Pittman didn't participate at Friday's practice due to a hip injury, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.
Head coach Shane Steichen indicated it's not a serious issue, saying the injury is "nothing crazy." Pittman appears as though he'll be ready for the start of training camp, which is nearly two months away. The 25-year-old led the Colts last season with 99 receptions for 925 yards and four touchdowns, and he'll remain the No. 1 wideout for 2023 while entering a contract year.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Not focused on extension
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Pittman recently told reporters he isn't worried about his contract and is letting his agent handle extension talks, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports. "If it doesn't happen this year, that's no big deal," Pittman said. "It'll happen eventually, right?"
The 2020 second-round pick doesn't seem to have a holdout in mind for his contract year after a disappointing 2022 for both him personally and the Indianapolis offense as a whole. The team now has a new coaching staff and two new QBs, with Gardner Minshew and fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson expected to compete for the Week 1 start. Pittman drew 60 more targets than any of his teammates in 2021 (129) and 50 more in 2022 (141), making him a huge favorite to lead the Colts in receiving again after the team's most notable offseason additions at WR were a rookie third-round pick (Josh Downs) and a 28-year-old who got less than $500,000 guaranteed on his contract (Isaiah McKenzie). The Colts also parted ways with Parris Campbell, who finished second on the team in targets and receiving last year and whose presence may have blocked Pittman from getting more slot snaps.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Touchdown grab to close out season
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Pittman secured three of five targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 32-31 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also rushed once for no gain and recovered a fumble.
Pittman was able to finish a solid third season by recording a touchdown grab for a second consecutive game on a one-yard catch late in the first quarter to open the scoring for the Colts. Pittman finished a campaign that was marred by a revolving door of mostly pedestrian quarterback play for the Colts just one reception short of 100, but he did cross the 900-yard threshold and also tallied four touchdowns. The 2020 second-round pick is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and given his impressive body of work over the last two seasons in particular, it remains to be seen if he and the club talk contract extension this offseason.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Finds end zone in lopsided loss
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Pittman secured six of eight targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 38-10 loss to the Giants on Sunday.
Pittman led the Colts in receptions and targets while checking in second in receiving yardage. The sure-handed receiver's six-yard scoring grab late in the third quarter served as the only touchdown of the day for Indianapolis, and his production on the day left him just four receptions short of the 100-catch mark for the season, as well as five yards shy of the 900-yard threshold. Pittman has just three touchdowns overall in 2022, so he'll look to improve on that tally in a Week 18 home matchup against the Texans.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Sit
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It was tough to watch Pittman play in Week 16 against the Chargers with Nick Foles under center, and Pittman was held to four catches for 39 yards on seven targets. That was the first time all season where he had at least seven targets and didn't score at least 10 PPR points. It will be difficult to trust Pittman again in Week 17 since Foles is starting again, even in PPR, and we know Pittman has been underwhelming in non- and 0.5-PPR leagues with just two touchdowns on the season. Hopefully, the Colts can fix their quarterback situation for 2023 and then Pittman can fully have a breakout campaign.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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The matchup should be conducive for Pittman to pick up some catches and yards, but Pittman himself doesn't do a lot after the catch, and he's rare to score. If you start Pittman, you're banking on his volume to increase from last week. That's possible, but he may max out on six catches for 60 yards. It keeps Pittman squarely in the PPR flex range, and lower than normal. I'd rather start Gabe Davis, Zay Jones and Brandin Cooks in any format.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Limited to 39 yards by Chargers
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Pittman recorded four receptions on seven targets for 39 yards in Monday's 20-3 loss to the Chargers.
Pittman led the Colts with seven targets with Nick Foles under center, though he struggled to produce until late in the game. The majority of his production came with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard reception -- his only double-digit gain of the contest. Though Pittman has operated as the centerpiece of the Colts' passing attack, he has surpassed 70 receiving yards in only four of 15 games for the season.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Possible Bust (Lineup Decisions)
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Might Pittman's huge target share be at risk with Foles under center. Foles' track record suggests he will utilize others in the passing game besides his big lug wideout. If it happens then Pittman will disappoint. Tack on the Chargers' best strength defensively (they stink against the run) and it could be a less-than-great output for Pittman. He's safest as a flex ahead of Drake London, Darius Slayton and any receivers in the Saints-Browns game.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Racks up 10 catches in OT loss
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Pittman caught 10 of 14 targets for 60 yards and rushed twice for 30 yards in Saturday's 39-36 overtime loss to the Vikings.
Pittman caught a lucky break in the second quarter, as the officials ruled that his forward progress was stopped at the end of a short catch, negating what would have been a fumble returned for a touchdown by the Vikings defense. He was the only Colts player to record more than two catches in a game that saw the team build up a 33-0 halftime lead, only to watch it slip away in the second half. Pittman remained the featured option through the air in overtime, contributing 24 yards on three catches, but the Colts ultimately punted on their only drive of OT before the Vikings won it with a field goal. Another boatload of short targets likely awaits Pittman in Week 16 against the Chargers.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: WRs to Start
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Pittman should be considered a must-start Fantasy receiver in PPR and a flex option in non- and 0.5-PPR leagues at Minnesota. This should be a game where he gets seven-plus targets, which has happened nine times this season, and he scored at least 12 PPR points in seven of those outings. He's also averaging 15.9 PPR points in those games. There have been 17 receivers with at least seven targets against the Vikings this year, and 15 of them have scored at least 13 PPR points. Minnesota is No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Pittman should have a standout game in this matchup. You can also consider Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce as sleepers for this week.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Flex Starter (Lineup Decisions)
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I would expect Pittman to see a bounce-back in targets, but his lack of involvement in high-value situations makes him pretty risky. At least the matchup is solid enough to consider Pittman a quality PPR flex, but more of a guy to avoid in non-PPR. I'd rather start Brandon Aiyuk and Christian Watson, but I'd take my chances with Pittman in PPR over Allen Lazard or a Steelers receiver.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Contrarian DFS Play
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Pittman hasn't reached 100 yards in a game since Week 6 and he's only scored one touchdown since Week 1. But this matchup against the Vikings is too good to pass up, especially if you get him at a low roster rate. Minnesota has allowed 11 different wide receivers to score more than 15 PPR Fantasy points in their last eight games.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Held in check on SNF
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Pittman was held to 16 yards on two receptions (four targets) in Sunday's 54-19 blowout loss to the Cowboys.
Pittman was unable to build off of last week's strong fantasy line, instead producing his worst point total of the 2022 campaign. Matt Ryan played exceptionally poorly against Dallas' vaunted pass rush, so it's tough to put any blame on the receivers in this blowout loss. The third-year wideout still owns a respectable 76/755/2 line through 12 games despite having subpar quarterback play for the majority of his tenure in Indianapolis. Pittman will look to rebound from this poor showing when the Colts take on the Vikings on Dec. 18 following the upcoming bye week.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Pittman is a borderline lock to keep up his string of games with 12-plus PPR points, but he's got a ceiling significantly higher because the Colts figure to throw a lot and the Cowboys are pretty willing to let offenses connect on shorter throws. I'd start him in PPR over DeVonta Smith and Allen Lazard, and in non-PPR over JuJu Smith-Schuster and Courtland Sutton.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Scores second TD of 2022
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Pittman caught seven of 11 targets for 61 yards in Monday's 24-17 loss to the Steelers.
Pittman's 16 receiving yards in the first half were enough for the team lead, as Matt Ryan mustered just 36 passing yards. The QB locked onto rookie tight end Jelani Woods (eight catches for 98 yards) for most of the second half but turned back to Pittman for a six-yard touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter. It was the wideout's first touchdown since Week 1. After the Steelers went back up 24-17, Pittman jump-started the Colts' last-gasp drive late in the fourth with a 28-yard catch, then picked up just enough to move the chains on 4th-and-three before the drive petered out on the next set of downs. He'll face Trevon Diggs and the Cowboys in Week 13.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Seven grabs in Week 10 win
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Pittman caught seven of nine targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Raiders.
With Matt Ryan back under center instead of Sam Ehlinger, the Colts' passing game showed a little more life, and Pittman caught at least seven passes for the fifth time in nine games. The third-year wideout is on pace to reach 100 receptions for the first time as well as deliver his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, but he faces a tough test in Week 11 against the Eagles' star-studded secondary.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Flex Starter in PPR (Lineup Decisions)
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I suspect the Colts will try to get their run game going with interim coach Jeff Saturday leaning on his big men up front. That might limit the number of throws Sam Ehlinger makes, but the ones he does throw to Pittman should be caught. Pittman's PPR profile remains flex-worthy, but in half- and non-PPR he's easy to bench.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Earns nine targets
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Pittman recorded seven receptions on nine targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Commanders.
Even with Sam Ehlinger under center, Pittman commanded nine targets, with the next closest Colt seeing only five. However, he still lacked big-play ability, as his longest catch of the day went for 16 yards, and only one of his six other receptions went for double-digit yards. Pittman should continue to see plenty of volume, but he now has fewer than 60 yards in four of his last five games.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Pedestrian performance in loss
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Pittman recorded six receptions on nine targets for 58 yards in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Titans.
Coming off a 16-target performance, Pittman remained heavily involved in the Colts' offense but was outshined by Parris Campbell. The former was also held under 60 yards for the third time in six games this season, as only two of his catches went for double-digit yards. Pittman has become very reliant on volume, as his two 100-yard tallies came in games when he had 13 and 16 targets, respectively. That may say more about the Colts' offense than Pittman, but it still isn't particularly positive for his outlook moving forward.
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Colts' Michael Pittman: Monster performance in win
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Pittman brought in 13 of 16 targets for 134 yards in the Colts' 34-27 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
Pittman paced the Colts in receptions, receiving yards and targets in a standout performance that saw him left out of Matt Ryan's three-touchdown barrage and come up just short of securing a two-point conversion grab, but that still led to season-best numbers across the board. Pittman now has a pair of 100-yard efforts on the campaign, and he'll look to make his first trip to the end zone since Week 1 in the Colts' AFC South road showdown versus the Titans in Week 7.
