MichaelPittman Jr.

News: 16 hours agoHead coach Mike McCarthy relayed Saturday that both Pittman (leg) and DK Metcalf (undisclosed) will be "hard pressed" to participate in practice this week, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Spin: Both Pittman and Metcalf were sidelined for the Steelers' 28-9 preseason win over the Packers on Thursday, and it looks like both veteran wideouts are unlikely to play in this Friday's exhibition contest against the Jets. Pittman has been working through a right leg injury, but there's no indication that he won't be available for the Steelers' Week 1 clash against the Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 13. If he isn't able to play against the Jets, then Pittman's last chance to see preseason action would be Thursday, Aug. 27, against the Bills.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Pittman was traded to the Steelers after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Colts. The 2020 second-round pick handled a hefty 23.6% of Indianapolis' targets during his tenure, which helped him to four top-20 fantasy campaigns. Pittman has reached 800 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons while primarily operating as a short-to-intermediate target. The role has limited his scoring (he has 25 TDs in 95 games) and that may not change much with DK Metcalf on the other side in Pittsburgh. Of course, Pittman will be a featured target in an offense led by Aaron Rodgers. That's enough to put the 28-year-old squarely in the weekly WR3 mix.