RADIO
NFL rookie Michael Pittman Jr. is a potential fantasy football wide receiver draft sleeper for 020. Target him is a later round WR value pick in fantasy drafts.
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~150 Overall
CURRENT ADP: ~163
ANALYSIS: The Indianapolis Colts needed a playmaking wide receiver entering 2020 so they went on and snatched big-man Michael Pittman Jr. in the second round of the draft. Pittman's size will make him a great red-zone presence for Philip Rivers and will allow him to use his physical toughness to beat out smaller cornerbacks. The hope? That MPJ can eventually succeed Hilton as the WR1 of the Colts.
Can't hide facts about MPJ: the 22-year-old’s best season was his senior year at USC in 2019, in which he eclipsed 1,275 yards finishing with 101 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
When looking at it heading into the season, Pittman will enter as the WR2 on the depth chart but will need to fight competition to keep it. T.Y. Hilton will naturally be the WR1, and Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal are right behind Pittman and will look to elevate themselves up the depth chart. Leaving surefire WR1 Hilton out, Pascal finished 2019 with 41 receptions on 72 targets for 607 yards (5 TDs) while Campbell completed an 18-reception, 24-target, 127-yard, one-touchdown season.
If we trust PFF projections for the 2020 season, Pittman would bury Campbell's numbers in a few months while putting on a very similar performance to what Pascal showed (remember that he benefited from Hilton absence, boosting his numbers due to a larger share): the rookie projects to finish his freshman campaign with 528 yards on 41 receptions and 3 scores.
Considering how thing Indy is on offense and the lack of proven receivers other than T.Y. Hilton, Pittman's upside is sky-high and he could turn into a truly valuable weapon down the road--again, Hilton missed ample time last year and it could happen again with the veteran hitting the wrong side of 30. Not pegging Pittman as your surefire WR1, but surely a great late-round flier to get and play at the FLEX spot weekly.
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