Michael Pittman Jr.

The Indianapolis Colts have officially signed second-round pick WR Michael Pittman Jr. to a four-year rookie contract.

Fantasy Impact

Pittman is expected to contribute right away in Indy as the “X receiver” in Frank Reich’s offense. Parris Campbell figures to operate in the slot with T.Y. Hilton moving around in the formation. Pittman Jr. will need to build chemistry with Philip Rivers quickly if he wants to contribute right away. Nevertheless, he’s a sneaky option in redraft leagues and an even better option in dynasty league drafts this year. He should be a good one for Rivers and the Colts.

When asked about WR Michael Pittman Jr. and his role in the Colts offense, head coach Frank Reich told the media, “We envision Michael as being the ‘X’ receiver. We believe he can develop into that pretty quickly.”

Fantasy Impact

The Colts took Pittman Jr. with the 34th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, so they obviously see him as a guy that can make an immediate impact. It sounds like Reich is ready to have him operate as a full-time starter in the ‘X’ WR role. As Reich explained it, “the X receiver is the guy that you want to put [out wide], when you are in a trips right, he’s singled into the boundary and you can throw 1-on-1 to him. There’s a handful of routes you want to throw to him there. You think about those things when you pick a guy. Let’s put him in the boundary and throw 1-on-1 and expect him to win.” To fill out the rest of the receiving core, T.Y. Hilton is expected to play the ‘Y’ and Parris Campbell the slot. Zach Pascal should be the primary backup and can play in all three positions. With new Colts QB Philip Rivers at the helm, each receiver should see an uptick in production in 2020. It sounds like the coaching staff has high hopes for the rookie WR out of USC, and if Pittman Jr. can quickly develop a rapport with Rivers, look for him to be a viable fantasy asset this season. He’s ranked #59 in FantasyPros consensus WR rankings, but comes in at #43 in Dynasty rankings. He’s a player with a high ceiling in what should be a much improved offense in Indianapolis with the additions of Rivers and RB Jonathan Taylor.

The Indianapolis Colts have selected wide receiver Michael Pittman with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Fantasy Impact

Pittman is a 6'4", 223-pound receiver out of USC. According to Pro Football Focus he had just five drops on 254 career targets in his college career. He'll join a wide receiver corps in Indianapolis that also features T.Y. Hilton, Perris Campbell, and Zach Pascal.

Michael Pittman Jr. (6'4/223) runs a 4.52 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine.

Fantasy Impact

Michael Pittman Jr. had serious questions coming into the Combine regarding his ability to separate at his size. At 6'4/223, he possesses the ability to go up and highpoint the ball, but there were questions surrounding whether or not that would be his only role in the NFL. Pittman came out and proved that he can separate and be a threat downfield with a 4.52 40-yard dash on Thursday. Pittman also jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical jump and 121 inches in the broad jump. With those numbers, and his excellent tape, Pittman may have inserted himself into second round consideration from NFL teams. He congruently may have put himself into round one consideration in Dynasty rookie drafts.