Who Should I Start? Noah Brown or Michael Pittman Jr.

Thursday, December 12, 12:08 PM

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that wide receiver Noah Brown (ribs) will miss several weeks and potentially the rest of the season after sustaining an internal injury in the Week 13 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Commanders had a bye in Week 14, but Brown's injury is serious enough that he won't be ready to go for the Week 15 contest this Sunday in New Orleans against the Saints. With Brown hurt, the Commanders claimed receiver K.J. Osborn off waivers from the New England Patriots earlier this week. Osborn will give Washington more depth at the position, but Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Luke McCaffrey will get be the ones that will battle for WR2 duties with Brown injured behind Terry McLaurin. Tight end Zach Ertz might actually benefit the most from a target perspective in fantasy.

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.