Kyle Pitts is Done as a Top Tight End Option
Every NFL season, the tight end position is a difficult one for fantasy football league managers. Drafters do not know whether to spend for the top target in Travis Kelce or a young prospect.
Ever since being drafted with the No. 4 pick in 2021, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has offered limited glimpses of being the NFL’s next great receiving tight end target. After a historic 1,000-yard rookie season, Pitts seemed like a future star. Since then, Pitts has frustrated league managers with inconsistency and injuries. In Sunday’s Week 1, Pitts caught two of his three targets for 44 yards in a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
In an era where teams generally throw the football, the Falcons are going in reverse. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith loves to run the football. In 2022, the Falcons ran the ball more than any other team while averaging nearly 160 yards a game. With being such a run-dominant team, the quarterback is not asked to carry the team.
This past Sunday, Tyler Allgeier ran 15 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Bijan Robinson ran 10 times while catching six passes in his NFL debut. The Falcon pass-catchers failed to make a strong impact on Sunday.
Robinson’s six targets led the team. Mack Hollins was targeted four times. Pitts received three times. Drake London was held without a catch on just one target. With fewer passes every game, the Falcon pass-catchers need to take advantage of every throw. While the Falcons won, any Pitts owner would have been fuming in the Falcons running so much.
The other major problem with Atlanta is Desmond Ridder. Unlike other young passers, Ridder is likely not capable of being a prolific quarterback. Ridder has only attempted more than 30 passes once in his brief NFL career.
Pitts’ best value is in dynasty leagues. Many managers want Pitts to be their dynasty tight end for the foreseeable future. Even this early in the fantasy season, some league managers are trading. In my dynasty league, I traded Pitts for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson. Hockenson’s consistent targets led me to acquire a stable tight end.
Pitts’ value has been great in dynasty leagues with managers hoping he would replicate his 2021 season. With Atlanta’s rushing philosophy, the Falcons will not be a passing offense. Bijan Robinson looks set to become the No. 1 option as a dual-threat running back. Other young tight ends have become focal points in dynasty leagues. Buffalo’s Dalton Kincaid, Detroit’s Sam Laporta, and Green Bay’s Luke Musgrave were all dynasty targets.
Even though Pitts was not at his best, the tight end position did not help league managers in Week 1.
No Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews played a role in a low Week 1 output.
Pitts is just 22. He offers more upside than most tight ends in the NFL. Despite this potential, Pitts appears done as a top tight end.
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