Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Emeka Egbuka


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
10.7 0.2 0.0 4.3 46.9 0.3

Michael Pittman Jr. News

Michael Pittman Jr. Could Run Full Route Tree in Pittsburgh

Thursday, July 16, 7:39 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy said he views wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. as a "versatile pass-catcher who can run all routes," which is a preference for receivers in McCarthy's offense, according to Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Live. In his final season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, Pittman played 283 of his 615 snaps in the slot. In his six seasons with the Colts, the 28-year-old former second-rounder out of USC caught 485 passes for 5,254 yards and 25 touchdowns, but he regressed in 2025, finishing with an 80-784-7 line in 17 games. His 784 receiving yards were his fewest since his rookie year in 2020. Pittsburgh made an aggressive move to acquire Pittman from the Colts in a March trade, then signed him to a three-year, $59 million contract to give DK Metcalf some help. Last year, Metcalf led the Steelers with 59 catches on 99 targets, but the team lacked a reliable option to complement him. McCarthy is hoping Pittman is that man. A bounce-back campaign could be coming for Pittman, but with veteran QB Aaron Rodgers in the last season of his storied career, fantasy managers shouldn't just assume that Pittman will bounce back as a reliable weekly fantasy starter. RotoBaller currently has the former Colts wideout ranked as the No. 41 fantasy WR for 2026.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.6 0.7 0.0 3.8 57.7 0.3

Emeka Egbuka News

Can Emeka Egbuka Put Together a Full Season in Year 2?

Wednesday, July 15, 12:05 PM

A combination of factors built a rookie wall for Tampa Bay Buccaneers former first-rounder Emeka Egbuka, and his production fell off drastically in the last eight games of 2025. The 19th overall selection out of Ohio State finished with a 63-938-6 line on 127 targets in his 17 games played. The 23-year-old will have 1,278 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns if he produces over a full season as he did in his first nine NFL games, according to Dan Pompei of The Athletic. Egbuka dealt with a hamstring injury and an undefined role as he was forced to learn and play every receiver position thanks to injuries to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan. In Year 2, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is set on making Egbuka a full-time Z receiver, and with the departure of Evans, there is clear breakout potential as quarterback Baker Mayfield looks to establish a new go-to target through the air. Egbuka won't come cheap for fantasy managers trying to buy low on him in dynasty/keeper formats after his second-half collapse, and in redraft leagues, the second-year pass-catcher should be targeted as a low-end WR2 with intriguing upside.


Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Emeka Egbuka

Still trying to decide between Pittman Jr. and Egbuka? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Michael Pittman Jr. is projected to score 10.7 points this week while Emeka Egbuka is projected to score 11.6 points.