Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Zay Flowers

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.

Monday, May 5, 12:22 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) ended up not needing surgery for his knee this offseason. Flowers sprained his right knee in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns and wasn't able to play in either of the team's postseason games as a results. The 24-year-old former 22nd overall pick in 2023 out of Boston College should now be fully ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall, but we'll keep a close eye on his progress once training camp gets underway in late July. Flowers earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2024 in his second year in the league after catching 74 passes for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns on 116 targets over 17 games (15 starts). He has been the team's WR1 since being drafted in the first round and has plenty of elusiveness and speed, but he's more of a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in fantasy in a run-first offense.