Fantasy football can bring out the best in us, but it can also bring out the worst. After a couple of bad weeks, trying not to overreact becomes a true test of willpower and resolve – do you just stick it out with the guys you drafted, or do you succumb to the desire to drop them if they aren’t performing?
The tight end position is more fickle than most, which only adds to the frustration when a starter lets you down. Kyle Pitts finished as a top-five player at the position last year but has probably lost matchups for managers who put him in lineups over the last two weeks. Is he already a drop candidate in Week 3?
Should you drop Kyle Pitts in fantasy already?
The first two games of the season have been nothing short of brutal for Kyle Pitts. The tight end has just one catch for 15 yards on his four targets – he blanked fantasy managers with a goose egg in Week 1 before posting 2.5 PPR points in Week 2. The results are far from what fantasy managers expected when they took him in the middle rounds to likely serve as their starting tight end.
Just look at what Pitts did last season. The 2025-26 campaign was a career-best one as he notched 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns, setting new highs in receptions and scores. His 12.4 FPPG in PPR formats were also the most of his career, surpassing his previous best of 10.4 FPPG. He finished as the overall TE2 and per-game TE5. Of course, the sample size is small over the last two weeks, but the fall-off in production has been gargantuan.
It’s tempting to rage-drop Pitts from fantasy rosters, but as always, it’s important to consider the larger context surrounding a player’s performance. In this case, it’s really not the fault of the tight end that he’s not producing in fantasy football.
The Falcons’ quarterback situation has been perhaps the NFL’s most dire over the first two games of 2026. With Michael Penix Jr. still recovering from an ACL tear and Tua Tagovailoa injured as well, the team was forced to start third-string backup Cooper Rush. While the veteran had his heyday a few years ago with the Dallas Cowboys, the version of him seen thus far has been nothing short of bad. He has 229 yards and one touchdown to four interceptions on his 39 total attempts – far from even game-manager status. As a result, the team has scored only one touchdown in two games and was held to just three points last week against the Carolina Panthers.
The passing volume has been quite low and the offense hasn’t been able to move the ball otherwise. As a result, Pitts’ fantasy numbers have plummeted, but the downturn hasn’t been limited to him alone. Star wideout Drake London has also struggled significantly with Rush under center. The results have been paltry, but there’s good news for fantasy managers who roster these guys.
Reinforcements are on the horizon – Penix has been named Atlanta’s starting quarterback for Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, meaning Rush will head back to the sideline. While the former Washington Husky has looked like a hit-or-miss talent under center throughout his brief, injury shortened career, he’s still a major upgrade over Rush. Penix isn’t afraid to sling the ball downfield and likes to target the intermediate and deep areas in similar fashion to his gunslinger days in college. This isn’t likely to become a top-five offense by any means once he steps in, but he should prove capable of dragging the attack to around the league average as long as there’s an uptick in volume.
With the quarterback change in mind, there’s absolutely no reason to drop Pitts in fantasy just yet. Penix’s return is the best news possible for the tight end’s outlook, so given the relative lack of options on the waiver wire, he’s a surefire hold for the moment. Don’t panic just yet; brighter days may be ahead.
