Who Should I Start? Michael Pittman Jr. or Jayden Reed

Friday, January 10, 12:10 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.

Tuesday, February 25, 9:22 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (shoulder) said on locker cleanout day at the end of last season that he tore his labrum in the wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Reed could be limited during the offseason but should be fine for the start of training camp at the end of July. It was initially reported that the 24-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder, but the good news is that he didn't require offseason surgery. In his second year in the NFL in 2024, Reed looked primed for his first 1,000-yard campaign early on, but he limped to the finish line and ended up with 55 catches on 75 targets for 857 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts). He also added 20 carries for 163 yards and another score. He's settled in as a boom/bust WR3/flex in fantasy, but he could have more upside with Christian Watson (knee) set to miss at least half of 2025.