The Atlanta Falcons made history Thursday night, selecting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. It caps his upside as the potential TE1 in fantasy, which brings us to. Evaluating Pitts from the four keys to TE fantasy success listed above: (1) Speed? For Kelce, he averaged 14.9 FPG, or 67%, of his scoring average from a detached alignment (separated from the O-line). Kyle Pitts is 6-foot-6 (85th percentile) and 245 pounds with the longest wingspan for a wide receiver or tight end at 83 3/8 inches. 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. Kyle Ringstad provides NBA DFS analysis and sleeper picks for building optimal DFS rosters. If you dont feel great about the next tier of tight ends, you should target Pitts over Kittle and Waller, just not by much. Do I really need to answer that one? 32 overall, 6/9 Superflex mock: Round 7, No. 61 overall, 7/28 full-point PPR mock: Round 5, No. 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). Youll need to watch individual game footage, but Pitts run blocking technique has also greatly improved over the liability from his sophomore season. The pressure is high for a tight end selected with this much draft capital, however, early reports out of camp have been nothing but positive for him. He also led the position with 45 targets while lined out wide, only two others (, After what Pitts did as a rookie, there should be plenty of optimism about what he could do as a sophomore in the NFL. WebPitts was a major fantasy disappointment in 2022, posting a 28-356-2 line across 10 games. Pitts is going universally as the third tight end off the board. 64 overall6/16 full-PPR mock: Round 3, No. After his rookie year, it looked like he would Therefore, its reasonable to assume Pitts will take a step forward while Kittle and Waller dont. I wouldn't be that surprised if he's better than Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson, and Tyler Allgeier next year. send. It is worth proceeding with slight caution due to Pete Carroll's historic track record of utilizing multiple backs, which could lead the Seahawks to bring in a running back in the NFL Draft or free agency, but Walker proved that he can be the guy for an offense. Kyle Pitts is chasing stardom 1071 49 Pitts is among the top five tight ends in the league. WebKyle Pitts stats, game logs, red zone data, fantasy football news, rankings, projections, injury updates, strength of schedule and more. The 18.4 FPG entered by Darren Waller this season ranks as the fifth-best mark over those same 20 years. 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. 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 Yet, they were only 19th in pass attempts. He produced modest receiving statistics by fantasy standards, with the Pro-Style offense heavily focused on its running game. Waller has to compete with Davante Adams for that honor. Anthony Free shipping for many products! Hes pushing his routes further downfield, treating SEC defenders like those he faced at Archbishop Wood during his senior season. only site on the planet. 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. Pitts path to college was much of the same. NFL offenses will continue to evolve, forcing us to follow suit with our evaluation process. 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. Those concerns dont exist with Pitts.. Finding tight ends who can make a weekly difference can be the key component in a Championship roster -- as was the case for Darren Waller and Travis Kelce managers in 2020. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry as a rookie and the Bills have already talked about increasing his role from 2022. Despite coming into the league at the age of 20, he did not disappoint. In Devy formats, you focus your time drafting NFL starters, and simply wait until rookie drafts to add your TE depth. he was available for the next game. (5) Featured role in passing game plan? Kyle Pitts will be better in 2023 than he was in 2022. Pitts accumulated an average stat line of 2.8 receptions for 35.6 yards and .2 touchdowns per game last season. But if you did want to sell, I would be looking for a veteran that helped me win right now. As you can see, these routes can be very different, especially at 7:49 and 8:47, requiring Pitts to anticipate contact from behind. Along with being the highest-drafted tight end ever, he may be the most hyped tight end prospect ever, and with that comes some lofty expectations for his rookie season. While it will also read as obvious, it is still of monumental importance when evaluating TE prospects. This was a major disappointment after Pitts came 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. If I was rebuilding, I would be even more inclined to hold, but would accept a top-three pick in this year's rookie draftbut that's about it. However, he goes 32nd overall in NFFC drafts and on Underdog. 1 receiving option for this offense for the foreseeable future. 3 behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. Conversely, if two tight ends are gone by the middle of round two, keep a close eye on how the board shakes out. Kelce finished second at 23%. Also notable was how comforting the Travis Kelce pick turned Truly scary. 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?). If you go further back, those first rounder rates will massively decrease. As for tight end, I'm buying several of the second-year tight ends, but especially Greg Dulcich, Trey McBride, and Cade Otton. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Fantasy Football Mock Draft 1.0 Fantasy Football. He also has the upside to top that and well within his range of outcomes is finishing as the top scoring fantasy tight end., Pitts showed us that he has the talent and capability to play at a high level in the NFL and just a jump in touchdowns will make him worth taking as the third tight end off the board. 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. If you boosted Pitts from one to six touchdowns, making him just an average touchdown scorer, he would have finished last year as the overall TE3 in fantasy and the TE6 in fantasy PPG. Based purely on stats, the two veterans should be valued over Pitts., But thats not how football works. 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! When Pitts was drafted, he was labeled as the best rookie tight end in quite some time arguably ever. Pitts suffered a left foot injury during the game against Texas A&M. DraftKings Week 3 XFL DFS Tournament Plays, NFL Combine Preview: Major Fantasy Questions, DraftKings Week 2 XFL DFS Tournament Plays, DraftKings Week 1 XFL Intro and DFS Tournament Plays, Advanced Matchups: Conference Championships. He is one of just two rookie tight ends since 1967 to top 900 yards, let alone 1,000. 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. The 6-foot-4 London wins in similar ways to the 6-foot-6 Pitts, despite London weighing nearly 40 pounds lighter than Pitts. He's also the No. At still just 24 years old, there's no reason Taylor should fall outside of the Top 5 of Dynasty startups, and he can remain a cornerstone building block. I even know of people who do this for a living who said they would not be going back for more in year two. 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. I am blown away with his junior highlights. The full extension to complete the catch is dazzling. Widely considered a generational prospect at the position, a natural second-year progression is expected. Do you think its worth to trade up to the first pick to get bijan to pair him up with one of those QBs? Thats a ton of production on routes with mostly shorter stems. Kyle Pitts Fantasy Rookie Forecast NFL | Fantasy Football Written by Nick Lemma June 11, 2021 Kyle Pitts Fantasy Historically drafting a tight end in the first Kelce averaged 17.7 FPG or nearly 80% of his scoring with 11 personnel on the field. Before we dig into the story on Kyle Pitts, lets touch on the difference-making potential in fantasy Doing so made him the highest-drafted tight end (TE) in the history of the league. Im not going to mince my words. Draft Pick Analysis: Ideally, a top-tier wide receiver would be the direction to go at this point of the draft to pair with Taylor. Waller and Engram may seem like close fits, but they simply fall short of the unified skillset from Pitts. He also led the position with 45 targets while lined out wide, only two others (Mike Gesicki and Travis Kelce) had more than 22. For a player his size, the footwork to generate these moves are unheard of in the mortal realm. All Rights Reserved. Kyle Pitts Fantasy Rookie Forecast NFL | Fantasy Football Written by Nick Lemma June 11, 2021 Kyle Pitts Fantasy Historically drafting a tight end in the first round has not played out well for teams, but Kyle Pitts is a different calibre of player that could help break that trend. His incredible wingspan, overall athleticism, and unprecedented versatility make it almost an insult to call him a tight end. But coupled with the adjustments Atlanta may make to their offense, Londons addition doesnt help Pitts. Kansas City passed on 740 plays, Las Vegas on 646. By the end of his recruiting cycle, Pitts had been offered by Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami (FL), and 15 other programs. Unfortunately, his 2022 season was a nightmare for fantasy players. And to be honest, I have those same questions in a couple of my own leagues. Tight End History 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. he was available for the next game. Kyle Pitts (ATL) Pitts had a solid rookie season. Prior to Mariotas arrival, Walker had never finished better than the ninth-best fantasy tight end. The quarterback play in Tennessee last year was up-and-down, but Burks showed that he could be an impactful fantasy wideout if given the opportunity. The guy above that question is in a Superflex league. 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 | Is it worth packaging some of this to move up We need Pitts on the field on both play action and RPOs in order to justify selecting him first overall. Prior to his junior season, he transferred to Archbishop Wood, a top-150 nationally ranked school. That number jumps slightly to an average of seven touchdowns when you raise it to 110 targets. But they will be the most difficult to predict. Projections, Get The Most Out Of Your The one aspect that might give him the most trouble is facing the better zone coverages. The most notable difference is the growth within his frame. The question above that is more interesting. Beautiful. *All ADP data is courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.comand for half-point PPR scoring. 32 overall6/9 Superflex mock: Round 7, No. Target Pitts as an undervalued TE in fantasy football drafts. 2 in the overall dynasty rankings, I am left with no other choice but to move Pitts ahead of him. He'll get swiped by Round 4 in dynasty/keeper start-ups, and is a consensus top-five overall choice in rookie-only drafts. So how do the three stack up? 2.6k shares. This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. The Atlanta Falcons will receive a visit from one of the 2023 NFL Draft's top tight ends in Iowa's Sam LaPorta. So let's start with an extended breakdown of what I would give for Robinson. Without question. And this time in particular there were. With question marks like DAndre Swift and Kyle Pitts, this could be a difficult starting lineup to work with. Mariota should once again expect to heavily rely on his tight end in this system., There is also the chance that we see a change in QB as the Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round as the second QB in this year's NFL Draft. You don't draft a tight end fourth overall if you don't think he'll be a star. Were the Falcons to select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, as I had them doing in my most recent mock, it would make Pitts the highest-picked college tight end in the history of professional football.The Rams took LSUs Billy Cannon with the first overall pick in the 1960 draft, Cannon chose to play with This is a great question and one I should probably answer at least once per year. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft. Draft Pick Analysis: Wilson showcased his ridiculous talent all last season, despite woeful quarterback play for the majority of the year. Pitts will be asked to play these inline snaps in the NFL. You can view more current content marked with a FREE banner, A grand total of two qualified tight ends have scored an average of 20 or more FPG (PPR scoring) in a single season over the last 20 years. Ads help us pay RotobBaller's award-winning writers as much as possible they are vital to the site's operations and team. He also appears to be faster than defenders who should have the speed advantage. Not only did Pitts test so well athletically, but he backed it up with production and game film. Subscription, Early-March Top 10 Defensive Back IDP Rankings, 5 RBs to Buy In Dynasty Before NFL Free Agency, 4.06 - DeVonta Smith (WR - Philadelphia Eagles), 6.02 - D.J. Kyle Pitts projected fantasy value in 2022 As a rookie, Pitts posted 1,062 yards and a touchdown on 68 of 110 receiving. The Atlanta Falcons have one of the NFL's best tight pic.twitter.com/E80uVePnwK, Be honest should I have done this trade? 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. "Footballguys is the best premiumfantasy football But Pitts had his sights set on playing for the Florida Gators. You likely have heard that saying before and while it is often true there is certainly one area where it is not: in fantasy football. 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. 59 overall, 7/20 half-PPR mock: Round 5, No. , so lets take a look at what Pitts can do for your fantasy team this season. In high school, he was obviously yet to develop the sharp route-running that would leave such a mark at Florida this season, but his hands appear to be just as strong as today. The Falcons will have to up the tempo. Looking at the plays at 2:17 and 2:34 facing Georgia, Pitts can be seen manipulating his coverage unlike any TE Ive seen in college football. 6 to draft Florida tight end Kyle Pitts Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts (84) during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. 6-foot-2, 220-pound safety Jay Stanley is embarrassed by Pitts physicality at 0:28 on the back shoulder go. Where should he go in your drafts? On the surface, swapping Gage with London may not seem like itll have huge ramifications for Pitts fantasy value and it wont. 5 spot in this mock draft conducted on Sleeper. The hype train regarding Kyle Pitts fantasy football outlook began to gain momentum after the Atlanta Falcons drafted him with the No. I will make no effort in likening Pitts to another player. At 1:11, Tennessee is masking Cover 6 as Cover 3, a mistake against Pitts he takes full advantage with excellent recognition from Kyle Trask. Just don't think you have to get out of the middle in the offseason. The added benefit to select him as the WR1 for my Dynasty roster is that the Jets are in line to get a massive quarterback upgrade this offseason. I know the idea of playing Pitts on special teams will fall against the wishes of his future NFL offensive coaches. He just plays too fast for a kid his size to cover in man. His Average Draft Position on CBS Sports is at 51.34 overall, and I'm not sure he should be drafted in Round 5. 1, just about how aggressive people should be in going after him. Unguardable might be the perfect nickname for Pitts. He was being drafted as a top-five tight end off the board and some even pulled him up to the top three. As much as I love Fields, I wouldnt even be shocked if he is taken at No. 9 min read Its been a weird, but good journey , said Kyle Pitts, nearly five months before becoming the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history. Fantasy Football: The Miami Dolphins traded back up to No. 54 overall, 8/6 PPR Superflex mock: Round 5, No. The 2021 #4 overall pick finished with 110 targets, 68 receptions, and 1,026 yards. I like Chigziem Okonkwo a lot as well, but he seems to have already been priced out everywhere I look for him. I got the 1st overall pick The 9th pick in the 2nd round Michael Gallup Gave Lamb24 1st pic.twitter.com/qqbnabae5u. So what the heck does that mean for Pitts? Several veteran quarterbacks have been linked to this team, and whichever one ends up in town is going to provide Wilson with the stability that he didn't have in his rookie campaign. 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Even if Patterson and Edwards carve out sizable roles, Pitts should easily be the more involved player. This game against LSU stands as Pitts first career 100-yard performance. What factors could help us in predicting these rare occurrences? 2.6k shares. Tight End History. This was a major disappointment after Pitts came What he did not live up to was the lofty expectations placed on Pitts by fantasy players. Once Mariota arrived in 2015, Walker elevated to a top-5 tight end. Doing so made him the highest-drafted tight end (TE) in the history of the league. Draft Pick Analysis: It was a rough year for Taylor in 2022, but we need to realize that a lot of factors were beyond his control. We do have several further examples present in his sophomore tape (1:23, 3:03, etc.,). There aren't many questions at all about who should go No. Should You Draft Pitts? 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. And you should view Diggs through both lenses. I cant see him putting up numbers like Kelce or Andrews, but the lack of top-end talent at the position makes Pitts a very safe bet to be a top-five fantasy tight end. Had they closed off the middle in Cover 3, the deep safety wouldve been all over this seam route. He will turn 30 years old during the 2023 season. He runs the 40-yard dash at a 4.46 (99th percentile). He is a player with elite talent and youth on his side. Rookie tight ends typically dont make much of a fantasy impact. 6-keys: media/fantasynews/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Jumping ahead to footage of Pitts sophomore season with the Gators, how can we not love the hitch against man at 0:25? If I had finished second last year, I'd be far more interested in adding a back that could make all the difference. 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. Draft a league now and start fresh with a 0-0 record and a shortened schedule. 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. That value is fine for a tight end of his stature, though dont reach on Kittle due to his injury history. Instead, we should expect a regression to the mean. 61 overall7/28 full-point PPR mock: Round 5, No. While the Falcons let Russell Gage walk, they also drafted Drake London with the eighth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. These routes limit usage of his jump-cut ability. If you're a contender, the risk of losing Diggs' value to an ACL or Father Time is worth the risk of potentially winning a championship this year or next. pin. Or should I take another back at 3, 12 Team, 1QB, .5 PPR - Finished 2nd in 2022What sort of packages would you be willing to give in picks to move up to 1.1? Currently, on FFPC his ADP is 19th overall. Waller ran 50% of his routes this season from a detached alignment. Don't have an account? Just look at what he does at 3:42. The Falcons got their guy at pick Number 4 when they made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end in NFL history. His 60.4 yards per game ranked sixth at the position. His 20 percent target share ranked third among tight ends and he was just one of three to see five or more targets in 15 games. That would be a mistake.. Only 29 TEs have averaged at least 15 FPG in a season over the last 20 years. Howard, Evan Engram, David Njoku, Eric Ebron, and Tyler Eifert are al thel TEs selected in the first round. share. Now with a year under his belt, there is plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Pitts., After what Pitts did as a rookie, there should be plenty of optimism about what he could do as a sophomore in the NFL. 7.11 - Zach Evans (RB - 2023 Rookie) 7.12 - Mike Williams (WR - Los Angeles Chargers) Draft Pick Analysis: The balance of a Dynasty startup draft is 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. I don't ever know for sure what kind of responses I'm going to get when I put out the call for Dynasty Fantasy Football questions on Twitter. NFL TEs averaged well over half of all routes run from that Kelce quartet, nearly the identical number on Wallers most common routes. I mean, what could you not like when you see a guy catch 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in 8 games. 10 team ppr superflex. Kyle Pitts weekly ceiling was extremely unimpressive last year, and this was when he was catching passes from Matt Ryan. In my view, Chase is landing spot-independent, able to produce in Year 1 no matter the QB. 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. Pitts ADP (Average Draft Position) places him behind Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews and ahead of George Kittle and Darren Waller, per FantasyPros. With the uncertainty surrounding Swift and his actual role in Detroit is it worth selling him for a mixture of picks and WR depth? With Georgia in Cover 2-Man at 3:57, Pitts reminds us how much of a mistake it can be to utilize LBs in coverage, here with Monty Price paying the price. Cordarrelle Patterson should also retain his running back/wide receiver hybrid role, since Atlanta didnt make any other major investments in those positions. Despite coming into the league at the age of 20, he did not disappoint. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts at the #4 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft. pin. Pitts is a much better option than the next tier of tight ends, which features Dalton Schultz, Dallas Goedert and T.J. Hockenson. Volume is king, and not just at the running back position. Coordination to motion across the formation to maximize mismatching purposes. Delpits best efforts to be physical with Pitts entirely justifies the return shove. 57 overall8/3 non-PPR mock: Round 6, No. On the flip side, if you're rebuilding, there's no question you should deal Diggs. WebAll Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Kyle Pitts Share. Finding the right value is a tricky game.