Fantasy Football Week 9 Start 'Em Sit 'Em: Colston Loveland vs. Kyle Pitts
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Kyle Pitts and Colston Loveland are two tight ends with advantageous matchups in fantasy football ahead of Week 9.
However, both enter their respective matchups with very different starts to the 2025 season. Pitts, the Atlanta Falcons’ No. 4 overall pick in 2021, is on pace for his best season since posting over 1,000 yards as a rookie. On the other hand, Loveland, the Chicago Bears’ No. 10 overall pick, has gotten off to a slow start six games into his rookie year.
Let’s dive deeper into the numbers by making the case for each before making a final decision.
The Case For Loveland
Fantasy Sports On Si Week 9 Ranking: TE11
Loveland has just 11 catches for 116 yards on 18 targets through his first six games. That’s not the production anyone wants to see out of a top 10 pick. Still, there SHOULD be better days ahead for the former Michigan Wolverine.
The rookie is coming off his best game as a pro despite the Bears losing 30-16 to the Ravens. Loveland caught 3-of-5 targets for 38 yards. The matchup against Baltimore in Week 8 presented a prime opportunity, as fellow tight end Cole Kmet was sidelined with a back injury.
It was an underwhelming performance for Loveland cause the Ravens are among the worst pass defenses in the NFL. But Week 9 presents an even better opportunity with the Bears playing the Bengals. Cincinnati leads the NFL in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. It also allows the most yards (594) and touchdowns (10) to the position, and the latter is by a large margin.
Almost the entirety of the Bears’ pass-catching core didn’t practice on Wednesday as well. The bottom line is that Loveland should see more opportunities in Week 9. He made my list of streamers this week, so I believe he’s in line for a productive day.
The Bears' top four receivers -- D.J. Moore (hip/groin), Rome Odunze (heel), Olamide Zaccheaus (knee) and Luther Burden III (concussion) -- all did not practice today.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 29, 2025
The Case For Pitts
Fantasy Sports On Si Week 9 Ranking: TE9
Pitts is on pace to set a career-high in catches, as he has 39 this season through seven games. He’s also primed to record his most receiving yards since posting 1,026 as a rookie. Pitts is currently TE9 and would undoubtedly be ranked higher if he had better touchdown luck.
The veteran has just one touchdown this season, leaving remnants of his magical rookie campaign. But that should change. Pitts has seen a tremendous increase in targets over the last few weeks. He has 19 in his previous two and posted 13.2 or more fantasy points in both.
Drake London being a surprise inactive last week definitely benefited Pitts in Week 8. London’s status should be monitored ahead of Week 9, as it directly affects Pitts’ fantasy value if he can’t go. But even if he can, Pitts has a good enough floor and matchup that should keep him in lineups this week.
The Falcons play the Patriots, who allow the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends per game. They have also given up the fourth-most yards to the position this season (534). Pitts should be ranked inside the top 10 this week.
Ball out, @kylepitts__ 🎱 pic.twitter.com/YCdvkfMRkm
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 26, 2025
Final Verdict
This is somewhat of a floor vs. ceiling battle, in which Pitts is the floor play and Loveland is the upside play. However, Pitts’ floor might just be Loveland’s ceiling. The veteran has more targets in his last two games (19) than Loveland has all season (18).
Sure, the matchup is great for Loveland, but Pitts has a favorable matchup as well. The Bears’ coaching staff has not shown any interest in getting their top 10 pick the ball, and it’s pretty alarming. Week 8 was supposed to be Loveland’s big breakout, yet it didn’t happen.
While I believe better days are ahead for the rookie, I wouldn’t consider playing him over a top 10 tight end until those days come. Volume and touchdowns are the two most important factors for making a top fantasy tight end. Pitts has the volume, while Loveland has neither.
Pitts should be started over London in both PPR and standard leagues, even if London is back and the Bears’ pass catchers are banged up in Week 9.
Am I back on the Kyle Pitts train? Plus, a big name TE you can get away from
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 30, 2025
Start Em, Sit Em TEs for Week 9! pic.twitter.com/efGR0RsQcO
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Michael Rovetto previously served as the staff writer for University of Maryland Athletics for nearly two years. There, he wrote, edited and managed all editorial content for all 20 of Maryland's varsity sports on umterps.com. Rovetto is recognized as a College Sports Communicators district award-winning writer. Many of his stories have also appeared on NCAA.org, garnering national attention. Before graduating from Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism in December 2023, Rovetto wrote for PressBox and Terrapin Sports Central, covering Maryland men's basketball and football. He also has experience in broadcasting, previously working as an analyst and camera operator for Big State Sports, and communication, interning for Shell Shock TBT as its Director of Communication & Content Development.