Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will play in Week 11 on Sunday against the New York Jets after missing the Week 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Pittman has been dealing with a back injury for a while now, but it finally caused him to miss a game last week. The writing was on the wall for him to return this weekend, though, after he returned to a full practice on Wednesday. It's good news for the Colts' offense, but the 27-year-old pass-catcher will still be a shaky fantasy play with quarterback Anthony Richardson and his accuracy issues returning to the starting job. Additionally, the Jets defense has allowed the fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing receivers in 2024. Pittman has been outside the top-50 receivers in terms of average PPR points scored per game this season.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) was back on the practice field for the second straight day on Thursday. Pittman has been dealing with a back injury for a while now and missed the Week 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, he was listed as a full practice participant on Wednesday, signaling that he could return this Sunday to face the New York Jets, as long as he doesn't suffer a setback. It's good news for the Colts, but fantasy managers will justifiably have some reservations about starting the 27-year-old wideout this weekend, especially with struggling second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson getting his starting job back against a formidable defense. Pittman is Indy's WR1 when healthy, but it's led to only a 30-366-2 line through nine games in 2024. If he's active against the Jets, Pittman should be viewed as more of a touchdown-dependent WR3/flex. UPDATE: Pittman was a full-go again on Thursday.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) was listed as a full practice participant for the first walkthrough session of the week on Wednesday. It's a bit surprising that Pittman was a full-go on Wednesday after missing the Week 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a back injury that he's been dealing with for a while now. As long as the 27-year-old doesn't suffer any setbacks with his back injury later this week, he appears to be primed to play in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions on the road. However, he'll still be a pretty shaky fantasy option with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson returning to the starting role under center this weekend. Pittman is averaging just 7.1 half-PPR points per game in 2024 and has gone over 100 receiving yards in a game just once (back in Week 4). The emergence of Josh Downs as a more consistent receiving threat for the Colts hasn't helped Pittman's cause.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) has officially been ruled out for the Week 10 contest on Sunday versus the visiting Buffalo Bills after missing practice all week, according to head coach Shane Steichen. Pittman has been battling a back injury in recent weeks but hasn't missed any game action until now. He will now look to rest up so that he can hopefully return for a Week 11 clash on the road against the New York Jets. With Pittman now out this weekend, it essentially makes receiver Josh Downs a must-start as quarterback Joe Flacco's likely go-to passing target in a game in which the Colts will likely have to throw often to keep up on the scoreboard. In addition to Downs seeing more targets, the flex-play appeal of both Alec Pierce and rookie Adonai Mitchell goes up for those in deeper leagues.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is not practicing on Thursday after logging a "DNP" on Wednesday. The 2020 second-round pick has missed several Wednesday practices before returning on Thursday this year, but his absence two days in a row could suggest he's at real risk of missing Week 10. Fantasy managers should monitor his status on Friday, but he's become an unattractive fantasy option in 2024. The USC alum has scored double-digit half-PPR fantasy points in just three of his nine games this year and totaled just 4.0 fantasy points over the last two weeks. If he plays, it will be against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wideouts.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) was not seen at Wednesday's practice, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. The USC product has been dealing with a lingering back injury throughout the past month but has yet to miss any games due to it. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week, but given his track record, he should be expected to return to practice later in the week. Pittman had another disappointing showing last weekend, as he brought in just one of his four targets for just 14 yards. Since Week 7, Pittman has not eclipsed double-digit PPR points in a single game and has caught just one pass in two of those weeks. If the 27-year-old suits up this weekend, he should be viewed as a risky WR3 facing a tough Buffalo secondary that has allowed the sixth-fewest PPR points to opposing wideouts.
Michael Pittman Jr. Held To One Catch For Second Straight Week
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught one of four targets for 14 scoreless yards in Sunday night's 21-13 loss to the Vikings. So much for Joe Flacco boosting the fantasy value of the receiving group. After catching no less than three passes in any of the season's first seven games, Pittman now has back-to-back weeks with just a single catch. Perhaps he and Joe Flacco can get back on the same page in Week 10, with the two previously hooking up for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the three prior games they played together earlier this season. It won't be easy though, as the Bills are on tap next Sunday, a defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers so far in 2024. Until he displays some chemistry with Flacco again, Pittman will be hard to trust as anything more than a WR3/4.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) has been removed from the final injury report despite being limited in practice on Friday. The 27-year-old has posted mixed results this season, benefitting greatly from Joe Flacco while struggling to form a rapport with Anthony Richardson. Fortunately for Pittman, Richardson was benched for Flacco earlier this week. Pittman has 185 yards and two touchdowns through parts of three games with the veteran quarterback in 2024, and he should continue to rank as a mid-to-low fantasy WR2 for Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs Fully Practice On Thursday
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. (back) and Josh Downs (toe) both logged a full practice on Thursday according to James Boyd of The Athletic. This is a great sign as both wideouts were non-participants during Wednesday's initial practice session. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status during Friday's practice in case they face a setback. Pittman has been dealing with this back injury for a few weeks but has not missed any games. Downs has also been dealing with a lingering injury but has also not missed any time due to it. Both wideouts should be viewed as a solid options this weekend as they will face the Minnesota Vikings who have allowed the most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.
Josh Downs And Michael Pittman Jr. Miss Practice Wednesday
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Josh Downs (toe) and Michael Pittman Jr. (back) did not practice on Wednesday. Both players have been battling their respective injuries for several weeks and have missed several consecutive Wednesday practices. Neither player was restricted in Week 8 so their lack of activity appears to be related to rest rather than a setback in their injuries. The Colts will need a full complement of wide receivers as they turn to Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback after benching Anthony Richardson this week. Both players have put up solid numbers with Joe Flacco under center for parts of three games in 2024. Downs has especially been a target hog since he first took the field in Week 3. He has earned nine or more targets in four of six games. In three games with Flacco playing a significant amount of snaps, Pittman saw a total of 23 targets. Both players are in a great position to see serious volume as the Colts will likely start to complete a significant amount of passes with Flacco. Fantasy managers should monitor the status of both leading up to the weekend, but for now, there is no cause for concern.
Michael Pittman Jr.
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