Jason Katz sees a fantasy football skill set match between Michael Pittman and the ultra-conservative version of Aaron Rodgers that we saw last season. I don’t disagree, but with both quality and quantity concerns in the target department, I can’t green-light this take.
Fade Michael Pittman Jr. at His Current Draft Cost in 2026
The Steelers traded for Pittman this offseason and paid him like a true No. 2, something that Katz is buying as a sign.
I’m not.
This is partly a player take and partly me not wanting any real exposure to a Steelers offense that I expect to struggle for the majority of 2026.
Let’s start with what actually salvaged Pittman’s 2025 season in Indianapolis. He set a career high with seven touchdowns, but that number papered over real problems. His 9.8 yards per catch points to a receiver working almost entirely underneath, and a shallow route tree that leans on scheme touchdowns more than separation.
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That’s the profile of a touchdown-or-bust possession receiver, not a weekly difference-maker, and touchdown rate is the least sticky part of any receiver’s box score from year to year, something we’ve seen throughout Pittman’s career.
Now move him to an offense that doesn’t create the kind of chances that profile needs. Pittsburgh ranked 20th in red zone trips, 28th in yards per completion, and 32nd in air yards per throw last season. This isn’t an offense generating extra scoring opportunities or stretching the field to create the kind of easy separation Pittman needs. He’s not far superior to other playmaking options in this offense and that creates a low floor that doesn’t project to be offset by much of a ceiling.
DK Metcalf is supposed to be the answer to the “who wins outside” question in Pittsburgh, but his average depth of target dropped 6.6% below any other season of his career last year. He coil kicks back outside, but the idea that that’s not a lock is more than enough to scare me off of any Pittman investment.
I’d rather spend that same range of picks on receivers who at least kept their quarterback. Jayden Reed, Josh Downs, and Jakobi Meyers don’t carry league-winning ceilings either, but their week-to-week floor grades out better right now than Pittman’s does, until he proves otherwise in a new offense with a new play-caller.
Michael Pittman’s Fantasy Football Schedule Gets Cold Fast
Pittsburgh’s late-season schedule doesn’t do Pittman any favors. After the Week 9 bye, there’s no real weather reprieve on the calendar outside of a trip to Jacksonville. This is a Steelers offense that already struggles to finish drives and stretch the field in good conditions. Asking a possession receiver to produce through a stretch of cold, wind-affected games isn’t a recipe for a reliable fantasy playoff push.
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To be clear, I don’t like how this profile looks on a sunny day in September, so the weather is simply fuel to my fire.
None of this means Pittman can’t be a useful WR3 in the right matchup on the right week. There’s a time and place for that kind of player. But Katz labeling him as a sleeper implies that he has the potential to be a weekly option with time and, personally, I don’t think there’s a point in the 2026 season where we are feeling great about clicking him into lineups.
