Colts WR Michael Pittman (concussion) progressed to a full practice on Thursday. He's now on track to be cleared for Sunday's game vs. the Falcons. Pittman can be penciled into Week 16 fantasy lineups, but check back tomorrow for another update on his status.
Colts WR Michael Pittman (concussion) was listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report. So he's made some progress through the protocol and has a chance to be cleared for this weekend's game vs. the Falcons. We'll update his status again tomorrow.
Colts WR Michael Pittman took a vicious hit to the head in the second quarter of Saturday's game vs. the Steelers. He eventually made it off the field under his own power but went to the locker room for a concussion check. We'll update Pittman's status when we know more.
Update: Pittman has been ruled out with a concussion. This is his second documented concussion. We'll track his progress through the protocol this coming week.
Colts WR Michael Pittman racked up 10 catches for 107 yards in the Week 12 win over the Bucs. His 13 targets tied for the team lead and were 31.7% of QB Gardner Minshew's 41 total attempts. Pittman has now averaged 10.8 targets, 7.5 catches, 81.2 yards, and 0.33 TDs in his last six games with Minshew. He has a chance to continue delivering WR1 level production the next three games with plus matchups against the Titans, Bengals, and Steelers.
Colts WR Michael Pittman caught a mid-range pass from Gardner Minshew in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Browns, broke two tackles and took it for a 75-yard go-ahead TD. And thank goodness he did, because Pittman only had one other catch among 5 total targets. That did still account for 21.7% of Minshew's total pass attempts in a game that saw him throw just 23 times. Throw in a matchup with what had been the league's toughest defense coming into the game, and there's nothing to worry about with Pittman's role. Next week holds another non-easy matchup with the Saints.
Colts WR Michael Pittman racked up 9 receptions for 109 yards on 14 targets in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He clearly benefited from Gardner Minshew attempting 55 throws in the lopsided loss. But Pittman drew a nice 25.5% target share. He garnered six more looks than his nearest teammate (Josh Downs). It's the fourth time in six games that Pittman has drawn at least 11 targets. That makes him a weekly starter across fantasy formats. Week 7 holds a difficult matchup with the league-best Browns defense, though.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson has been placed on IR with his Grade 3 AC joint sprain. That knocks him out for at least the next four games vs. the Jaguars, Browns, Saints, and Panthers. The rookie is droppable in shallower fantasy leagues without an IR spot. QB Gardner Minshew will step in as Indianapolis' starter for however long Richardson is out. Minshew is a capable veteran who's already registered a 68.7% completion rate with two TDs vs. 0 INTs this season. He might even be a slight upgrade for WRs Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
Colts rookie WR Josh Downs caught all six of his targets for a team-high 97 yards in Sunday's win over the Titans. Downs actually had two other targets -- one completed, one not -- negated by offensive penalties. He made half of those receptions with each QB, in a game Anthony Richardson left early with a right shoulder injury. Downs remains third among Colts WRs in snaps and routes but continues to easily beat WR Alec Pierce in targets per route. He looks like a decent PPR WR3 for Week 6 at Jacksonville. Tougher matchups with Cleveland and New Orleans sit beyond that. WR Michael Pittman led Downs 7-6 in official targets against Tennessee, posting a 5-52 receiving line. No other Colt caught more than two passes.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. only caught 1 pass on 5 targets for 15 yards in Week 4 vs. the Rams. As disappointing of an outcome as that is, only one Indianapolis pass-catcher (TE Drew Ogletree) recorded more than 2 catches in this contest. The Colts were shut out in the first half and had to claw their way back to even force OT. Next week’s game vs. the Titans should produce much better results for Pittman Jr. and company.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. recorded a team-leading 9 catches on 11 targets for 77 yards vs. the Ravens in Week 3. We expected some good production from him, but hello, rookie WR Josh Downs! The first-year wideout had a solid breakout performance, logging 8 catches on 12 targets for 57 receiving yards in the contest. He’d been second on the Colts in targets so far this year, though this is the first game all year where Downs’ involvement translated to the box score. He’ll be a fun name to add off of the waiver wire this week in advance of Week 4 vs. the Rams.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Ravens. We’ll see if the rookie can get cleared for Week 4. Richardson will be replaced by QB Gardner Minshew, who played well in relief last week and has experience in HC Shane Steichen’s offense from their time together in Philadelphia. Minshew is only a viable play in 2-QB and Superflex leagues, but he should keep this Colts offense afloat.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) remained sidelined on Thursday. He's now looking unlikely to play vs. the Ravens this weekend. That'd leave QB Gardner Minshew under center. Minshew is a capable passer, sporting a career 63% completion rate and 7.1 yards per attempt. And the Colts probably attempt at least a few more passes with Minshew than Richardson. WR Michael Pittman is a nice fantasy WR2 regardless of who's at QB for Indianapolis.
Colts WR Michael Pittman led the team in receiving again in Week 2, hauling in 8 of his 12 targets for 56 receiving yards vs. the Texans. Even without QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) in the lineup for most of the game, Pittman continued to be the focal point of the aerial attack in Indianapolis. These totals are encouraging and will undoubtedly make fantasy managers feel better if Richardson cannot suit up in Week 3 vs. the Ravens. A small note to remember from this game is that rookie WR Josh Downs has now seen 12 targets (second-most on the Colts) through the first two games of 2023. His involvement has yet to translate into useable fantasy points, though he's a name to consider speculatively adding in deeper leagues.
Colts WR Michael Pittman led the Colts with 11 targets, eight catches, 97 yards, and a score in Sunday's loss to the Colts. Those 11 targets were a big 29.7% of the team total. Pittman's TD came on a 39-yard screen, flashing some impressive speed to beat the angles of a few Jaguars defenders. He's a big fantasy winner of Week 1. Pittman looks like the Colts' clear No. 1 WR -- AND it looks like this passing game will be more aggressive and productive than we initially thought.
The Colts plan to ease WR Michael Pittman into training camp after his offseason hip injury, according to the Indianapolis Star's Nate Atkins. "Pittman said he's completely over it, but they just want to be cautious bringing him back into the fold," Atkins writes. This doesn't sound like a concern, although missed reps aren't ideal as Pittman settles into a new offense with a new QB.
Colts beat writer Kevin Bowen considers WR Josh Downs “the ideal slot receiver complement.” While Michael Pittman will kick inside some, Downs’ path to playing in 3-WR sets (with Alec Pierce) looks clear. Bowen adds that the rookie showed a “strong early connection” with QB Anthony Richardson, with Downs “easily creating space in those short areas of the field.” Colts area scout Chad Henry shared the same sentiment. “He’s a playmaker,” Henry said of Downs. “We don’t have a whole lot of guys like him. He’s sort of a human chain mover. Good luck covering him in a short area.” Downs missed part of the spring with a knee issue, but all indications suggest it’s minor. Depending on the play of Richardson, Downs could become a deep-league PPR spot starter. For now, though, he’s not someone to circle on your cheat sheet.
Colts WR Michael Pittman got plenty of target and reception volume last season. He finished 16th among WRs in target share and 10th in the league in receptions. But his yardage efficiency tumbled. Pittman's yards per catch fell from 12.3 in 2021 to 9.3, with poor QB play a (the?) primary culprit. His average depth of target fell by more than 2 yards, with QBs Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles all ranking 28th or worse in Pro Football Focus passing grade. Pittman also produced his lowest mark yet, though, in yards after catch per reception. According to PFF, he tied for just 53rd in yards per route and ranked 44th in receiving grade, among 97 WRs with 40+ targets. Pittman did, at least, rank a decent 26th in targets per route, matching his 2021 ranking. Rookie QB Anthony Richardson should be good for Pittman's aDOT. But we'd bet on the WR coming down from last year's 70.2% catch rate. Overall, it's tough to bet on big upside for Pittman from his WR3-level ADP. Read more about the outlook for Indy's lead wideout and see where he lands in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
The Colts have named Jim Bob Cooter their new OC. He turned in 3 generally underwhelming seasons as Lions OC from 2016-2018, with finishes of 21st, 13th and 24th in total yards. Cooter then bounced to Jets RBs coach to Eagles "consultant" to Jaguars passing-game coordinator this past year, playing a part in QB Trevor Lawrence's breakout season. Cooter will work under offensive-minded HC Shane Steichen in Indianapolis. Steichen is expected to call plays, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer.
Shane Steichen is set to be named the Colts' HC, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Rumors of the move gained steam in the days leading up to the Eagles' Super Bowl loss, and Steichen is flying to Indianapolis on Monday afternoon to finalize the deal. The 37-year-old spent the past 2 seasons as Philadelphia's OC under HC Nick Sirianni, helping the Eagles to 14th- and then 3rd-place finishes in total yards. Prior to that, he spent the 2020 campaign as Chargers OC, leading that team to a 9th-place finish in yards with rookie QB Justin Herbert. With the 4th overall pick of this spring's draft, there's a good chance that Steichen is again working with a rookie signal-caller in 2023. Shoddy QB play left the Colts among the bottom 6th in both points and total yards last year. But they have an elite RB in Jonathan Taylor and a young, developing WR corps led by Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. drew a team-high 8 targets and caught a team-high 6 passes in Sunday's lopsided loss at the Giants. He managed just 41 yards but secured the team's only TD (from QB Sam Ehlinger). Pittman remains among the top 30 WRs in PPR points per game despite playing with 3 separate (poor) QBs this season. We'll see how Indianapolis addresses that position this offseason, after applying different Band-Aids each of the past 3 years. Pittman heads into the final year of his rookie contract -- and age-26 season -- in 2023. WR Parris Campbell led the team with 52 receiving yards Sunday on 3 catches (6 targets).
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