The Atlanta Falcons have a big question mark in their group of pass-catchers ahead of the Week 15 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thanks to the status of tight end Kyle Pitts.
Pitts landed on the injury report this week with a knee issue and was limited for the entire week before drawing a questionable tag on Wednesday.
Pitts' status is particularly important because the Falcons are already without top wide receiver Drake London, who is missing yet another game due to his knee injury.
With London sidelined, Pitts is the No. 1 target for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Here's what we know about Pitts' chances of playing in Week 15.
Is Kyle Pitts playing tonight?
Answer: Probably
We do not have a definitive answer on Pitts' status, but based on the fact he was able to log three limited practices this week, we would say he has a better than 50/50 shot to play.
Pitts has not missed a game this season, so that's another reason for optimism that he will suit up.
The closest Pitts came to not practicing in full all week and still playing in a game came in Week 9, when he turned in two limited sessions and one full before being cleared to play with an ankle issue, so take that for what it's worth.
Kyle Pitts start or sit advice
Pitts had a shaky history with Cousins throwing him the football in years past, but they appear to have a much better connection now. Over the last two weeks, Pitts ranks as TE4 overall and is averaging 15.1 fantasy points per game in that span.
The Buccaneers have been one of the more stingy defenses against tight ends, giving up the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position this season.
That said, with London sidelined and wideout Darnell Mooney being irrelevant lately, Pitts should get all the targets he can handle and is pretty much the No. 1 option for Cousins in the passing game right now.
Tampa Bay's defense has also been bad defending the pass in general, with the Bucs ranking as the sixth-worst pass defense in the NFL, so the Bucs' ranking against tight ends doesn't concern us all that much.
Consider Pitts one of the better starting options at tight end this week.
Verdict: Start
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