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Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is an undervalued draft target and fantasy football sleeper for the 2020 season. Rishi Patel explains why Pittman is worth a look at WR.
The Indianapolis Colts needed a playmaking wide receiver, as T.Y. Hilton is now entering the wrong side of 30 and has recently been dealing with injuries. Aside from that, they don’t have any other proven receivers behind Hilton.
Thus, Indy snatched former USC WR Michael Pittman Jr. in the second round of the draft. Pittman is a big dude who can be of great value to an aging QB in Philip Rivers, who needs all the weapons he can get to succeed with the Colts in a relatively short time.
There is no doubt the 22-year-old Pittman can eventually succeed Hilton as the WR1 of the Colts. But could he take on a huge role right off the bat as a rookie? There is very much intrigue as to whether Pittman can emerge as a fantasy sleeper in 2020, especially if Hilton experiences any setbacks during the season. Let’s dive a bit more into Pittman’s strengths and outlook:
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College Career
Michael Pittman is a Southern California native. He attended high school in a town called Westlake Village near Los Angeles and went to nearby USC for college. The receiver played four years for the Trojans. His first two seasons were relatively modest, as he didn’t have much output. One thing to note about Pittman is his constant improvement throughout college. The 22-year-old’s best season was his senior year in 2019, in which he eclipsed 1,275 yards. He also finished with 101 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
The most prolific total of his college career was posting 232 yards against Utah in 2019. In the all-time USC receiving records, Pittman’s 2019 season fits right in. His 101 receptions were fifth-most all time, only behind some familiar names like Marqise Lee, Robert Woods, Nelson Agholor, and Keyshawn Johnson. His 1,275 total yards were ninth-most all-time and his 232-yard game was the fifth-highest all-time in terms of most receiving yards in a game by a Trojan receiver. Pittman tied seventh in highest receptions in a game with 13.
The 232-yard day wasn’t the only game the big-bodied receiver showed his toughness and potential. In fact, in the last five games of 2019, he had four games with over 100 yards receiving (156, 146, 180, 104). During his best season in 2019, Pittman ranked fourth among college receivers in receptions and 10th in yards.
The USC records weren’t the only accolades for the talented wideout. Throughout his college career, Pittman was a two-time First Team All-Pac 12, a second-team All-American, and earned the Pop Warner Award.
Scouting Report
Not only is he a playmaker with huge potential, but Pittman brings size and athleticism. During the 40-yard dash, he finished with a 4.52, close to the ranks of Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb and 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, who both finished with 4.50.
Along with a decent speed, the receiver brings immense size at 6’4”, 223 lbs. He can be a great red-zone presence for Philip Rivers and can use physical toughness to beat out smaller cornerbacks. In addition, Pittman is easily the biggest wideout on the Colts, with more size than T.Y. Hilton (5’10”), Parris Campbell (6’0”), and Zach Pascal (6’2”).
According to Bleacher Report, the receiver can effectively run routes while beating out defenders, has a terrific balance, and his catch radius and catch abilities are tremendous. The only downside to Pittman is he cannot burn defenders with extreme speed and stretch the field as he is a big-bodied receiver.
Fantasy Outlook
Last year, Zach Pascal led the Colts in receiving yards with 607. This is because T.Y. Hilton was dealing with injuries to his quad and calf throughout the campaign, leading him to only appear in 10 games.
When looking at it heading into the season, Pittman will enter as the WR2 on the depth chart, but needs to fight 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.
With an injury-plagued campaign, the 30-year-old Hilton finished 2019 with 45 receptions, 68/513 targets (13.3%), 501 yards, and five touchdowns. Since he played the lowest amount of games during a season in his eight-year career, the FIU product naturally finished with career-lows in receptions, targets, and yards. Though Hilton remains the WR1, any setback would propel Pittman to a much bigger role and thus increase his fantasy value as he would be a top receiving option for Philip Rivers.
The USC product also will likely have to fend off Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell for targets and the WR2 spot. The good news is that both are still relatively unproven. Because of Hilton’s injury, the 25-year-old Pascal was thrust into a larger role last season. He finished 2019 with 41 receptions, 72/513 targets (14.0%), 607 yards, 14.8 yards per catch, and five touchdowns in 16 games. He still only finished 48th among fantasy wideouts despite being the “lead” receiver.
Second-year receiver Parris Campbell is also in the mix but didn’t finish his rookie season in impressive fashion. The Ohio State product played only seven games and mustered 18 receptions, 24 targets, 127 yards, and one touchdown.
Because both Pascal and Campbell are not as proven, they enter 2020 below Pittman on the depth chart, which bodes well for the California native. Though it’s best to lower his value and any high expectations overall heading into drafts, Pittman is a solid flex piece who can end up being a high reward if things turn in his favor. This is because of his potential to play a big role in this offense, his size and strength, his college experience, and no huge receiving threats to take away targets and production.
As the season continues, a clear role for the rookie should be carved out and there is a possibility he could emerge as a dependable playmaker for the Colts. This is especially considering the opposing defenses will have their top corner shadow Hilton, leaving the big-bodied Pittman with plenty of opportunities to rack up yards and catches and be a red-zone presence.
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