Aaron Jones Sr. or Kyle Pitts Sr.: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 Week 2 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.

Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.

Start Pitts narrowly: the role and rank edge outweigh Jones’ steadier profile

Start Pitts, narrowly: his TE7 standing carries more weight than Jones’ RB35 label when their projections are essentially identical. Pitts’ larger role and Atlanta’s higher scoring expectation fit his vertical seam-threat profile, but the floor is fragile after one target and no catches in Week 1 (Steelers.com 2026-09-14). Jones has the more credible veteran lead-back identity and a slightly better projection, yet shared work and limited receiving involvement make him less appealing in PPR.

What flips it: Pitts is again limited to one or fewer targets.

Sources: Steelers.com · Sep 14, 2026

AI editor

Aaron Jones Sr.

Aaron Jones Sr.

RB35MINvs CHI

Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Kyle Pitts Sr.

TE7ATLvs CAR

Projected Points

Toss-Up· medium

Aaron Jones Sr.’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+110
Anytime Touchdown Props →

Kyle Pitts Sr.’s market

ATD
Anytime TD
+240
Anytime Touchdown Props →
MIN@
CHISun, Sep 20, 1:00 PM ETView the game →
CAR@
ATLSun, Sep 20, 1:00 PM ETView the game →

Why Aaron Jones Sr.

Toss-Up· medium

RB1 and veteran lead back. Balanced runner with reliable receiving chops, though workload now shared.

46% snap share and a 4% target share cap the PPR floor; RB35 at 11.2 projected is a bench-flex call in 12-team leagues.

  • Jones’ balanced rushing and receiving profile gives him more ways to beat a quiet target day.
  • His veteran lead-back identity is the safer bet if Minnesota controls the game near the goal line.

The call

  • The role is a committee: 46% snap share and just a 4% target share mean he needs volume on the ground or a goal-line score to clear double digits — there's no receiving safety net.
  • Matchup is dead neutral (18 of 32 DvP, and that's off a 1-game sample with zero confidence), so nothing in the opponent profile pushes this either way.
  • A 21.0 implied team total with the team getting 3.5 points is a middling-to-negative script — trailing football shrinks early-down carries for a back who isn't catching passes.
  • Tipping point: if he's the clear goal-line back or the snap share climbs toward 60%, he's a flex start; as a coin-flip RB35 he's behind most 12-team flex alternatives.

Why Kyle Pitts Sr.

Toss-Up· medium

TE1 and vertical seam threat. Rare size-speed mismatch profile with high-volume target share in the passing game.

TE7 on paper at 11.1 projected, but a 5% target share and a zero-catch Week 1 on one look make Pitts a bet on volume that hasn't shown up.

  • Pitts’ TE7 valuation reflects positional scarcity, making a near-even projection more meaningful than it looks.
  • His upside depends on his seam role finally producing volume, not merely on the favorable team outlook.

The call

  • The projection (11.1, TE7) and a near-even game — Atlanta -1.5, 23.0 implied total — say playable, but that number is built on reputation more than 2026 usage.
  • Role red flag: 63% snap share with just a 5% target share, and Steelers.com noted he was "targeted just once by Cooper Rush and finishing with zero catches" in Week 1.
  • Matchup is neutral at best — Carolina grades 13 of 32 vs the position (softest = 32), and that's a 1-game sample with 0.00 confidence, so there's no soft-spot bonus to lean on.
  • Tip it to start if he draws early-down and red-zone looks with Rush under center; if you have any top-12 TE with a defined target share, play that instead this week.

Latest on Pitts

Role

Kyle Pitts was shut out entirely in Week 1, targeted just once by Cooper Rush and finishing with zero catches as the Steelers defense effectively limited Atlanta's top two pass-catching options behind Robinson.

Steelers.com · Sep 14, 2026
Fantasy buzz: Pats' Stevenson rises with Henderson out, Cards list Love as RB2

TreVeyon Henderson won't suit up on Wednesday, leaving most of the backfield work for Rhamondre Stevenson.

ESPN · Sep 9, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Head-to-head stats

MetricAaron Jones Sr.Kyle Pitts Sr.
Projected points
Consensus rankRB35TE7
Opponent vs positionCHI · 18 of 321-game sampleCAR · 13 of 321-game sample
Rushing Yards16 of 32—
Rushing TDs15 of 32—
Rushing Attempts11 of 32—
Receptions12 of 322 of 32
Receiving Yards31 of 3214 of 32
Anytime TD22 of 3220 of 32
Receiving TDs—21 of 32
Targets—6 of 32
Target share4%5%
Reception share0%0%
Implied total · spread21.0+3.523.0-1.5
Depth chartRB1TE1
Snap share46%63%
Start/Sit record0–0+2 toss-ups0–1+1 toss-up

Recent form

Aaron Jones Sr. — last 1 week

Week 1vs GB

Kyle Pitts Sr. — last 1 week

Week 1vs PIT

Signal breakdown

  • 11.2 vs 11.1 projected PPR pointsAaron Jones Sr. +
  • Rank 35 vs 7Kyle Pitts Sr. +
  • Opponent DvP rank 18 vs 13 (32 = softest)even
  • Implied 21.0 vs 23.0 team pointsKyle Pitts Sr. +
  • No injury designationseven
  • 46% vs 63% snap shareKyle Pitts Sr. +

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