KylePitts

News: 2 days agoPitts caught two of four targets for 21 yards during Sunday's 23-7 loss to Jacksonville.

Spin: Over the past three weeks, Pitts has caught seven passes (on 18 targets) for 77 yards, while Jonnu Smith has secured 15 receptions (on 20 targets) for 179 yards. Opposing defenses are certainly keying on Pitts more than Smith, but this trend is still worrisome. Head coach Arthur Smith didn't shoot down the idea that Pitts still isn't 100 percent after his season-ending knee injury last year. "To Kyle's credit, he's never made an excuse out of anything," Smith told Josh Kendall of The Athletic on Monday. For now, fantasy managers probably want to look elsewhere for help at tight end, but Pitts still should be rostered in most leagues with the hope that he breaks out eventually.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Pitts is entering his third NFL season after falling short of massive expectations in 2022. Pitts was hyped up for obvious reasons -- he went for 1,026 yards and was fantasy's No. 6 TE as a 20-year-old rookie -- but the Florida product's season was derailed by Atlanta's run-heavy scheme and a seven-game injury absence. In 10 games, Pitts was limited to two weekly fantasy finishes better than 12th. On the plus side, Pitts' 27% target share trailed only Mark Andrews among TEs and he's now led the position in aDOT in both seasons. Atlanta will continue to run the ball plenty, but Pitts is still only 22 years old and remains without much competition for targets. He's an excellent post-hype target with massive upside.