dropbacks -- third to only Cooper Kupp and Ja'Marr Chase through 17 weeks. He also finished the season tied for the league's eighth-highest target share (24 percent), which was 11 percentage points higher than the next closest Colt, Zach Pascal, at 13 percent. He also made 18 highlight-reel contested catches -- fourth most in the NFL. And his 31 percent target share from Weeks 13-18 cemented his place in Indy's WR1 chair heading into 2022. This year, Matt Ryan takes over for Carson Wentz as the Colts' QB. As FantasyPros' Andrew Erickson reminded readers, Ryan has a history of fueling top-end fantasy WRs like Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. In fact, PFN notes that Ryan's WR1 has never failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards. Ryan is a far cry from the 2016 version that went to the Super Bowl, but he's better than Wentz, and Pittman stands to benefit.
Michael Pittman Jr. 2021 Outlook
In listing the winners and losers of free agency, The Athletic believes this offseason was a win for Pittman Jr. and for his potential in Year 2. ... The assessment starts with their belief that the Colts' re-signing of veteran receiver T.Y. Hilton isn't detrimental to Pittman's fantasy value in 2021. Hilton is coming off a disappointing season. He caught 56 passes for 762 receiving yards and five touchdowns over 15 games. Pittman suffered from leg compartment syndrome early last season otherwise his season-long numbers would have looked much better. Still, he flashed some of his intriguing talents during the second half of the season, including a breakout game against the Titans in Week 10 when he finished with seven receptions for 101 receiving yards. The next week he had three receptions for 66 receiving yards and a touchdown and showed he can excel as the team’s X-receiver. All this prompted USA Today to suggest it's possible that Pittman emerges as new Colts starting quarterback Carson Wentz's top target this season. It could be a 1A and 1B situation between the 23-year-old receiver and Hilton, and even though both will continue to share targets, Pittman’s potential is on the rise.
