Michael Pittman vs Ricky Pearsall: Who Should You Start?
Two wide receivers who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Michael Pittman (Pittsburgh Steelers) finished the 2025 season averaging 9.6 fantasy points per game in 17 games. Ricky Pearsall (San Francisco 49ers) came in at 7.8 PPG over 9 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Michael Pittman carries a 1.8-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Target volume is the story here. Michael Pittman saw 111 targets in 2025, while Ricky Pearsall drew 53. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Michael Pittman, even in weeks where Ricky Pearsall posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
One thing to note: both players share a Week 9 bye. That means you need a backup plan at wide receiver for that week, especially if one of these two is your starter.
