Michael Pittman Jr. fantasy outlook for 2024: Is Colts WR a good pick this year?

Michael Pittman Jr. is coming off of another productive fantasy football season last year. He ranked among the top 25 wide receivers in season-long scoring for the third consecutive year and set new career highs in targets, receptions and receiving yards. This makes him an attractive target in fantasy drafts ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

Michael Pittman Jr.'s 2024 Fantasy Outlook

Michael Pittman Jr. (GETTY)

Michael Pittman Jr. has been the number-one wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts in each of his past three seasons with the team. This has produced consistently solid results for him in fantasy football during that time. This includes ranking as WR15 twice and the WR23 across those three seasons, making him a reliable WR2 on most fantasy rosters.

Pittman has also improved his workload in each of his four seasons with the Colts, increasing his targets and receptions every year. This resulted in his career-best season last year, setting new highs with 156 targets for 109 receptions and 1,152 yards. He also caught four touchdowns, giving him 15 total TDs during his career so far.

His consistent output in his role and ability to improve his numbers in each season so far make Pittman a reliable wide receiver to target in 2024 fantasy football drafts. He is expected to serve as the Colts' WR1 again this year, so his workload is projected to be similar to what it has been in recent seasons.

Consistency and reliability are important factors when assessing any player's fantasy outlook, and Pittman has both. He has provided solid contributions in his role and has missed just two games combined across the past three years.

Is Michael Pittman Jr. a good pick in Fantasy Football this year?

Michael Pittman Jr. makes for a reliable pick in fantasy football for the upcoming 2024 NFL season. His numbers have consistently improved, and he has finished as a WR2 on most fantasy rosters for each of the past three seasons. Another step forward gives him a chance to break into the WR1 slot on many fantasy rosters as he appears to be in a similar role this year.

The potential issue with Pittman is that his upside could be limited by his situation with the Indianapolis Colts. He should see a relatively similar workload as he has in recent seasons, but their offensive design may put a cap on how high his ceiling could rise. Specifically, they have designed their offensive around the dynamic rushing attacks of quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor.

In his limited playing time last season due to injuries, Richardson flashed his upside of being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Taylor has also already shown his elite ceiling from his own position, including a previous overall RB1 finish in his best season. The two of them may account for a large chunk of the Colts' offensive production, which could create a potential hurdle for Pittman.

The Colts also used one of their draft picks on Adonai Mitchell this season, who will join Josh Downs in the starting lineup with Michael Pittman Jr. With a bit more target competition and a potentially run-heavy style of offense, Pittman still makes for a reliable WR2 on fantasy rosters, but managers shouldn't necessarily reach too high for him in their drafts.

Where should you draft Michael Pittman Jr. this year?

Michael Pittman Jr. ranks as the 36th overall player and WR18 for the 2024 fantasy football season, according to his current ADP. This means he profiles as a WR2 target for most fantasy rosters, as he has been for the past three consecutive seasons. Despite two finishes at WR15, managers are expecting a slight drop off with his WR18 ADP projection.

His ADP suggests that managers looking to land Pittman this year will likely need to select him either late in the third or early in the fourth round of their fantasy drafts. If he is still available in the fourth round or later, he makes for an excellent pick in fantasy drafts. In terms of the third round, he has a higher floor than many other players but a lower ceiling as well.

Other wide receivers with a similar ADP as Pittman include Stefon Diggs and Jaylen Waddle. A strong case can be made that the Colts star has a significantly higher floor than both of them. Diggs switched teams during the offseason to a situation where he will have a ton more competition for targets, while Waddle isn't even his team's featured receiver, with Tyreek Hill also on the roster.

His floor makes Michael Pittman Jr. a safer pick than Waddle and Diggs, but he also has a lower ceiling than both of them. If Diggs can emerge as the featured player in a crowded offense, he could far exceed his current ADP by a wide margin. Waddle has been a bit inconsistent, but his WR7 finish is eight spots higher than Pittman's career best.

Simply put, Pittman is a safe pick for a WR2 slot but not necessarily the most exciting one. Sportskeeda's Who Should I Draft tool can serve as an excellent reference for comparing his fantasy projections to those of other relevant players and determining if he is the best pick.