Even though I like Josh Downs as a sleeper against the Broncos, I'm still worried about Pittman. With Downs back, Pittman can now expect to see more of Patrick Surtain II, which is a bad matchup for him. And Pittman has just four games all season with double digits in PPR, including once in his past six outings. Now, he does have at least seven targets in three games in a row, but Surtain won't allow Pittman much room to make plays. Pittman is just a No. 4 Fantasy receiver at best in the majority of leagues.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Five grabs in Sunday's win
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Pittman caught five of seven targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 25-24 win over the Patriots.
Second-year QB Anthony Richardson completed only half of his 24 attempts, and Pittman was by far the Colts' leader in catches and receiving yards as a result despite his modest numbers. Since missing a Week 10 contest with back trouble, Pittman has been his usual stalwart self, posting a 16-184-0 line on 22 targets over three contests, but his TD drought now sits at six games. He'll look to find paydirt again on the other side of the Colts' Week 14 bye,
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sleeper WRs
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I haven't had many positive things to say about Pittman this season, given his lack of production, but he has performed better in the past two games since Anthony Richardson got his starting job back. And now Josh Downs (shoulder) won't play in Week 13 at New England. In his past two games, Pittman has 11 catches for 142 yards on 15 targets, and he scored 15.6 PPR points in Week 12 against the Lions. He could see Patriots standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez in Week 13, but New England has allowed six receivers to score at least 12.3 PPR points in the past five games. Given his recent spike in targets, Downs being out, and the matchup, I'm willing to trust Pittman again as a No. 3 receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Leading receiver on seven targets
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Pittman caught six of seven targets for 96 yards in Sunday's 24-6 loss to Detroit.
Pittman finished with the highest fantasy score of any receiver on either team Sunday after neither side threw a passing touchdown. The 26-year-old has produced 41 receptions for 508 yards and two touchdowns across 11 games, a far cry from the 109-1,152-4 receiving line he posted over 16 games in 2023. Pittman should be considered a fringe fantasy option in standard formats heading into next Sunday's tilt against New England.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Five catches in return
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Pittman caught five of eight targets for 46 yards in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Jets.
Pittman was more involved in his return from a one-game absence due to a back injury, which was preceded by a pair of one-catch performances. He has been eclipsed as the top option in the Colts passing game by Josh Downs, who had a touchdown catch among his team-high 84 receiving yards Sunday. Up next for Pittman is a Week 12 home game against a Detroit defense that has allowed plenty of yardage to wide receivers, in part because the 9-1 Lions have spent the vast majority of their season playing from ahead.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Practices fully Thursday
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Pittman (back) practiced fully Thursday.
After missing his first game of the season this past Sunday against the Bills due to a back injury he's been managing as well as a finger issue, Pittman was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's practice estimate. With Pittman able to maintain that level of participation in Thursday's session, he's poised to return to action this weekend against the Jets after having evidently benefited from being held out of Week 10 action. Barring any in-game setbacks, Pittman should step back into a key role in the Colts' wideout corps, but with Anthony Richardson back as the team's starting QB, it's possible that Indianapolis' offense may tilt toward the running game.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Estimated as full participant
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Pittman (back) was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's practice estimate.
The Colts held a walk-through session Wednesday, and Pittman's listing as a full participant seemingly indicates that the wideout is making good progress after sitting out this past Sunday's loss to the Bills with a lingering back issue. Indianapolis is expected to hold a more traditional practice session Thursday, and assuming Pittman is once again a full participant in that session, he should be in the clear to play this Sunday versus the Jets. If Pittman is back in the lineup Sunday, he'll be on the receiving end of passes from Anthony Richardson, who has been reinstalled as Indianapolis' starting quarterback following a two-game benching.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Ruled out this week
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Head coach Shane Steichen said that Pittman (back/finger) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.
Pittman, who didn't participate in practice this week, thus is slated to miss his first game of the season. Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Steichen indicated Friday that Pittman is viewed as week-to-week, but at this stage the team is still not considering IR for the wideout. In Pittman's absence, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are in line to lead the Colts' WR corps, with Ashton Dulin and Adonai Mitchell mixing in, while Anthony Gould is available in reserve.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Still not practicing
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Pittman (back/finger) remained sidelined at practice Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman also missed sessions Wednesday and Thursday, and his continued absence Friday doesn't bode well for his chances of playing Sunday against the Bills. If Pittman ends up being unavailable for the contest, the Colts' Week 10 wideout corps would be in line to be led by Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, with Ashton Dulin and Adonai Mitchell mixing in.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not seen at Thursday's practice
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Pittman (back/finger) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Pittman didn't practice Wednesday, his norm since Week 6, so his absence a day later is notable. What the wideout -- who hasn't missed any games yet this season -- is able to do Friday, if anything, thus will be pivotal in terms of gauging the chances of him be able to continue to play through the back issue that he's been managing of late. The Colts face the Bills at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
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I was hopeful that Joe Flacco's return as the starter in Week 9 at Minnesota would help Pittman play at a high level again, but he had one catch for 14 yards on four targets. While Josh Downs is getting at least nine targets a game with Flacco, Pittman has been at nine combined targets in the past two games Flacco has started. Pittman is also dealing with back and finger injuries, and I would only start him in three-receiver leagues against the Bills in Week 10.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Just one catch in Week 9 loss
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Pittman caught one of four targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 21-13 loss to the Vikings.
Pittman was blanked on one first-half target and didn't see a substantial uptick in the second half. His quiet stat line was especially disappointing in the context of the Colts benching Anthony Richardson and starting Joe Flacco under center against the Vikings, as Pittman's pedestrian performance this season has been attributed in large part to Richardson's inaccuracy. After mustering at least 925 receiving yards in each of the previous three regular seasons, Pittman's on pace for only 691 receiving yards in 2024, with just 366 yards through nine games. Picking up the pace won't be easy in Week 10 against Buffalo's stout secondary.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Submits full practice
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Pittman (back) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.
Pittman sat out Wednesday's session, but his ability to log every rep in practice a day later clears up any concern about his status heading into Sunday's contest versus the Vikings. After signing a three-year, $70 million extension with the Colts in March, Pittman has slumped to a 29-352-2 receiving line on 53 targets through the team's first eight games, but his fantasy outlook should be rosier moving forward after head coach Shane Steichen announced that Joe Flacco will replace Anthony Richardson as the starting quarterback. While Flacco made two starts and an extended appearance off the bench in place of an injured Richardson from Weeks 4 through 6, Pittman produced 14 catches for 185 yards and scored both of his touchdowns on the season.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Misses another Wednesday practice
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Pittman (back) didn't practice Wednesday.
Pittman's practice reps have been managed of late while he's nursed a back injury, as he's now been listed as a non-participant on four consecutive Wednesday injury reports. The Colts haven't suggested that Pittman suffered any setbacks coming out of Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Texans, when he logged a 95 percent snap share and finished with one catch for 16 yards on six targets. The expectation is that Pittman will upgrade to full participation Thursday and/or Friday to clear up any concern about his status for this weekend's game against the Vikings. Assuming he's available for the contest, Pittman's fantasy prospects should be bolstered by the installation of Joe Flacco over the struggling Anthony Richardson as the Colts' starting quarterback moving forward.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: More inefficiency with Richardson
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Pittman secured one of six targets for 16 yards in the Colts' 23-20 loss to the Texans on Sunday.
Pittman struggled through another game with Anthony Richardson as his quarterback, finishing a very distant second to Josh Downs in receiving yards on the afternoon. Pittman has now finished under 40 receiving yards in three of the last four games, and he's therefore on track to finish with his lowest numbers across the board since his rookie 2020 campaign.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: No Week 8 injury designation
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Pittman (back) doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Texans.
After practicing fully Thursday, Pittman didn't practice Friday, but, given that he heads into the weekend minus an injury designation, his non-participation presumably was maintenance-related as he continues to work through a back issue. With fellow WR Josh Downs (groin/toe) and top RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) also cleared for Week 8 action, the Colts offense is as healthy as it's been for some time as QB Anthony Richardson makes his second straight start after having missed time with an oblique injury. Through seven games to date, Pittman has compiled a 28-336-2 line on 47 targets, a rate of production down from last season's pace but still enough to merit fantasy lineup consideration.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Puts in full practice
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Pittman (back) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.
Last week, Pittman sandwiched missed practices Wednesday and Friday around a full session Thursday before playing in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Dolphins and finishing with three catches on 63 yards on five targets. He may be following a similar path this week, as he sat out Wednesday's session before logging every rep Thursday. The Colts will wait and see what Pittman is able to do during Friday's practice before determining whether he'll avoid a designation or take a questionable tag into this Sunday's matchup with the Texans.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not practicing Wednesday
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Pittman (back) was present but not participating in Wednesday's practice, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Josh Downs (toe) was also a spectator during practice, though Atkins points out that both Pittman and Downs also missed the last two Wednesday practice sessions for rest purposes. Pittman has two more chances to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Texans, but the early expectation is that he'll be ready to play.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Cleared to play Sunday
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Pittman (back) is active for Sunday's game against the Dolphins.
Pittman didn't practice Wednesday and Friday due to the back injury and was listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but a full session Thursday likely cleared up any lingering concern about his health heading into Sunday. Though Pittman is unlikely to face any restrictions with his snaps Sunday, the return of Anthony Richardson (oblique) to the lineup after missing the past two games could limit Pittman's fantasy appeal. While Richardson was healthy and played the entirety of Weeks 1 through 3, Pittman managed just 11 receptions for 88 yards and no touchdowns on 20 targets before he saw his production take off with Joe Flacco directing the offense for most of the past three contests.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Appears likely to play Sunday
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Pittman (back) is listed as questionable but is considered likely to play Sunday against the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Schefter's report aligns with what James Boyd of The Athletic previously reported Friday, but it's further confirmation that Pittman appears to be on the right side of the questionable tag ahead of Sunday's date with Miami. The Colts are going back to Anthony Richardson under center, which can't be viewed as a positive for Pittman's fantasy prospects after he posted receiving lines of 4-31-0, 3-21-0 and 4-36-0 across Weeks 1 through 3 with Richardson at the controls. Pittman has 100 yards and/or one touchdown in all three games with Joe Flacco either starting or playing most of the contest.
