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Earlier this year, the Indianapolis Colts made it a priority to address their offense in the 2020 NFL Draft. With their first pick in the second round, they took wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Then a few picks later, they selected running back Jonathan Taylor to pair with veteran running back Marlon Mack.
On paper, Pittman Jr. would fit in perfectly with a Colts’ receiving core lacking another perimeter option opposite of veteran T.Y. Hilton. In Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, the rookie wideout played 92-percent of offensive snaps, which was an uptick from Week 1, where he only played 53 percent.
In that game versus the Vikings, Pittman Jr. was the team’s second-leading receiver with four receptions (six targets) for 37 yards, behind tight end Mo Alie-Cox. The former USC standout followed up that performance with three receptions (four targets) for 26 yards in Week 3 against the Jets. But Pittman needed leg surgery right after the game, which sidelined him for the next five weeks.
However, since his return to action, the 6-foot-4 wide receiver has been a favorite target of quarterback Philip Rivers over the last two weeks. Against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, Pittman had a season-best seven receptions (eight targets) for 101 yards. The rookie wide receiver also played at least 80-percent of offensive snaps for the second-straight week.
When it comes to fantasy football, Pittman Jr. scored a season-high 12.2 fantasy points, which would make him a solid WR3/FLEX play this week. If Pittman Jr. continues to play a consistent number of snaps going forward, he would become a viable late season waiver wire add. As of now, the 23-year-old wideout is rostered in just nine percent of ESPN leagues.