Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

King of Props: The future is now at tight end

By John Dudley | Last updated 9/18/22

The Rams opened the defense of their championship with a Thursday night home game against the Bills and were soundly beaten in the second half, falling 31-10. They get another game at SoFi Stadium in Week 2 and draw what figures to be an easier opponent in the Falcons. If Atlanta is playing from behind like the 10-point spread suggests, it only figures to help our prop:

The bet: Over 3½ receptions for Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (DraftKings)

After averaging exactly four catches per game as a rookie, Pitts is expected to take a leap forward in his second season. We’re getting a good number here because he caught just two passes for 19 yards in Week 1. But he ran a route on 72% of Marcus Mariota’s dropbacks and saw seven targets.

Not yet 22 years old, Pitts is a physical freak who presents a mismatch for any defender. He will often be the first read against an LA defense that likes to pressure the quarterback.

During his 4½-year tenure as the starter for the Titans, Mariota clearly favored throwing to the tight end. In fact, he helped Delanie Walker average five catches per game and earn three straight Pro Bowl selections between 2015 and 2017. Pitts should build on his own Pro Bowl campaign with a strong showing today.

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