Colts Top WR Losing Fantasy Relevance 'Egregious'

The Indianapolis Colts possess a talented pass-catching corps, which was amplified after they selected rookie tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick of the NFL draft this year. While names like Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are fantastic talents, as well as the question mark that is Adonai Mitchell, it's still Michael Pittman Jr. who slots in as the WR1.

The Colts' wide receivers suffered in fantasy football last year through 11 games due to the wild inaccuracy of Anthony Richardson, especially Pittman, who played through a fractured back and had the lowest numbers of his career since his debut season in 2020.

Pittman finished 2024 with 16 games (14 starts), 69 catches for 808 receiving yards, and three scores. Pittman is as tough as nails, but Richardson's struggles and his injury derailed any chance he had at an effective fantasy football campaign for manager's that took a swing on him.

However, Fantasy Pros believes he's the Colts' best dynasty league value pick for the 2025 campaign. Ted Chmyz has the lowdown.

"Michael Pittman Jr. isn’t a game-changing talent like Collins. But he was a top-24 receiver for three straight seasons and has essentially been written off after one bad year. This is especially egregious once we consider the context of Pittman’s down season," said Chmyz. "He was playing through a fractured back that was originally expected to be season-ending and catching passes from the least accurate starting quarterback the NFL has seen in years."

Richardson's struggles have been documented, but they must be given that the receivers are hauling in his passes. Richardson was at an abysmal 47.7 completion percentage and had major issues with shorter, intermediate passes, which Pittman thrives at snagging.

While Joe Flacco filled in for six games, he wasn't much better, albeit more accurate. In short, Pittman needs to get healthy, and Richardson (or Daniel Jones) must be more secure as passers to help Pittman get back to better numbers.

The Colts' offense will be predicated on running the football since they have a weapon like Jonathan Taylor in the backfield. However, given the talent at wide receiver around Pittman (and now tight end), it should open up opportunities for the former USC Trojan to make plays and have volume targets.

Shane Steichen definitely wants his number one receiver to thrive more than 2024 where he regressed for reasons that were mostly out of his control. For fantasy purposes, it's enticing to snag Pittman in a dynasty league, but his production lies in how the quarterback situation pans out.

At the end of it all, if Richardson starts and can't shake his accuracy issues, it might be another season where fantasy managers are scratching their heads on what to do with Pittman after putting faith in him to help their cause.

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