Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Malik Nabers


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

Could Michael Pittman Jr. Be the Steelers WR1 in 2026?

Tuesday, June 30, 5:37 AM

Veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been an underneath target hog for most of his six-year career, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for him this offseason, the 2020 second-round pick lands in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense seemingly primed to take advantage of his skill set. In his first season with the Steelers, Rodgers finished last in the league in intended air yards per attempt, and heading into his 22nd season at age 42, there's little to suggest a drastic change of approach for 2026. While the Steelers lost running back Kenneth Gainwell to free agency and released tight end Jonnu Smith, two of Rodgers' favorite short-area targets from 2025 have been replaced by Pittman and second-round rookie Germie Bernard. Given the temperamental quarterback's longstanding distrust of rookies, Pittman could be in line for a massive target share. Two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf will still man the outside, but with his downfield skill set aligning closer to those of prime Rodgers than the quick-release check-down maestro of later years, he could become more of a secondary read behind Pittman. Ranked as RotoBaller's WR38, four receiver spots behind Metcalf, Pittman could ultimately prove to be the higher-scoring Steelers receiver, and in full-PPR leagues, he represents one of the better values in the later rounds of drafts.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
12.1 0.5 0.0 4.3 56.7 0.3

Malik Nabers News

Malik Nabers in a "Good Place Right Now"

Monday, July 13, 7:44 PM

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) is expected to work his "way into practice as (training) camp gets started in one way or another," head coach John Harbaugh told ESPN. Nabers is on schedule and is doing better each day, with Nabers not far behind running back Cam Skattebo, who is rehabbing from a season-ending dislocated ankle that he suffered in Week 8 of last year. Harbaugh added that Nabers "is not far behind" Skattebo and that he's "in a good place right now." There has been speculation that Nabers could open the regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which would require him to miss the first four weeks of the 2026 season. Harbaugh has made it sound like Nabers is doing much better, but there is still some mystery as to when exactly he'll be back on the field as a full-go after having surgery on Oct. 28 to fix ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee. The 22-year-old former first-rounder also had a cleanup procedure on his knee this spring to remove scar tissue. Nabers showed his high-end WR1 upside in fantasy as a rookie by producing a 109-1,204-7 line in 15 games, but fantasy managers are better off fading him as a WR1 target in 2026 drafts because of his injury and the fact that he's missing valuable time in a new offense. RotoBaller has Nabers ranked as the WR24 as he heads into Year 3.


Michael Pittman Jr. vs. Malik Nabers

Still trying to decide between Pittman Jr. and Nabers? 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 Malik Nabers is projected to score 12.1 points.