Okay, so I found myself staring at my roster the other day, really chewing on this decision: Watson or Pittman? It’s one of those calls that seems simple on the surface, but the more I dug in, the trickier it got.
Thinking Through Watson
First up, I took a hard look at Christian Watson. Man, the guy has serious juice. When he’s healthy and gets the ball in space, he can take it to the house from anywhere. That kind of upside is tempting, right? You remember those flashes last season, especially down the stretch. The connection with Jordan Love seemed to be growing. But, and it’s a big but, the injuries worry me. He’s missed time, and those hamstring issues seem to pop up. Plus, the Packers spread the ball around. Is he going to get consistent targets week in and week out? That’s the gamble. You’re banking on explosive plays, not necessarily a high volume of catches every game.
- Pros: Big play ability, touchdown upside, improving QB connection (maybe?).
- Cons: Injury history, target competition, potentially boom-or-bust weeks.
Thinking Through Pittman
Then I shifted my focus to Michael Pittman Jr. He’s kind of the opposite profile in my mind. This guy is Mr. Reliable when it comes to targets. He’s the clear number one option in Indy. You know the ball is going his way. Last year, even with shaky QB play for parts of it, he still commanded a huge target share. Now, you’ve got Anthony Richardson back. That adds a wrinkle. Richardson’s got a cannon, but is he accurate enough consistently? Will the offense be super run-heavy? Pittman isn’t the same kind of burner as Watson, he’s more of a possession guy, tough over the middle, reliable hands. His floor feels much safer.
- Pros: High target volume, clear WR1 role, should be consistent.
- Cons: QB situation still a bit unknown, might lack massive ceiling weeks compared to Watson.
Making the Call
So, I sat there, going back and forth. Do I chase the week-winning upside of Watson, knowing I might get a dud week if he tweaks something or just doesn’t get the looks? Or do I go with the steady production I expect from Pittman, even if he might not explode for 3 TDs?
I looked at the rest of my team, considered what I needed more. Was I desperate for a home run, or did I need that reliable floor to keep me competitive each week? In the end, I leaned towards Michael Pittman. My thinking was, I just trust the volume more. I feel like I know what I’m getting most weeks. Richardson’s development is key, sure, but Pittman has produced with less. Watson’s injury history just made me too nervous for a guy I’d be relying on. It felt like the slightly safer play, and sometimes, grinding out consistent points is the way to go. It wasn’t an easy choice, and honestly, I could see it going the other way, but that’s where my gut and my process led me this time around. We’ll see how it plays out, I guess.
