Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. impressed against the Houston Texans in Week 1, hauling in nine of 13 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. He showed that he has built a quick rapport with new quarterback Matt Ryan, and without much impressive depth behind him, Pittman's connection with the veteran signal-caller should continue.
Unfortunately, as Week 2 gets underway, Pittman's availability could be up in the air. The 24-year-old is dealing with an injury as the week's practices progress.
Will Pittman play in Week 2? What is his fantasy football outlook for this coming week?
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Is Michael Pittman Jr. Injured or Playing in Week 2?
Pittman was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a quadriceps injury. Then, he was downgraded to a non-participant on Thursday. On one hand, there is still time for Pittman to log a limited or full session on Friday. On the other hand, it is never a good sign when a player's availability in practice worsens as the game gets closer.
Pittman's official designation for Week 2 won't be announced until Friday afternoon, but he is certainly trending in the wrong direction. If he is limited or full in practice on Friday, fantasy managers should expect him to suit up. But if he remains missing from a second consecutive practice, odds are that he won't be able to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
Michael Pittman Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 2
Although Pittman's status is up in the air, he only has two clear outlooks for Week 1. If Pittman is active, he should see a full workload and be viewed as a top-12 receiver in fantasy football, especially against a Jaguars defense that just surrendered a whopping 38 fantasy points to wide receivers in Week 1 (second-worst in the NFL). Meanwhile, if Pittman is inactive, the answer is obvious: he should be taken out of all lineups.
It's hard to envision a scenario in which Pittman is on a snap count Sunday, especially since the season remains in its infancy. If Pittman can go, he'll go. If he can't, he'll be inactive. There's no in-between.
Since the Jaguars-Colts game kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, fantasy managers will have confirmation about Pittman's status ahead of the early window, making their lineup decisions quite simple.
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