Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star believes the presence of QB Matt Ryan will have a “profound effect” on RB Jonathan Taylor’s receiving output. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration; Taylor caught 40 balls last year — 2.35 per game — and we don’t forecast a significant jump this fall. But the thesis here is that Ryan will take the checkdown much more often than Carson Wentz did. Taylor’s also grown as a pass-catcher. “Understanding the different coverages,” Taylor said. “You have certain routes, and maybe, if they’re in a zone, know how to spray it a little bit and then sit down. Things like that, rather than knowing I just need to get to this depth and turn in.” JT was a receiving weapon last year with a massive 10.1 YAC per reception. Even if his pass catching numbers don’t spike, he projects as a clear top-2 fantasy RB.

Colts GM Chris Ballard pointed to WR Alec Pierce's downfield ability as a reason they targeted him in the draft. “The one thing you notice about Pierce is he gets behind people,” Ballard said. “This kid can really, really run and really adjust to the football." Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per catch over the last 3 seasons at Cincinnati and clocked a 4.41-second 40 time at 6'3, 211 pounds at the Combine. “One of the things I like on (Pierce’s) tape is I like him outside,” HC Frank Reich said. “I think he’s very good versus press, I think he’s got length and vertical speed to get down the field. I think for his size, he’s a very good route runner." Pierce has a golden opportunity to win Indianapolis' #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman. He's a nice Round 2 target in dynasty rookie drafts and is worth a look in the later stages of redrafts.

Colts beat writer Zak Keefer believes rookie WR Alec Pierce’s athleticism makes him a “candidate for the Colts #2 WR job.” The competition isn’t exactly fierce, as the Colts have Parris Campbell, Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin, Keke Coutee and Mike Strachan as depth. “He’s got really good size, has really good vertical speed,” GM Chris Ballard said. “He’s got work to do, like any rookie receiver that comes into the league, but we think he’s got a chance to really ascend.” This summer, the 22-year-old could certainly enter the mix as a late-round flier in deep formats. Indy lost 69 targets with the loss of Zach Pascal — and potentially 37 more from free agent T.Y. Hilton, if he moves on.

Colts 3rd-round TE Jelani Woods carries “potential to earn immediate snaps,” per beat writer Stephen Holder. The 6’7, 253-pounder arrives after Indy used a 2021 Round 4 pick on Kylen Granson, who garnered only 15 targets as a rookie. Veteran Jack Doyle retired over the winter, and the supersized Mo Alie-Cox re-signed on a 3-year deal. “The offense,” HC Frank Reich said, “wants to be tight end-centric in some ways. A lot of playmaking goes on in the middle of the field.” Woods, 23, is a long-shot for redraft relevance. But the Colts supply a fine landing spot for his dynasty value.

The Colts selected TE Jelani Woods in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. A 1-year producer at Virginia (44-598-8), Woods goes a towering 6’7, 259 pounds. Athletically, he tested off the charts with a Relative Athletic Score of 10.0 (out of 10.0). Converting to TE just a few years ago, Woods is a raw product, but he landed in a spot where he can work into Indy’s rotation slowly. The Colts used a mid-round pick on Kylen Granson last year, while they signed Mo-Alie-Cox to a 3-year, $18 million deal in March.

The Colts selected Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce with the 53rd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pierce never reached 900 receiving yards across 4 college seasons, topping out with a 52-884-8 line this past year. But he left school with a big 17.5 yards-per-catch average and pops as a big-play threat on tape. Pierce is a contested-catch dominator (he played basketball and volleyball in high school) and a natural ball tracker. His 99.3 deep receiving grade from Pro Football Focus last year ranked 27th among 275 qualifiers. The 6’3, 211-pounder registered a 4.41-second 40 time and a big 40.5-inch vertical at the Combine to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. We see shades of Marvin Jones in his game. Pierce lands in a nice spot, with a clear path to the #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman.

Stephen Holder of The Athletic writes that TE has been a “focus” of the Colts’ “pre-draft preparation.” Jack Doyle retired in March. Mo Alie-Cox returned on a 3-year deal last month, but he hasn’t played more than 55% of the snaps in a season (2021). Second-year man Kylen Granson brings a receiving profile but stands just 6’2 and caught only 11 passes as a rookie. Holder noted that Indy relied heavily on 2 TE sets last year, while OC Marcus Brady returns for another season. The Colts are currently slated for 7 picks in the 2022 draft, with the first selection on tap at 42nd overall.

The Colts have agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal to keep TE Mo Alie-Cox around, according to multiple reports. Alie-Cox led Indianapolis in targets last season but ranked just 5th on the team with 45. His 24 catches trailed Jack Doyle, who has since retired. The new contract suggests upside for Alie-Cox in his age-29 season, but he'll still share the position with 2021 draft pick Kylen Granson. We'll see whether Indy adds any other significant TE.

Packers beat writer Matt Schneidman writes that the “NFL stage was far too big” for rookie WR Amari Rodgers. That certainly shows in his production. A 3rd-round pick, Rodgers totaled only 4 catches in 16 games while handling 31 returns. Schneidman doesn’t believe Rodgers will have a “substantial role” in 2022 unless this WR corps undergoes a major overhaul. Prior to the quiet year 1, Rodgers exited Clemson on the shorter side (5’10) and never profiled as a downfield threat. He’s not a recommended pick in early best ball drafts.

Colts beat writer Zak Keffer expects both WR T.Y. Hilton and TE Jack Doyle to retire. Speaking on the Colts’ TE situation, Keffer notes that Mo Alie-Cox is slated for free agency, making 2021 rookie Kylen Granson the current starter. Indy will surely add competition over the next few months. But note that Granson has the catch-first skill-set and athleticism to potentially develop into a sleeper. He exited college with 129-1,879-16 in 37 games. This past year, he notched 11 catches for 106 yards as the Colts’ 3rd TE.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner is active for today's game against the Jaguars. He arrived questionable and is likely well short of 100% after missing the entire week of practice with a nagging knee injury. He'll be risky but also carry upside as an IDP option.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Buckner missed practice all week with a nagging knee issue and seems like a legitimate game-day decision.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner is active for today's game against the Texans. He was questionable, primarily for a knee injury, but finished the week with a full practice. Buckner belongs in IDP lineups in most cases. Questionable S Andrew Sendejo (calf) is also active.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans. He's dealing with knee and foot issues, though the knee seemed more significant to begin the week. He close out the week with full Friday participation after a return to limited action Thursday, though. Buckner seems on track to play and should be in IDP lineups if active (barring some announcement of a limited role). S Andrew Sendejo (calf) is also questionable after following the same practice progression as Buckner through the week.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner came away from Sunday's loss to the Buccaneers with a knee injury that has his status iffy for Week 13. “I don’t know if we’re going to see him at the beginning of the week,” HC Frank Reich said Monday, according to the Indianapolis Star, referring to the start of the practice week. “We’ll hopefully see him at the end of the week, but we’re going to have to take it day by day. There’s no guarantee on him.” Losing Buckner would be a significant absence for the Colts D and IDP lineups, but a matchup with Houston would soften the blow for Indy.

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Wednesday that RB Trey Sermon remains behind Elijah Mitchell and Jeff Wilson on the depth chart. “Trey had an opportunity (earlier this season) when guys got hurt and I thought he got better in each game with that. But he didn’t do enough for us to put him ahead of Elijah or Jeff," Shanahan said. Sermon could get some touches this weekend if Mitchell's finger injury keeps him out, but Wilson would be the 49ers RB to use in fantasy lineups.

Jets QB Joe Flacco is expected to start Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. QB Zach Wilson's knee still isn't back to 100%, and the Jets are evidently done with QB Mike White after his 4-INT outing vs. the Bills last week. Flacco joined the team just a few weeks ago. He made 4 starts for the Jets last year -- albeit under a different coaching staff -- averaging 212 yards and 1.5 TDs on 6.4 yards per attempt. Flacco isn't a fantasy option, but he's also probably not a downgrade from White or Wilson at this point.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner is active for today's game against the Jaguars. Buckner turned up questionable after hurting his back during the practice week, which finished with him missing Friday's workout. Buckner should be OK for IDP lineups, though.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor left in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's game against the Jets with a knee injury. Indianapolis reached halftime with a 28-10 lead, so we wouldn't be surprised if the team shuts Taylor down for the night -- even if the injury isn't serious. We'll keep an eye on the situation either way.

Update: Taylor took the field to open the 2nd half.

The Jets acquired QB Joe Flacco from the Eagles in exchange for a 2022 6th-round pick that can become a 5th-rounder based on how much Flacco plays for New York, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Flacco spent 2020 with the Jets, but that was under a different coaching staff. ESPN's Rich Cimini expects QB Mike White to start Sunday's game vs. the Bengals. QB Zach Wilson is slated to miss 2-4 weeks with his knee injury.