Fantasy Managers Have Band-Aid Ripped Off As Kyle Pitts Placed On IR
Pitts will miss at least the next four games
Kyle Pitts caused fantasy football managers to question whether he should be included in their starting lineups throughout the last six or seven weeks.
Well, those managers had the Band-Aid ripped off and decision made for them Monday as the Atlanta Falcons placed the tight end on injured reserve. Pitts will miss at least the next four weeks, the final stretch before fantasy football playoffs. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Pitts suffered a torn MCL which would require surgery.
Pitts, one of the first tight ends off the board in fantasy football drafts, ranks TE21 in average scoring after 11 weeks, per Sportradar. The upside and potential might have caused managers to keep Pitts in lineups, but his lack of production likely made for many irate owners.
The former first-round pick has been plagued by Atlanta's run-first brand of football and thus has averaged fewer than eight points per game. Thought to be a generational talent when drafted from the University of Florida, Pitts has received the seventh-most targets among players at the position and even then his 59 targets fail in comparison to some of the best tight ends like Travis Kelce (94), Mark Andrews (73), etc.
The 5-6 Falcons remain in the playoff hunt given they're second in the NFC South behind the 5-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But it's fair to think the next few weeks could go a long way in determining whether Pitts tries to return this season. The potential for a return might present mixed emotions to fantasy owners, however.
