Fantasy Football: Falcons rookie Kyle Pitts among tight end leaders in target share

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated 9/17/21

If you have Kyle Pitts in your fantasy league, you were probably disappointed in his first outing as a member of the Falcons. The highest tight end drafted in NFL history only hauled in four passes for 31 yards on eight targets. He did have two notable plays in an otherwise down performance — one 15-yard pass down the seam and a tough fourth-down conversion, which was his only first down conversion of the day. However, there were encouraging signs that Pitts will finish as a top-five player at his position. He had the third-highest target share among tight ends in Week 1 — 24%.

TE target share leaders after Week 1

1. Darren Waller, 35%
2. Adam Trautman, 30%
3. Kyle Pitts, 24%
4. Tyler Higbee, 23%
5. Noah Fant, 22%
6. Travis Kelce, 21%
7. George Kittle, 20%

Everyone else sub 20%

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 15, 2021

Pitts may not have had a big performance in his first game, but he is clearly a significant part of Arthur Smith’s offense. The entire unit underperformed, so it isn’t surprising that the former fourth-overall pick also struggled. He and Calvin Ridley both led the team in targets, which is how the rest of the season will go. Smith’s use of Pitts all over the field is only going to increase his production too. Against Philadelphia, Pitts was used in a variety of alignments.

Kyle Pitts Snaps By Position

Position Snap

Inline 11

Slot 20

Wide 12

Tampa Bay had a potent defense at the end of the year on their way to a Lombardi trophy, but they were torn apart by Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. I fully expect a bounceback performance for Pitts, though it might not win you the week in fantasy because he will be going up against one of the best cover linebackers in football — Lavonte David.