The departure of Michael Pittman vacates 111 targets and a 21.0-percent Target Share (No. 42) from the Indianapolis passing game. This leaves massive opportunity for Alec Pierce, who is coming off a massive 1,593 Air Yards (No. 3) season but is in danger of starting the season on the PUP. Beyond Pierce and the slot-bound Josh Downs, who posted a modest 8.5 Fantasy Points Per Game (No. 51), Ashton Dulin is next in line for targets from the Colts shallow wide receiver room.
Ashton Dulin just needs to hold off Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Laquon Treadwell to potentially open the season as the starter in 2-receiver sets(!), depending on Pierce’s ankle surgery recovery timeline. Dulin is a sneaky add in the deepest dynasty and best ball fantasy football formats.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) didn't...
When asked about wide receiver Alec Pierce's ankle surgery,...
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) posted...
Alec Pierce secured a four-year, $114 million contract extension after recording a 51.8-percent Air Yards Share and averaging 21.3 Yards Per Reception last season. Now he faces a tight 4-6 month recovery timetable following ankle surgery per Mike Chappell. This timeline puts Pierce’s availability for the start of the season very much in jeopardy.
While Indy’s deep threat rehabs, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren are executing reps on the field to command early chemistry in this passing game. Pierce is now set up for a slow start to the season and will be a polarizing buy-low candidate as the season goes along.
Daniel Jones has progressed to throwing the football, though head coach Shane Steichen emphasized that the team will remain cautious regarding his availability for the start of the season. While Riley Leonard is currently slated as the backup, Anthony Richardson’s status for the No. 2 role remains uncertain as he continues to recover from a right eye injury.
Lingering health questions leave Indy’s quarterback depth chart in flux as the team monitors how both players’ rehab progresses this summer. When healthy, Daniel Jones is the starting quarterback, and he is a sneaky value in best ball and superflex dynasty leagues.
The Indianapolis Colts select WR Deion Burks with the 38th pick in the seventh round (#254) overall.
The Indianapolis Colts just snagged a speed demon at No. 254 in Deion Burks, a 180-pound explosive outlier who ran a scorched-earth 4.30-second 40-yard dash (88th-percentile) and posted a massive 42.5-inch vertical jump (100th-percentile). Burks posted a solid 20.7 Breakout Age and garnered a 25.3% College Target Share (74th-percentile), while maintaining a 91.2 Targeted QB Passer Rating during his time at Oklahoma.
In dynasty formats, he will likely remain undrafted, but with a strong camp, could earn a slot role behind the entrenched starters Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.
After signing a four-year, $114 million extension, Alec Pierce could theoretically return during training camp following surgery to address lingering ankle pain, but these kinds of injuries have a strange way of haunting wide receivers. Pierce’s bloated contracts suggests the team isn’t currently alarmed, though he is now under pressure for a quick recovery after the Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. and officially moved Pierce into the WR1 role.
Expect a status update as camp approaches to see if the team’s high-priced playmaker will be ready for the season. This surprising news will further propel Josh Downs and Tyler Warren in best ball and dynasty as Pierce may miss training camp and a significant portion of preseason. Pierce is the quintessential sell-high player in fantasy football dynasty leagues.
Recovering from December surgery, Daniel Jones is already throwing and moving as he and the team target a Week 1 return. While his road to recovery is long, his current rehab progress has kept both parties optimistic about his availability for the season opener.
Avoiding the PUP list at the start of training camp will be the primary indicator that he is trending toward playing in the first game. Jones is currently one of the best values in superflex and 2 QB best ball and dynasty leagues.
