Josh Downs heads to Kansas City in a trade, slotting in behind Rashee Rice while Xavier Worthy drops into the fantasy FLEX tier. Meanwhile, the Colts dealt Downs before his contract expired, leaving Daniel Jones with Ashton Dulin and Tyler Warren as primary targets in a depleted passing attack.
Fantasy managers should buy Downs for his improved target share in a high-powered offense. Warren projects to receive a massive target share moving forward while Indianapolis wide receivers are capped by volatile quarterback play.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin (ankle) is ...
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin has "never ...
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin has seen the ...
Daniel Jones will remain the Colts starting quarterback despite having a massive drop off in production from 2025 to 2026. His yards per attempt has dropped from 8.1 to 5.8 and his epa per play has dropped from 0.17 to -0.11. If a benching were to happen Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard would be in line to start.
To make matters worse the Colts traded away guard Quentin Nelson this week and there have been trade rumors around Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs. Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week that Downs had requested a trade and that multiple teams are interested. If he were to be dealt, the Colts would be left with Keenan Allen, Laquon Treadwell, Deion Burks, and Ashton Dulin at wide receiver with Alec Pierce still out with an ankle injury.
Missing the entirety of training camp puts Alec Pierce on a tight one-month timeline to prepare for Week 1. Those lost reps stall his route-tree expansion after a campaign fueled by a No. 1 ranked 51.8-percent Air Yards Share and a 19.0 Average Target Distance.
Pierce will struggle to regain his 2025 upon return, clogging redraft rosters. Drafting him at cost carries more risk than reward. Pierce should be avoided in all fantasy football formats, including dynasty leagues.
After securing a four-year, $114 million extension on the heels of a 51.8-percent Air Yards Share, Alec Pierce faces risk of missing regular-season time following a second PRP injection for his delayed ankle recovery. Indianapolis committed WR1 money to a young player who commanded an 18.0-percent Target Share while trading away Michael Pittman.
Even after being activated, Pierce will require several weeks to gain full confidence in his lower body. Meanwhile, fellow starter Josh Downs is also dealing with a minor groin injury. When Downs returns, he and tight end Tyler Warren will be first in line absorb the vacated target volume during Pierce’s absence. Pierce is a sell and Downs and Warren are buys based on this injury alone. Even the forgotten Ashton Dulin‘s ADP is starting to creep up across all fantasy football draft formats.
UPDATE: Colts general manager Chris Ballard insists that Alec Pierce did not receive a second PRP injection. Stay tuned for the next episode of Anklegate.
Indianapolis wide receiver Josh Downs was spotted on the sideline in street clothes during practice with a groin injury, raising immediate concern for his early-season status. Coming off a season where he commanded a 23.6-percent Target Rate and a 70.5-percent Slot Rate, any missed time impacts a player heavily reliant on volume in the short-to-intermediate passing game.
The team expects an official update soon, but a soft-tissue setback this close to Week 1 threatens his projection as a high-floor fantasy asset. Downs remains a very strong WR pick in dynasty league start-ups as well as high-stakes and best ball formats.
Shane Steichen and the Colts front office are obscuring the timeline while Alec Pierce recovers from off-season ankle surgery. Coming off a campaign where he produced a 51.8-percent Air Yards Share (No. 1) and 21.3 Yards Per Reception (No. 2), a standard 4-to-6 month recovery window places his Week 1 status in doubt.
Fantasy managers drafting him as a WR3 are absorbing substantial risk until he logs actual practice reps. Pierce is falling each week in PlayerProfiler’s redaft rankings for 2026.
