MichaelPittman Jr.

News: 3 days agoPittman (right ankle) was in pads and going through stretching during Monday's practice, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports.

Spin: After missing practice time since Aug. 8, Pittman at least was back on the field for the early portion of Monday's session. Pittman joins DK Metcalf (undisclosed) among notable Steelers to return to the practice field Monday after missing some time. The development offers a positive step for the Steelers' big offseason acquisition, though it doesn't confirm that he has resumed full practice work. Still, Pittman has time to get back to full-go before the season kicks off Sunday, Sept. 13 versus the Falcons.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Pittman was traded to the Steelers after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Colts. The 2020 second-round pick handled a hefty 23.6% of Indianapolis' targets during his tenure, which helped him to four top-20 fantasy campaigns. Pittman has reached 800 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons while primarily operating as a short-to-intermediate target. The role has limited his scoring (he has 25 TDs in 95 games) and that may not change much with DK Metcalf on the other side in Pittsburgh. Of course, Pittman will be a featured target in an offense led by Aaron Rodgers. That's enough to put the 28-year-old squarely in the weekly WR3 mix.