Kyle Pitts Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

The Falcons begin training camp Wednesday, and it doesn't sound like TE Kyle Pitts will be taking the field right away. "He's still getting back. He's still working," WR Drake London said Tuesday, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "Once he heals up, he's going to be the same Kyle Pitts we all know." We certainly hope that will be the case, but it's worrisome that Pitts isn't yet healed up from a MCL injury that knocked him out in November. Don't be surprised if Pitts slides down our fantasy football rankings a bit in the coming days. Any delay to Pitts' usefulness would likely be good news for London's target share. The WR trailed Pitts in that category before the TE went down last season.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts missed the offseason program following rehab for a November MCL tear. Tori McElhaney of the Falcons’ official site writes that Pitts’ rehab “will lead him right up to the start of training camp.” It’s been a slow process for Pitts, but we’re not sounding alarm bells. He took to Instagram Monday to say he’ll at least avoid the PUP list. Still, this will be one storyline to monitor closely over the next few weeks. He sits top-5 in our TE rankings.

Falcons WR Drake London finished his rookie season just 45th among WRs in PPR points per game. Yet he's going 22nd among WRs right now in Underdog Fantasy ADP. Why? Well, London did rank sixth among all wideouts in target share in 2022. He enjoyed a strong finish after QB Desmond Ridder took over for Marcus Mariota, averaging 9.0 targets, 6.3 receptions, and 83.3 yards over the final four games. And Atlanta increased its passing volume over that span. But the team still ranked just 24th in neutral-situation pass rate over that time. London also trailed TE Kyle Pitts in target share before Pitts went down with a knee injury. Atlanta sports a weak receiving depth chart behind those two for 2023, so there's room for both exciting young pass catchers to continue drawing large shares. But London will need more team passing volume to help him pay off at ADP. And drafting RB Bijan Robinson eighth overall would be a funny way for the Falcons to announce that they're going to pass a lot more in 2023. London sits only a little lower in our 2023 WR rankings than he does in ADP.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts ranked just 22nd among TEs in PPR points per game last season. But the underlying numbers show a lot more upside. Pitts ranked second among all TEs in target share, trailing only Mark Andrews. He ranks 14th all-time among TEs in receiving yards through two seasons, despite tying for just 28th in receptions and 137th in games played. Poor QB play and a high run rate clearly hurt last season. Pitts fared worse in catch rate, yards per catch, yards per route, and passer rating on balls thrown his way vs. 2021. Atlanta ran at the second-highest rate for the season. But the neutral pass rate climbed from 32nd in the league with Marcus Mariota behind center to 24th in Desmond Ridder's starts. The 2021 Falcons ranked 14th in neutral pass rate, in HC Arthur Smith's first season and with QB Matt Ryan. We're not betting on a return to that level, especially after the first-round selection of RB Bijan Robinson. But you should bet on the Falcons passing at least a little more in 2023. And the quality of passing should improve at least a little. Combine that with the talent Pitts has already displayed and an ADP lower than last year's, and you have a redraft bet with modest risk and plenty of upside. See where Pitts stands in our 2023 TE rankings.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts is sidelined for OTAs this week as he continues to recover from November surgery to repair a torn MCL in his right knee. There's been no reported timetable for Pitts' return, but TEs coach Justin Peele said back in February that Pitts was "on schedule" and expected to be ready for training camp. As long as that's the case, there will be no reason to worry about the knee. A healthy Pitts certainly has bounce-back potential after a frustrating 2022. See where he sits in the 2023 fantasy football TE Rankings.

The Patriots are trading TE Jonnu Smith to the Falcons, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The move primarily looks like a salary dump for New England. Smith caught just 55 passes at 9.8 yards per reception across two seasons after signing a $50 million deal as a 2021 free agent. Atlanta might seem like an awkward fit for him as well, with TE Kyle Pitts already on hand. But the third-year Falcon is more receiver than TE. He has played just 21.8% and 25.6% of pass snaps from an inline position the past two years. Smith, meanwhile, has never run less than 52.6% from there. He was inline on 59.5% of routes last year and topped 64% in each of his first three NFL seasons. He spent those three years -- plus one more -- playing under current Falcons HC Arthur Smith. In Tennessee, Smith served as TEs coach over Smith's first two years, and then OC for the other two. Smith increased his receptions every season there but topped out with a 41-448-8 receiving line in 2020. It'll be similarly tough for Smith to find much fantasy value in Atlanta's run-heavy offense. And we're not downgrading Pitts' outlook for the short or long term on Smith's arrival. Check our dynasty rankings to see how optimistic we remain on Pitts. Smith's departure from New England, meanwhile, certainly can't hurt TE Hunter Henry's opportunities.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts is "on schedule" in his recovery from November knee surgery to repair a torn MCL, TEs coach Justin Peele said this week. “It’s an ongoing process every day,” Smith added. “Ultimately, what matters is getting ready for training camp. Feel pretty good about where he’s at.” We never got a reported timeline for Pitts' recovery, but he should at least be ready for the start of training camp, if not some of the offseason program. Pitts was a major fantasy disappointment in 2022, posting a 28-356-2 line across 10 games. He still ranked 6th among 32 qualifying TEs in yards per route run, though, and remains a player to bet on long term. The big question for 2023 is whether the Falcons open up their passing game after finishing 31st in pass attempts last year.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Wednesday that TE Kyle Pitts will miss the rest of the season with his knee injury. He underwent surgery on Tuesday (November 29) for what was reportedly a torn MCL. We don't have an official recovery timeline, but we'd expect Pitts to be available for at least some of the offseason program and back to 100% by training camp. He had a frustrating 2nd season but remains a high-upside dynasty asset with plenty of 2023 bounce-back potential. We'll be curious to see exactly where he goes in early drafts this coming offseason.

Falcons WR Drake London found the end zone in Sunday’s win over Chicago. He created a ton of separation for a short-range score. That 1st quarter catch marked his only one of the day, though. London’s 3 targets represented a 15% team share, as Marcus Mariota remained a low-volume passer. Kyle Pitts is slated to miss time with a knee injury, so perhaps the rookie’s involvement will tick up a bit. Still, it’s hard to bank on a major turnaround given the run-heavy environment. Atlanta faces the Commanders in Week 12.

The Falcons have placed TE Kyle Pitts (MCL) on IR for his knee injury. That means he'll miss at least 4 games. We'll see about confirmation on him missing the rest of the year. MyCole Pruitt and Parker Hesse are the next guys up at TE but shouldn't factor significantly into fantasy football plans. WR Drake London could see more targets with Pitts out. He drew just 1 against Chicago, though, in the game Pitts left early.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Falcons TE Kyle Pitts tore his right MCL in Sunday's win over the Bears and will require surgery. Pitts is reportedly getting a 2nd opinion before making a final decision, but it seems his season is likely over. We'll watch for confirmation over the next day or 2. Don't bet on any Falcons TE stepping forward for real fantasy help if Pitts is done. No other Atlanta TE has caught more than 5 passes this season, and Pitts has consistently come up short for fantasy football managers.

The Score's Jordan Schultz reports that "early indications" are that Falcons TE Kyle Pitts did not tear any ligaments in his knee. Pitts is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, so we should learn more about his status then.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts left in the 2nd half of Week 11 with a knee injury. He's questionable to return, per the team.

Anyone with Falcons TE Kyle Pitts on their fantasy teams knows just how disappointing a 2nd season he's been having. QB Marcus Mariota says he carries some of the blame. "Well, first and foremost, I can do a better job of giving Kyle more opportunities with the ball," Mariota said Wednesday, according to NFL.com. "I think sometimes I've been a little too safe, a little too conservative where I'm putting the football, so giving him a chance to go get it. I think that'll help some of his target numbers." That acknowledgement could portend some extra opportunities for Pitts on Thursday night against a Panthers defense that Football Outsiders rates 28th in pass-defense DVOA. Mariota delivered 9.0 yards per pass attempt and a 71.4% completion rate in the Week 8 meeting with Carolina. See where Pitts sits in our Week 10 fantasy football rankings.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts caught 2 of 7 targets for 27 yards in Week 9. And…we’re back to reality. After a huge Week 8, Pitts posted fewer than 5 PPR points for the 5th time this season. He dropped 1 pass, but the poor output wasn’t all his fault. He shook free for what could have been a 72-yard TD, only to get overthrown by Marcus Mariota. He was slightly overthrown on an end zone target later in the game, too. He’ll look to rebound against the Panthers in Week 10. Pitts posted 80 yards and a score against Carolina in Week 8.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts came to life with 5 catches for 80 yards and 1 score in Week 8. Stunningly, he drew a season-high 9 targets (32.1%). Pitts found the end zone in the 2nd quarter on a simple play-action crosser. Overall, his size and athleticism showed up nicely in this one. And it’s encouraging to see his routes (27 on 31 Marcus Mariota dropbacks) at a healthy level. He’s in the TE1 mix for a Week 9 tilt with the Chargers.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts tallied 3 catches for 9 yards in Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati. Marcus Mariota tossed only 13 passes, and Pitts actually drew 5 targets (38.4%). That’s where the positives end, though. Pitts couldn't quite secure the ball while he was over the goal line on a play that should have gone for 6. So, the 2nd-year TE remains stuck on 1 season-long score. He’s also been held under 30 yards in all but 1 game this season.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts (hamstring) is active for today’s game vs. the 49ers. He was limited in practice all week and listed as questionable, so there’s still some elevated risk here.

The Falcons expect TE Kyle Pitts to play today against the 49ers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Pitts is dealing with a hamstring injury that cost him Week 5.

Falcons TE Kyle Pitts (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the 49ers after a limited week of practice. Pitts said earlier in the week that he'll return for this one, but it's clear that he's still not at 100%. Consider Pitts a risk/reward low-end TE1 for Week 6.