The Atlanta Falcons fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 23-7 loss in London on Sunday, dropping them to 2-2 on the season. The offense struggled for a second straight week and once again, tight end Kyle Pitts was not much of a factor in the offensive gameplan.
Pitts caught just two of four targets for 21 yards and fantasy managers have to be beyond frustrated at this point by his lack of production. Below, we’ll go over whether you should drop the former No. 4 overall pick and look elsewhere for tight end help.
Fantasy football outlook: Falcons TE Kyle Pitts
Coming off a 2022 campaign that was cut short by a torn MCL, Pitts has been a ghost in fantasy football through four games. He was just the 19th ranked tight end in PPR leagues heading into Sunday’s game against the Jaguars and he’s bound to fall even further down after his performance.
In fact, one could argue that he’s not even the true starter in Atlanta anymore, as he’s basically splitting reps with Jonnu Smith.
Through four games:
— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) October 1, 2023
Kyle Pitts: 21 targets, 11 receptions, 121 yards
Jonnu Smith: 20 targets, 15 receptions, 179 yards
Barring head coach Arthur Smith actually hyper-focusing on getting the ball to the guy he used a No. 4 pick on, Pitts’ current target rate will most likely continue as the team gets into the thick of its schedule.
Verdict
I can’t advocate for you to outright cut bait with Pitts and release him because the potential is still there. But I do recommend you bench him and seek out other options. This Falcons offense isn’t going to get fixed anytime soon and barring him getting traded to another team that will actually use him, Pitts will continue to languish as a fantasy bust.
Possible replacements
Seattle Seahawks tight Noah Fant has been a solid option the last two weeks, grabbing eight of nine targets for 97 yards. He’s only rostered in 3% of fantasy leagues and should be readily available on the waiver wire next week.
If you’re looking for a high-risk, high-reward tight end, Donald Parham Jr. is another option. He’s been a primary red zone weapon for the Los Angeles Chargers as three of his six receptions have been touchdowns. He’s only rostered in 8.4% of leagues.