The last time Matt Ryan and Kyle Pitts were on the same team it was 2021, and Pitts had a historic season. Hopefully, history will repeat itself in 2026 now that the Falcons have placed the franchise tag on Pitts.
In 2021, when Pitts was a rookie, Ryan was his quarterback. Pitts looked like a star with 68 catches for 1,026 yards and one touchdown on 110 targets, and he averaged 10.4 PPR points per game. He became just the second rookie tight end with over 1,000 receiving yards, joining Mike Ditka, who accomplished the feat in 1961 with 1,076 yards. Brock Bowers joined their exclusive club in 2024 with 1,194 yards.
Fast forward to 2026, and Ryan is now the president of the Falcons. He was part of the decision to keep Pitts in Atlanta, and this is a great move for Pitts’ Fantasy value.
With Kevin Stefanski the new head coach of the Falcons, it could be another standout season for Pitts, who was great in 2025. He had 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns on 118 targets, and he averaged 12.4 PPR points per game. He was the No. 5 tight end for the season.
But before we look at Stefanski’s history of using tight ends during his time in Cleveland (2020-25), let’s look at what Pitts has done in his career. And, as Fantasy managers, we know he’s been more potential than production during his five-year tenure.
Following his rookie campaign, Pitts struggled with a knee injury in 2022 and averaged just 7.6 PPR points in 10 games. He had another down season in 2023 at 8.1 PPR points per game, and he was at 7.7 PPR points per game in 2024.
Most Fantasy managers gave up on Pitts in 2025, and he was the No. 17 tight end selected based on the CBS Sports Average Draft Position at 143.3. But for anyone who drafted him, it was a nice reward.
He scored at least 12.9 PPR points in four of his first seven games. And in the second half of the season, Pitts was heroic at times, especially in the Fantasy playoffs when he had four games in a row with at least 15 PPR points from Weeks 13-16.
Included in that stretch was his outstanding performance at Tampa Bay in Week 15 with 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 12 targets. He scored 45.6 PPR points, which is considered the fifth-best tight end outing of all-time, trailing only Kellen Winslow (57.4 PPR points in 1981), Winslow again (48.2 PPR points in 1983), Shannon Sharpe (46.3 PPR points in 1996) and Ditka (46 PPR points in 1961).
Now, part of the reason for Pitts’ success down the stretch was Drake London missing Weeks 12-15 with a knee injury. London also missed Week 8 against Miami, and in five games without London, Pitts averaged 19.1 PPR points over that span. In 12 games with London, Pitts averaged just 9.6 PPR points.
We also have to see what Atlanta does at quarterback in 2026 since Michael Penix Jr. is coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 12 last season. The Falcons plan to release Kirk Cousins, so we’ll see who ends up competing with Penix for the starting job, and hopefully that quarterback will lean heavily on Pitts.
And this is where Stefanski’s history of tight ends should matter for Pitts. There were four times during Stefanski’s six-year stint in Cleveland when his tight end was either first or second on the team in targets, including 2025 when rookie Harold Fannin Jr. led the team with 107.
David Njoku had 97 targets in just 11 games in 2024, which was third best for the Browns overall. Njoku was also second in targets in 2023 with 123. And Austin Hooper was second on the team in targets in 2020 and 2021.
Stefanski will likely feature Pitts as much as possible, and he should be at least second on the team in targets behind Drake. It’s why I would consider drafting Pitts, as of now, as the No. 8 tight end off the board behind Trey McBride, Bowers, Colston Loveland, Fannin, Tyler Warren, Tucker Kraft and Sam LaPorta. And you can start to look for Pitts as early as Round 7 in all leagues.
There are still things to monitor for Pitts prior to the start of the season. Will he accept the franchise tag without an issue, or will he holdout in training camp? Who will be Atlanta’s starting quarterback in 2026? What other additions will be made to the roster, including the potential of another tight end being added?
We’ll see how this all shakes out over the next few months. For now, we’re glad Pitts is staying in Atlanta. Stefanski and Pitts should be a good pairing. And we know Ryan loves Pitts and will hopefully bring out the best in him once again.
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