Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) is "progressing well" as he continues to rehab a high-ankle sprain, according to head coach Shane Steichen, but there's no indication as to whether he'll actually take part in the team's first official practice of the 2024 regular season on Wednesday. We will have a better idea of Downs' status for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans after Indy releases their injury report on Wednesday, but as of now, the 23-year-old is completely up in the air for this weekend. Fantasy managers that have Downs rostered should plan as if Downs won't suit up and go from there. If he's unavailable or limited for the Colts against Houston, expect to see rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce lined up in three-wide sets alongside starter Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce has been receiving high praise from head coach Shane Steichen regarding his consistency through training camp, according to Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. In addition, general manager Chris Ballard has also expressed praise for the third-year wideout. In the final preseason game, Pierce caught both of his targets from quarterback Anthony Richardson and is currently listed as the No. 3 option on the depth chart. If Josh Downs (ankle) is not cleared to play in the season opener, Pierce could see a significant uptick in work along with rookie wideout Adonai Mitchell. If Pierce can establish himself as a reliable No. 3 pass-catcher in this offense, he could be worth stashing in deeper leagues.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson started just 13 games in his collegiate career at Florida and four games last year during his rookie campaign. The elite athlete from the QB spot has all the physical tools to succeed, but it could take time for him to develop. Heading into 2024, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team expects "roller-coaster moments" from the 22-year-old. "Most quarterbacks, when they're young, they go through those moments, but you have to learn from them, grow from them, and keep moving forward," Ballard said. "Just look around the league and it's a little bit up and down." While Richardson is likely to be inconsistent as a passer, his rushing floor and ceiling should stabilize his fantasy value. Despite leaving three of his four games early last year, he racked up at least 17.7 fantasy points in three of four contests, and he scored 29.6 fantasy points in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams. If he can stay healthy, he has a clear path to a QB1 season in fantasy football, even if he struggles through the air.

Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon (hamstring) is practicing with the team on Wednesday. With Sermon returning to practice on Wednesday, he should be ready to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener in the first week of September. The 25-year-old injured his hamstring in the team's preseason opener on Aug. 11 and sat out the final two preseason contests as a result. Before his injury, though, he was trending as the club's RB2 behind starter Jonathan Taylor. It remains to be seen if that's still the case and if he's ahead of Tyler Goodson on Indy's RB depth chart. The former third-rounder out of Ohio State is probably nothing more than a handcuff option in the very deepest of fantasy leagues for managers that have Taylor rostered. In his first year in Indy in 2023, Sermon had 35 carries for 160 yards (4.6 yards per tote) and caught three passes for 13 yards in 14 games.

The Indianapolis Colts waived running back Evan Hull on roster cutdown day on Tuesday, according to a source. Hull did not make the 53-man roster out of training camp after he was selected in the fifth round last year out of Northwestern. In his rookie campaign, the 23-year-old only appeared in one game and had one carry for a one-yard pickup while catching his only target for a six-yard pickup before suffering a knee injury that kept him out the rest of the way. It would be surprising if the speedy and powerful back didn't land elsewhere for RB depth, and at the worst, he'll return to the Colts' practice squad after losing out to Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson as the backups to starter Jonathan Taylor. Hull is more of a short-yardage, between-the-tackles runner than he is a pass-catching option out in space.