Matt Ryan, Michael Pittman Jr. Expected to Be Fantasy Studs in 2022
We're about to hit the long lull of the NFL offseason as OTAs and minicamp near an end and training camp doesn't arrive until late July.
With that in mind, there's no time like the present to study and get ready for the 2022 fantasy football season.
Fans of the Indianapolis Colts have reasons to be optimistic both about the team and their players from a fantasy perspective.
Everyone knows that running back Jonathan Taylor is like gold. However, a couple of other players are currently being undervalued in new quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and analysts think fantasy players should be keeping a sharp eye on them.
First, FantasyPros recently listed the most underrated fantasy player on each NFL team, listing Ryan as the Colts' representative.
If you were a quarterback and I put you with a first-year head coach and took away your top wide receivers (Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley), you’d probably have a bad year. That’s what happened to Matt Ryan in 2021. In his five games last year with Ridley, Ryan averaged 22.2 fantasy points per game. In his 12 games without him, Ryan averaged just 14.1. With a seasoned head coach and respectable No. 1 wide receiver (Michael Pittman), Ryan should rebound in 2022.
– Matthew Freedman
Things are set up well for Ryan to have a solid season. He's working with head coach Frank Reich, who is known to get the most out of his quarterbacks, and Ryan has a dangerous supporting cast.
Many people outside the organization are skeptical about the Colts' young receiving corps, but the Colts aren't. In fact, when you look at the pass-catchers that Ryan will have as a whole, it's an attractive group.
Pittman is the team's established WR1 and is coming off of his first 1,000-yard season. Parris Campbell, when healthy, can stretch the field and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. There are high expectations for rookie second-round pick Alec Pierce. The Colts also have other big, young, athletic players like Ashton Dulin, Kylen Granson, Dezmon Patmon, and Mike Strachan. Tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods are massive pass targets, and running backs Nyheim Hines and Jonathan Taylor are both high-end playmakers.
Pittman, Alie-Cox, Patmon, Woods, and Strachan are all at least 6'4", so that should help Ryan in the red zone.
The Colts' offensive line should remain reliable in front of Ryan, and Taylor commands attention in the box after running for 2,980 yards and 29 touchdowns the last two years. That leaves a thinner secondary for Ryan to pass against.
As for Pittman, FantasyPros also polled several experts as to who their favorite breakout candidates were, and the third-year receiver was a popular option.
“Michael Pittman Jr. is entering Year 3 and should be viewed as a legitimate alpha WR1 based on his accomplishments from 2021: third in route participation behind Cooper Kupp and Ja’Marr Chase, eighth in target share (31% from Weeks 13-18), fourth in contested catches. And per PlayerProfiler.com route charting, Pittman ranked No.2 overall in route run win rate. The only reason he didn’t finish higher than WR15 in half-point scoring was that the Colts ranked 29th in pass-play rate and 27th in pass attempts. With a more trustworthy quarterback who has a track record of fueling fantasy WR1s and hyper-targeting alphas in Matt Ryan for the 2022 season, Pittman has the legitimate chance to make the leap into the top-12 WR1 conversation.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)
Pittman is the Colts' clear-cut No. 1 receiver with no established option to compete with him. He led the team in targets last year by 60 and receptions by 48. It doesn't look like the Colts will add a veteran free agent at this point and if they do, it would likely be T.Y. Hilton, who we've seen from last year would likely not threaten Pittman's targets.
Ryan's presence is big for Pittman's fantasy value. Ryan has worked well with established WR1s before, including Roddy White, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and now Pittman. In 14 seasons, Ryan's primary receiver has finished as a top-10 WR/TE every year except for one (Jones and White were injured in 2013), including seven instances in the top five.
What do you expect from these Colts in 2022? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
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