Metcalf, Pittman ‘expected to be ready’ for Week 1

This was not the game many expected against a beleaguered Colts defense. Two of Metcalf’s three catches were on screens behind the line of scrimmage, and he was only targeted 10 yards down the field once. Aaron Rodgers is not having much success throwing the ball deep down the field, which means Metcalf is likely going to be a touchdown-dependent WR3 in fantasy next week against the Bucs.

Pittman aggravated the foot injury that cost him Week 2 last week and will now miss four games, at minimum, while on injured reserve. Roman Wilson appears to be the primary beneficiary of Pittman’s absence and has seen six targets in each game this season while mostly playing a situational role. Wilson is a priority waiver addition over rookie Germie Bernard.

McCarthy told reporters the team is evaluating Pittman’s roster spot, meaning they could place him on injured reserve. He would miss at least four weeks while on IR. Pittman tried to play through the foot injury but only made it two weeks before aggravating the issue. He was spotted using a scooter to support his foot in the locker room on Wednesday. We suspect the Steelers will place him on IR to give Pittman enough time to fully recover. Germie Bernard will now operate as the team’s permanent WR3, with Roman Wilson taking on more work as the clear No. 2 receiver. Both players will be decent FLEX options for Week 5.

Pittman has been playing through a foot injury this season and was seen participating in team stretches earlier today. Although the scooter use is alarming, this is likely just load management. Pittman is a boom-bust FLEX against the Colts this weekend.

That makes two consecutive games with two receptions for the veteran X receiver, who continues to be handily outplayed by teammate Roman Wilson. Pittman brings his season total in receptions to seven after missing Week 2 with injury and remains largely confined to the short areas of the field. The Steelers made good on their promise to increase their 12-personnel utilization against the Browns, and it was Pittman who saw his route participation suffer the most. Pittman is quickly bordering drop candidate territory ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Colts.

Metcalf managed just three receptions through the first three-plus quarters of play before making two grabs for 50 yards on the team’s penultimate possession, eventually resulting in a tie game with under two minutes to play following a successful two-point conversion. Even though this marks the third game in four tries with nine or more targets, Week 4 was the first game with more than 40 yards for Metcalf as he works to strengthen his connection with Rodgers in a downfield role. In fact, Metcalf more than doubled his year-to-date yardage total from the previous three games against two of the better coverage corners in the league. The individual matchup doesn’t get much easier ahead of a Week 5 meeting with the Colts, who boast another top corner duo in Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward. Metcalf remains a wide range of outcomes weekly WR3.

Pittman was back in action after missing Week 2’s game with a foot injury. Despite being on the field for 28 routes, the veteran receiver struggled to make much of an impact, making two eight-yard receptions on back-to-back drives before fading into the distance. Pittman has caught 5-of-8 targets for 74 scoreless yards this season and shouldn’t be counted on for Week 4’s game against the Browns.

Metcalf has yet to crack 40 yards in a game this season, but he did manage to find the end zone for a six-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The big plays have not been there for Metcalf thus far, who has a long catch of 16 yards. Metcalf will be on the WR3/WR4 radar for next week’s game against the Browns.

It was reported earlier on Sunday that Pittman was expected to suit up, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Despite being ready to go, Pittman will be hard to trust this week against a much-improved Bengals defense. He caught just three passes for 58 yards on three targets in his lone game this season and his best left on fantasy benches in most cases.

Pittman missed last week’s game with the foot issue and was limited in practice throughout this week. He was given a questionable designation on Friday. Pittman will return as the No. 2 receiver on a struggling offense, and he’s likely not back to full strength. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for at least one more game before getting him back into lineups.