Michael Pittman vs Kyle Monangai

“But the Colts traded away WR Michael Pittman in the offseason and didn’t make any significant pass-catching acquisitions in free agency or the draft, bolstering Warren’s 2026 target outlook.”

“Downs could see an uptick in usage after the departure of Michael Pittman Jr .”

“As a person who obsesses over this team on a weekly basis, I think understanding that role distribution is essential for understanding the hierarchy of targets moving forward, as well as who is best served to subsume the plurality of Michael Pittman Jr’s departing targets.”

“Regardless if you think Michael Pittman Jr. is good or not, he's one of five receivers with 110+ targets in each of the last five seasons. Andy, Mike, and Jason all have Michael Pittman leading the team in targets, but have DK Metcalf higher in their rankings, mainly due to touchdowns. In PPR leagues, Pittman may be a safer bet on a weekly basis.”

“Pittsburgh also traded for Michael Pittman and spent a second-round pick on Germie Bernard to give their receiving room a makeover.”

“Michael Pittman Jr. has long been the ultimate right-wing wide receiver. However, in his new home I think things have shifted. He finds himself as the ostensible WR2 next to DK Metcalf and every virgin with a spreadsheet will be happy to tell you that ACKSHUALLY their targets per route run rates are more similar than is implied by the ADP gap between them.”

“This gap is emphasized by the fact that — opposite to running backs — the vast majority of wideouts are cheaper on ESPN. Adams' ESPN ADP being 12% above his ECR sticks out like a sore thumb among wideouts. Only two other top-100 wideouts (Carnell Tate and Michael Pittman Jr.) have ADPs above their ECRs at all.”

“Pittman was often outplayed by Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren throughout the season.”

“Last season, Michael Pittman Jr. finished with 9.6 half-PPR points per game, which only earned him the rank of WR34 on the season.”

“Pittman could seriously struggle to score 10 points per game in a low-scoring, run-heavy offense.”

“In Pittsburgh, Pittman is likely to find a less efficient passing attack after Daniel Jones' strong year in 2025, and he immediately walks in as the No. 2 behind DK Metcalf.”

“The Steelers drew one of the hardest schedules against opposing pass defenses. Now, fantasy managers are trying to project target distribution between offseason addition Michael Pittman, DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, and the rest of the offense without any guarantee that the quarterback play will even be efficient enough to support multiple fantasy-relevant pass catchers.”

“Kyle Monangai might have the single most injury-contingent upside in the NFL at running back, because the dude straight up produces when he gets touches.”

“Kyle Monangai is a favorite draft target in the eighth round based on ADP.”

“Raymond is coming off a sophomore campaign with over 1,400 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns, filling the shoes of former teammate Kyle Monangai nicely. From an efficiency standpoint, he's been slightly better across the board than Monangai ever was at Rutgers.”

“The bruiser in Ben Johnson's offense, Kyle Monangai, was a winner after Chicago didn't address the running back position in free agency or the draft. Monangai should continue to be the thunder to D'Andre Swift's lightning.”

“Kyle Monangai is one of the more interesting mid-round running back bets discussed on the show, with the appeal coming from role expansion. The analysts highlighted both the quality of the running game design and the possibility that Monangai eventually claims the most valuable rushing opportunities.”

“D'Andre Swift was widely considered to be a player Ben Johnson wouldn't want heading up his backfield a year ago, but ended up being a good value bet with a 57.8% snap share compared to Kyle Monangai's 41.3%. Swift was ultimately by far the better option, with a higher explosive run rate (5.4% vs. 4.1%), a better missed-tackle forced rate (0.17 vs. 0.10) and more yards before contact.”

“Kyle Monangai (RB30) had a solid season but was far from consistent every week.”

“Kyle Monangai was framed as a deeper sleeper running back worth keeping on watch lists. The analysis focused less on immediate production and more on the possibility that his style earns trust over time.”

“RB Kyle Monangai is impressing in seven-on-seven drills with his run-after-catch ability, with Kalif Raymond noting that even in limited-contact situations, he's putting on moves.”