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

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.

Monday, January 13, 4:07 PM

When asked about the status of wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) for the upcoming Divisional Round showdown against the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said they are in "we'll-see" mode. "He's working hard to get back. We'll see toward the end of the week if he's practicing. He can play without practicing, for sure, if he feels healthy enough and it's safe for him," Harbaugh said. Flowers sprained his knee in the Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns and was inactive for the wild-card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. The 24-year-old could play this weekend against Buffalo without practicing, but he'd be a much riskier lineup option for fantasy managers. With Flowers out on Saturday in the win over Pittsburgh, Rashod Bateman benefitted the most and caught a touchdown, with Tylan Wallace and Nelson Agholor also seeing the field in three-wide sets.