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.
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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.
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.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and rookie Deion Burks are currently Ashton Dulin’s primary internal competitors for a key No. 3 receiver role. The Colts could still bolster the unit by signing veteran free agents like Jauan Jennings, Deebo Samuel, or Stefon Diggs.
Dulin has been efficient when called up and offers the most fantasy upside among the current group due to his elite athletic profile and big-play history. Dynasty truthers will be eager to re-add Dulin for another camp and preseason run.
