Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Josh Downs
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
Monday, August 24, 8:44 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (hamstring), who had not practiced since Aug. 8 due to a hamstring injury, returned to training camp practice on Monday and was seen stretching in pads, according to Chris Ward of Steelers Now. In addition to Pittman, the Steelers got top wideout DK Metcalf back from an undisclosed injury that kept him out since Aug. 8 as well. Barring setbacks, both Pittman and Metcalf should be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. After being acquired by Pittsburgh in an offseason trade with the Indianapolis Colts, he will help add much-needed WR depth behind Metcalf for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2026. But in an offense that could remain ground-based under new head coach Mike McCarthy and with an aging QB, Pittman will not suddenly have newfound fantasy football upside in the Steel City. The 28-year-old pass-catcher had a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games in 2025 in his final year in Indy, but he also went for just 784 yards, which were his fewest since his rookie campaign in 2020. RotoBaller has Pittman ranked as the WR43 going into his first year with the Steelers.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 44.6 | 0.2 |
Josh Downs News
Wednesday, August 26, 10:57 AM
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (calf) downplayed the injury that has kept him out of practice the past two days. According to James Boyd, Downs called it "very minor" and said the team is simply being precautionary. He sat out Tuesday before the Colts identified the issue as a calf injury Wednesday. Downs also missed practice time earlier this month with a groin injury, so Indianapolis has already been careful with him during camp. The 25-year-old caught 58 passes on 88 targets for 566 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games last season after posting a career-high 803 yards in 2024. Michael Pittman Jr. is now in Pittsburgh, although the recent addition of Keenan Allen gives the Colts another proven option alongside Downs and Alec Pierce. For now, there isn't much reason to move Downs down fantasy boards based on his own description of the injury.
Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Josh Downs
Still trying to decide between Pittman Jr. and Downs? 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 Josh Downs is projected to score 10.3 points.
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