Player Outlook
It's pretty easy to make the case for Pitts as a top-three Fantasy tight end: He finished his rookie year ranked no worse than fifth at his position in yards, targets, yards per catch, yards per route run, average depth of target and explosive play rate. He just became invisible in the red zone: 10th in targets with just one score. It would be a fireable offense if Arthur Smith didn't try to get Pitts more involved in the red-zone action, especially considering that he's now among the most experienced pass-catchers on the Falcons! With the downside of catching 60 passes for 900 yards and five touchdowns (10 PPR points per game) and the upside to rewrite the record books for tight-end production, Pitts is worth the gamble of a late Round 3 pick and a must-grab if he's sitting there into Round 4.
Player News
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Pitts caught two of five targets for eight yards during Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Saints. Pitts came into the contest listed as questionable due to a hamstring injury, but the rookie first-round pick ultimately was able to suit up. However, the tight end produced his worst performance of the season. He finished the 2021 campaign with 68 catches for 1,026 yards, but he only scored one touchdown. Pitts was as advertised during his first season in the NFL and was one of the lone bright spots on the Falcons' sporadic offense, but he likely will have to improve as a red-zone threat in Year 2 if he's going to take over as a bonafide star.
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Pitts (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game against the Saints. Pitts was questionable for Sunday's contest and will take the field for Atlanta in the season finale. The 21-year-old has 17 receptions for 309 yards over his past four games, though he continues to search for his first touchdown since Week 5.
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Pitts is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints, after Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Friday that he'd wait until Saturday to determine the tight end's availability, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. Pitts thus enters the weekend uncertain for Atlanta's season finale, but with reason to believe another update will be available long before Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. If the standout rookie doesn't play, Hayden Hurst and Parker Hesse will see most of the targets at tight end, with wideouts Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe and Olamide Zaccheaus also candidates for more target volume.
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Coach Arthur Smith suggested Friday that the Falcons may wait until Saturday to decide if Pitts (hamstring) can play in Sunday's game against New Orleans, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports. In other words, Pitts likely will be listed as questionable and may need to be treated as a game-time decision heading into the weekend, though it sounds like his status will be determined Saturday rather than Sunday morning/afternoon. The Falcons and Saints kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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Pitts (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports. Four days removed from not playing the second half of the Falcons' Week 17 loss at Buffalo, Pitts made his first appearance on the field since sustaining a hamstring injury. During a media session Thursday he relayed that he feels "good" and believes he'll be able to play Sunday against the Saints, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. Ultimately, Friday's practice report will reveal Pitts' odds to suit up this weekend, when he'll need 59 yards to break Mike Ditka's rookie record of 1,076 receiving yards for a tight end.
Recent Tweets
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5:12 pm ET / @tori_mcelhaneyTori McElhaney
If Kyle Pitts is only scratching the surface of the player he can be in this league, where does that leave expectat… https://t.co/3V2Z8EGoRj
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1:10 pm ET / @DOrlandoAJCD. Orlando Ledbetter
Cover 9@9 blog: #Falcons Kyle Pitts credits Stephon Gilmore with welcoming him to the NFL https://t.co/Ww8pUc3UeT
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12:01 pm ET / @TheFalcoholicThe Falcoholic
With rookie Drake London in the fold and Bryan Edwards entering the receiver room, is Kyle Pitts still the obvious… https://t.co/UgMGAo3PCQ
Completed Games
| WK | OPP | TAR | RECPT | REYD | REAVG | RETD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PHI | 8 | 4 | 31 | 7.75 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | @TB | 6 | 5 | 73 | 14.60 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | @NYG | 3 | 2 | 35 | 17.50 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | WAS | 9 | 4 | 50 | 12.50 | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | NYJ | 10 | 9 | 119 | 13.22 | 1 | 17 |
| 6 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | @MIA | 8 | 7 | 163 | 23.29 | 0 | 16 |
| 8 | CAR | 6 | 2 | 13 | 6.50 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | @NO | 7 | 3 | 62 | 20.67 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | @DAL | 7 | 4 | 60 | 15.00 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | NE | 5 | 3 | 29 | 9.67 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | @JAC | 6 | 2 | 26 | 13.00 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | TB | 7 | 4 | 48 | 12.00 | 0 | 4 |
| 14 | @CAR | 6 | 5 | 61 | 12.20 | 0 | 6 |
| 15 | @SF | 7 | 4 | 77 | 19.25 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | DET | 6 | 6 | 102 | 17.00 | 0 | 10 |
| 17 | @BUF | 4 | 2 | 69 | 34.50 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | NO | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4.00 | 0 | 0 |
| PROJECTION | 107 | 66 | 1006 | 15.24 | 3 | 108 | |
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK | OPP FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/11 | New Orleans Saints | 7 | 5.06 |
| 2 | 09/18 | @Los Angeles Rams | 9 | 5.62 |
| 3 | 09/25 | @Seattle Seahawks | 25 | 8.41 |
| 4 | 10/02 | Cleveland Browns | 17 | 6.94 |
| 5 | 10/09 | @Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20 | 7.21 |
| 6 | 10/16 | San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 4.60 |
| 7 | 10/23 | @Cincinnati Bengals | 26 | 8.57 |
| 8 | 10/30 | Carolina Panthers | 13 | 6.12 |
| 9 | 11/06 | Los Angeles Chargers | 31 | 10.35 |
| 10 | 11/10 | @Carolina Panthers | 13 | 6.12 |
| 11 | 11/20 | Chicago Bears | 5 | 4.76 |
| 12 | 11/27 | @Washington Commanders | 14 | 6.76 |
| 13 | 12/04 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 16 | 6.89 |
| 14 | BYE | - | - | - |
| 15 | 12/18 | @New Orleans Saints | 7 | 5.06 |
| 16 | 12/24 | @Baltimore Ravens | 28 | 8.94 |
| 17 | 01/01 | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 3.67 |
| 18 | 01/08 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20 | 7.21 |
Team Trends
Red Zone Trends
Career Stats
| Season | Tar | Recpt | ReYd | ReTD | ReFD | ReAvg | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 110 | 68 | 1026 | 1 | 43 | 15.09 | 108 |
| 3 Year Avg | 110 | 68 | 1026 | 1 | 43 | 15.09 | 108 |
| Career | 110 | 68 | 1026 | 1 | 43 | 15.09 |