Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Luther Burden III

Wednesday, April 23, 12:27 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) said that his back injury from the 2024 season is in the past and he didn't require surgery on his back. He said he was cleared to play last month and thinks he's done the work necessary to get past the fractured back that he played through last year. In addition to shaky quarterback play and Anthony Richardson eventually being benched in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, Pittman battled a busted back to finish with only 69 receptions, 808 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 16 games, which were all the lowest marks of his five-year NFL career since his rookie campaign in 2020 in which he played in only 13 games. The 27-year-old might be better off from a fantasy perspective if Daniel Jones wins the quarterback competition over Anthony Richardson this offseason, but either way, fantasy managers are going to be more skeptical of Pittman as a WR2 in 2025.

Wednesday, May 21, 3:29 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III (undisclosed) is not practicing on Wednesday as he deals with a soft-tissue injury, according to head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson said, "It remains to be seen" when the rookie from Missouri will return to action. Burden was selected in the second round of last month's draft after compiling 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns in 38 career games. He added 34 carries for 234 yards and four scores as a runner. While Burden is an exciting player with the ball in his hands, it's tough to get too optimistic about his fantasy outlook in 2025. Caleb Williams is unproven at quarterback, and the Chicago pass-catching group is crowded with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and D'Andre Swift. He's a solid dynasty rookie draft pick at cost, but it would be a surprise if he's a consistent producer for redraft leagues in Year 1.