He scored the most fantasy points by any rookie tight end since 1989. Pitts upside comes from his enticing athletic profile and as we discussed today a perceived lack of competition thats a bit over-exaggerated. (4) Proper coordination to motion across the formation to maximize mismatching purposes? Sportsline's Jacob Gibbs dove a bit deeper into Pitts' 2021 outlook and also his Dynasty forecast -- you'll find that here. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts has fantasy superstar written all over him -- but history hasn't been kind to rookie TEs. He showed flashes at times last year and is entering his third year in the NFL, a common breakout season for wide receivers. Our very first example of a deep target to Pitts isnt shown until the 0:53 mark, completely handling a CB in man coverage on the back-shoulder go. This is the exact route we will need Pitts to master in the NFL. Fantasy Football Mock Draft 1.0. The hype train regarding Kyle Pitts fantasy football outlook began to gain momentum after the Atlanta Falcons drafted him with the No. This was a major disappointment after Pitts came section: | slug: kyle-pitts-fantasy-football-2021-changes-in-adp-mock-draft-tracker-offseason-updates-on-falcons-tight-end | sport: football | route: article_single_fantasy | Running back is more difficult because most guys under the radar are an injury away. In 2022 Kyle Pitts played 10 games and accumulated 28 receptions for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns for a grand total of 47.6 fantasy points. Touchdowns can vary greatly year-to-year and a player with Pitts's ability and size (66, 245 pounds) has the potential to not only reach seven touchdowns, but double-digits is well in his range of outcomes.. Pitts suffered a left foot injury during the game against Texas A&M. Those concerns dont exist with Pitts.. He has rushing ability, as evidenced by his 828 yards and 11 scores on the ground for North Carolina in 2021. There aren't many questions at all about who should go No. Or see if I can leverage him into an elite quarterback. Waller has to compete with Davante Adams for that honor. If you go further back, those first rounder rates will massively decrease. Looking ahead to 2023 and beyond, the Colts are committed to finding a long-term answer at football's most important position, and that could be the key for Pittman working his way up the Dynasty rankings. An additional example is shown at 3:46. Im not going to mince my words. This was a major disappointment after Pitts came We all know that the path for Pitts played out perfectly in his favor, but his body development was still in the works during his true freshman season. Pitts would transfer to Archbishop Wood at the conclusion of that season. tweet. There is also the chance that we see a change in QB as the Falcons drafted, Additionally, Pitts should continue to see heavy volume and very easily could top his 110 targets from last year. Sans Superflex formats, as sold as I have been with Najee Harris at No. I have no doubt about that. The most notable difference is the growth within his frame. Yes, its a tunnel screen not an NFL route for TEs but it highlights the additional muscle hes added to that frame. Pitts sustained a hamstring injury during Week 17's loss at Buffalo. Not all speed is equal. He also appears to be faster than defenders who should have the speed advantage. In fact, it may have gotten better. Judging from what Ive seen on tape, Pitts is entirely without a ceiling. You can see just how much trouble ONeal has with that speed out of the break. What to do with Kyle Pitts? We offer recommendations from 35+ fantasy baseball experts! When healthy, Kittle and Waller were top-three in targets per game over the course of those three years. I have Jonathon Taylor, Kenneth Walker and Deandre Swift as my main RBs. Yes, Ridley is now in town, which will steal away some targets, but Kirk should easily remain the No. Weve yet to see a single defense figure out the proper way to defend the mismatch waiting to happen. A QB change would potentially lower Pitts's weekly floor, but Ridder has more upside than Mariota, who is a known commodity at this level, meaning that Pitts would bring some more upside.. 2021 Fantasy Football Player Previews: Kyle Pitts Pitts Production in 2020 Pitts played eight games for Florida in 2020, and he put up 43 receptions on 67 targets for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gronkowskis 11 season and Wallers 20 prove inline TEs can still generate special results. However, Pitts has a greater chance of being his teams top target. First, you can see Robinson's value according to me in a one-quarterback league right here. But Pitts was determined to make his way on offense, specifically at TE. Pitts lived up to the expectation that he would be one of, if not the best, rookie tight end ever. Pitts is no longer the main big-body target in Atlanta. I like Chigziem Okonkwo a lot as well, but he seems to have already been priced out everywhere I look for him. I actually have CeeDee Lamb ahead of Robinson by himself, so I don't love that trade at all. Mariota also has a track record of elevating his tight ends. The likelihood that he falls off in the next year or two is too great to hold onto him through a rebuild. His massive catch radius, ball skills and strong hands should immediately make him Atlanta's No. Dillon (RB - Green Bay Packers). Delpits best efforts to be physical with Pitts entirely justifies the return shove. While Robinson is younger, I actually believe Lamb should be a productive player for longer, and I definitely expect him to be more impactful in 2023. Davante Adams is about a year older than Diggs and has continued to be awesome. pic.twitter.com/E80uVePnwK, Be honest should I have done this trade? Howard, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Eric Ebron, and Tyler Eifert are al thel TEs selected in the first round. Whereas Waller totaled 10.6 FPG or 58% of his production on speed outs, crossers, slants, and hitches a combined average of 5.1 AY/T. The Atlanta Falcons made history Thursday night, selecting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. Pitts has done his best to change that. Volume is king, and not just at the running back position. Over the last 10 seasons, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant, Hayden Hurst, O.J. 59 overall, 7/7 Superflex mock: Round 6, No. Also notable was how comforting the Travis Kelce pick turned In 2022 Kyle Pitts played 10 games and accumulated 28 receptions for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns for a grand total of 47.6 fantasy points. If that proves to be the case, itll be due to defenses -- equipped with excellent coverage LBs -- scheming specifically to slow him down. The majority of top TE prospects take an uncoordinated path to that end frankly, as uncoordinated as their bodies following common late growth spurts. When do I get off the Stefon Diggs train Ive been on for years? It's even more impressive when you consider that he was a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 and worked his way up the depth chart by the end of the season. And if you have him, the only move is to plan on starting Kyle Pitts. I wont lie, going from Matt Ryan to Marcus Mariota or Desmond Ridder is a downgrade, but it might not be for Pitts., Mariota heavily relied on his tight end during his tenure as a starter with the Titans. To be honest, he easily could have last season., Pitts was one of just three players to see 100 or more targets and catch one touchdown or less the others were Cole Beasley and Laviska Shenault Jr. Players who saw 100 or more targets last year averaged 6.75 touchdowns. And he appears perfectly comfortable in a three-point stance, attached to the O-line in his very first season at the position. We use cookies to personalize content, ads and analyze site traffic. Dynasty Draft Profile: Kyle Pitts Wes Huber Follow February 16, 2021 2:00pm EST Kyle Pitts TE | Florida Gators | 6-5 | 239 lbs. Don't have an account? Truly scary. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! By slim21 Nov 20, 2022, 3:00am PST Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images The Atlanta Falcons will host the Chicago Bears in Week 11 of the NFL season. Kyle Pitts 2023 Fantasy Outlook. It's not easy to do a draft that's often 20+ rounds and to navigate the draft board to find the best value selections throughout. In fact, 27 percent of his throws with the Titans went to tight ends. Imagine if LeBron James played football, and that is more or less Kyle Pitts. Kyle Pitts enters his first Fantasy Football season as that one player we see every August whose ADP starts going up and seemingly never stops because there will always be analysts like myself who still see a path to beat out his ADP regardless of where it lands. Its only an issue when they lead to drops. Speed. 2. There are so many great players available at that point in a draft. I agree to receive the "Fantasy Football Draft Kit" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Kyle Pitts could be the top tight end to draft in fantasy football. Kyle Pitts is a 2022 fantasy football draft sleeper at tight end and an ADP draft value. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Our goal is to put out the highest-quality content and tools. Should Pitts test out the way I think he will at his Pro Day, he could end up being selected at No. His 60.4 yards per game ranked sixth at the position. Even with a down year - due to some poor quarterback play - Pitts is still going to be just 22 years old when the 2023 NFL season commences, so we shouldn't let his value go too far down the board. He also ranked second in air yards at 1,110, second in air yard share (28 percent), second in air yards per target (10.1), third in deep targets, tenth in red zone targets (15), and fourth in routes ran (467). Before we dig in, keep in mind that he does not have the benefit of facing vanilla competition. That includes both Kansas City and Las Vegas. Hunter Renfrow will almost assuredly still hold a special place in Derek Carrs heart, too. With his senior highlights, we see Pitts with a full year of experience under his belt at TE. Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio. my predictions for Pitts from my article on him before last season. Jumping ahead to footage of Pitts sophomore season with the Gators, how can we not love the hitch against man at 0:25? Kelce finished second at 23%. His combination of size and speed makes him a dangerous player on offense, but the price tag that comes with makes him a high-risk player in fantasy football leagues. In the vast majority of cases, we simply waste our time researching TE prospects since they so rarely offer results worthy of the time invested. 32 overall6/9 Superflex mock: Round 7, No. Ads help us pay RotobBaller's award-winning writers as much as possible they are vital to the site's operations and team. The pair also finished first and second in air yards/game (93.0 for Kelce, 76.3 for Waller). But if you did want to sell, I would be looking for a veteran that helped me win right now. All Rights Reserved. Pitts was selected with the No. Pitts appears just as fast with three more inches of height to him, with additional room to add muscle. Prior to his junior season, he transferred to Archbishop Wood, a top-150 nationally ranked school. Draft Pick Analysis: Wilson showcased his ridiculous talent all last season, despite woeful quarterback play for the majority of the year. It caps his upside as the potential TE1 in fantasy, which brings us to. Lastly, the biggest thing in fantasy sports is draft cost. This game against LSU stands as Pitts first career 100-yard performance. However, not all target shares can be compared evenly. He missed two games. That value is fine for a tight end of his stature, though dont reach on Kittle due to his injury history. Kyle Pitts's fantasy value is measured by the players he could be traded for. Doing so made him the highest-drafted tight end (TE) in the history of the league. By the end of his recruiting cycle, Pitts had been offered by Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami (FL), and 15 other programs. Doing so made him the highest-drafted tight end (TE) in the history of the league. The top daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on March 4th, 2023. Kyle Pitts 2023 Fantasy Outlook. Its far better advice for me to tell you when to draft him relative of the position rather than the round. On the very next play (2:29), Pitts is defended in man by LSU star CB Derek Stingley Jr., and he utilizes another skinny post with excellent results. Any NFL team attempting to play man coverage on Pitts is going to be sorry. Another of the factors that we want to see from our TEs is success on NFL routes. Pitts accumulated an average stat line of 2.8 receptions for 35.6 yards and .2 touchdowns per game last season. Beautiful. Four weeks into his first season as a starter, the nation has now been indoctrinated on Pitts arrival. However, there was an expectation that he could have finished as one of the very best tight ends in the sport, not just among rookies. 2.6k shares. Well, Kelce collected 12 FPG or 54% of his scoring on hitches, outs, slants, and crossers a combined average of 8.2 AY/T. But these defenses have no choice. Fantasy Football Mock Draft 1.0 Fantasy Football. If everything goes right, Howell could go from an afterthought to borderline top-12 this season. 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Pitts path to college was much of the same. His Average Draft Position on CBS Sports is at 51.34 overall, and I'm not sure he should be drafted in Round 5. Waller ran 50% of his routes this season from a detached alignment. Also notable was how comforting the Travis Kelce pick turned By Kyle Yates February 28, 2023 Photo: Joe Nicholson, USA Today Sports Dynasty Startup drafts are not for the faint of heart! All Rights Reserved. Mariota also has a track record of elevating his tight ends. He'll get swiped by Round 4 in dynasty/keeper start-ups, and is a consensus top-five overall choice in rookie-only drafts. I will make no effort in likening Pitts to another player. We need Pitts on the field on both play action and RPOs in order to justify selecting him first overall. Which player that is under the radar currently could you see being a breakout in the near future at their position. I would give up 1.02 and 1.10 and a second for Robinson. 59 overall, 7/20 half-PPR mock: Round 5, No. 4 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, making him the earliest tight end ever selected in the common draft era. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2021 Panini Chronicles Draft PICKS Kyle Pitts RC Flux Silver Prizm Falcons at the best online prices at eBay! I do not love taking him in the second round, but if Pitts is sitting there in the third round and if early best ball drafts are an indicator, he often will be Pitts is a bet worth taking. The combined group has averaged 4.96 targets/game and 79.3 targets/season nearly half of the target rates from Kelce and Waller this season. You can view more current content marked with a FREE banner, He discussed the situation with one of the coaches who convinced him to sign with UF, JaJuan Seider, who assured him that he would continue to be in good hands under new HC Dan Mullen. It's easy to get excited about Pitts, but more importantly than that, we want to keep you up to date with everything surrounding his 2021 profile. The 2021 #4 overall pick finished with 110 targets, 68 receptions, and 1,026 yards. It's not uncommon for Dynasty managers to get to the 15th round and not recognize many of the names that are staring them in the face, let alone the two- to three-year prognosis for these players. 54 overall8/6 PPR Superflex mock: Round 5, No. Fantasy Football: The Miami Dolphins traded back up to No. Waller averaged 9.9 FPG, or 51%. 6-keys: media/fantasynews/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. I'll provide my thoughts for each selection, along with some players to target when you're on the clock in the later rounds. The only factor holding Kittle back is his injury history. When I rewatched the SEC Championship, Pitts simply took my breath away. As well as two 1s next year (likely 2 mid firsts) . To start, Pitts is probably the most talented TE prospect to ever come into the NFL. He's probably past the point you'll get much more than a mid-2023 1st for him, and that's simply not worth sacrificing your window for. Thats not uncommon tight ends tend to take more time to develop at every level (how often do rookie TEs put up big numbers in the NFL?). Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Just in case opposing defenses needed another reminder why LBs should not be responsible for Pitts, Trask stares down his go-to target as he gets behind the entire defense in Cover 3 for a 70-yard scoring strike. I wont lie, going from. tweet. Specifically, with Arthur Smith, who was the OC in Tennessee and now the head coach in Atlanta, it was 23 percent. WebAll Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Kyle Pitts Sam Howell is in a very interesting situation. Kyle Pitts (ATL) Pitts had a solid rookie season. The biggest takeaways from his sophomore footage are that hes grown into his frame without losing anything in speed. He lined up in the slot the ninth most of all tight ends. Fantasy Football Mock Draft 1.0. You don't draft a tight end fourth overall if you don't think he'll be a star. He lined up in the slot the ninth most of all tight ends. We would appreciate your support by either turning off your adblocker or signing up for our ad-free subscription tier.Thanks for being a reader! Barring a change in personnel, teams typically dont stray too far from their pass attempts from the previous season. Anthony However, he goes 32nd overall in NFFC drafts and on Underdog. We can also see that, at this stage, Pitts has become entirely comfortable lining up wide. But, with all of that being said: the fact that Pitts currently finds himself with a top-50 average draft position (ADP) in most fantasy football leagues absolutely smacks By James Bassil March 2, 2023 6:00 am. He also led the position with 45 targets while lined out wide, only two others (Mike Gesicki and Travis Kelce) had more than 22. Even if Patterson and Edwards carve out sizable roles, Pitts should easily be the more involved player. Thats as dominant as dominant gets and its the way Pitts did it that really grabbed scouts attention. There's a slight possibility that Pacheco sees some competition added to this backfield this offseason, which is why I would have favored Dillon if he were still on the board, but the upside is certainly present. Devlin also felt that Pitts had the ability to play either TE or DE in the Power 5. Jumping ahead to 1:50 facing a talented Texas A&M defense, we see safety Leon ONeal Jr. in man on Pitts. Stroud, but I would absolutely be trying to trade that third pick to get Robinson as well. 79 overall. The one aspect that might give him the most trouble is facing the better zone coverages. send. section: | slug: dynasty-fantasy-football-mailbag-valuing-kyle-pitts-stefon-diggs-dandre-swift-and-more | sport: football | route: article_single_fantasy | Youve now completed your Big Board, but if you want to save it youll need to become a TDN Premium member. 57 overall, 8/3 non-PPR mock: Round 6, No. Pacheco showed phenomenal things in his rookie season for the Super Bowl champions. With only four drops the entire season, we really havent seen Pitts suffer from consistently allowing the ball into his body. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: fantasynews | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Using an out-and-up route, Pitts gives an ever-so-slight shove on Delpit to create space for the big play. We still saw flashes, though, of what he can be for fantasy football when he's healthy, and the Colts are going to be a much different team in 2023 than the train wreck that we saw on the field this past season. With question marks like DAndre Swift and Kyle Pitts, this could be a difficult starting lineup to work with. These routes limit usage of his jump-cut ability. As an RB2 on my roster, that's a solid start to a draft. Minter or Kyle Bradish. Pitts suffered a nose in the win over Georgia. Fun trivia: Pitts was told at his first high school, Abington, that he did not possess the coordination to play the TE position. if you can't make your team immediately better by trading him, then I'd bet on the talent winning over and hold him as possibly the best flex in the league. Before we dig into the story on Kyle Pitts, lets touch on the difference-making potential in fantasy from truly special performers at the tight end position.For anyone with a reasonable amount of fantasy experience, one thing is remarkably clear: the dearth of consistent production Judging from these Archbishop Wood highlights, to say I am blown away by Pitts would be a massive understatement. As well as two 1s next year (likely 2 mid firsts) . Not only does Pitts display the awareness to find holes in the zone coverages, hes able to locate the ball, and keep his body under control to work after the catch. It wasnt until he attended a camp at Temple University that the FBS scholarship offers started pouring into his mailbox. Just last year he provided WR3 production as a rookie. WebKyle Pitts or Michael Pittman Jr. Who Should I Draft? If he sees an uptick in targets which is expected and efficiency, he could provide league-winning upside.. The Atlanta Falcons made history Thursday night, selecting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 1 red-zone option, especially since we know new Falcons head coach and playcaller Arthur Smith loves to utilize tight ends.. Gronk and Kelce are too big. Facing Kentuckys Cover 3 at 0:52, we see Pitts continuing to use a crossing route to identity zone holes. The full extension to complete the catch is dazzling. send. Is it worth packaging some of this to move up to 1 for Bijon or just hold my water and get 5 quality players . Then, when Pitts finished as the overall TE6 and TE11 in fantasy PPG, many were disappointed. Draft Pick Analysis: If this were an actual draft, the clock would've run out on me as I stared between Pitts' and Pollard's names on the draft board. He's also a player with a questionable role and spotty injury history. Truly remarkable. Pitts and London are in a position to each see a very high target share in this offense. I have picks 2, 4, 6, 10 and 12 in the rookie draft. (Seider is now the running backs coach and one of the top recruiters at Penn State.). 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Playing within the right offense, opposing defenses will be forced to specifically scheme to contain him. Injury History. 61 overall, 7/28 full-point PPR mock: Round 5, No. We do have several further examples present in his sophomore tape (1:23, 3:03, etc.,). That's because I don't really like trading away the best player in a deal. However, adding him as a WR3 - as I did here - is an excellent way to balance your roster. Atlanta replaced their veteran pocket passer with Marcus Mariota, who offers much more mobility and far less certainty. If Pitts remains healthy, the only factor I can envision limiting his rookie upside is landing with a team that refuses to leave him on the field full-time, while his run blocking develops. The Crimson Tide were fortunate to have escaped that game with the victory. If Keenan Allen gets released, Palmer could be looking at 125 targets in 2023. The Colts have cycled through multiple different quarterbacks during Pittman's tenure with the franchise, which has prevented him from reaching his ceiling from a fantasy standpoint.