Team Profile
Indianapolis Colts
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-5.1% 19thOff DVOA
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3.3% 22ndPassing DVOA
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-2.2% 11thRushing DVOA
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0.9% 15thDef DVOA
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11.8% 22ndDef Passing DVOA
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-10.9% 14thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For22.2 17th
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Points Against25.1 24th
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Yards Per Game335.0 13th
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Yards Allowed Per Game361.0 29th
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos with a head injury. Pierce hit the ground hard in the first half while going after a deep ball and was later ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion. The 24-year-old was targeted four times before his injury but failed to come down with any of them, giving any fantasy managers that started him a donut. Ashton Dulin (ankle) was inactive for the game, so rookie Adonai Mitchell played just shy of half of the offensive snaps. Mitchell didn't take advantage of Pierce's injury, failing to catch any of his four targets and also throwing a pick-six on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Pierce's status for Week 16 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans is now firmly up in the air.
Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay knocked through both of his field goal attempts on Sunday and converted his extra point attempt in the 31-13 loss to the Broncos. The 30-year-old has now made at least two field goals in 10 of the last 11 games and has gone a perfect 23-for-23 on extra points this season. The Colts seem to move the ball just well enough to get him a couple of chances per game but they also turn the ball over so much that he doesn't have big fantasy days. Nevertheless, the sixth-year pro has been a steady source of points for the bulk of the season and should be in line for a few more successful tries next week versus the Titans. The game will be at home for the Colts so he won't have to contend with the elements either.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (shoulder) returned from injury on Sunday, but was only able to corral three of his eight targets for 32 scoreless yards in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Broncos. With quarterback Anthony Richardson completing less than 50% of his passes in the contest, no receiver had a big day in this offense. The eight targets were second to Michael Pittman Jr.'s nine, but it was at least an encouraging sign that more bountiful fantasy days could be ahead if Richardson can fix the accuracy issue. With the fantasy football playoffs upon us, there isn't much time to resolve it though and the 23-year-old is probably too risky to play in most leagues. The Titans, next week's opponent, are middle of the pack versus wide receivers in terms of fantasy points allowed, and just allowed 14 catches for 182 yards to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Downs will be a dicey WR option given his environment.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. led the team in targets, receptions, and yards in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Broncos. Unfortunately, with Anthony Richardson under center that hasn't amounted to much this season, as the 27-year-old caught six of his nine targets for 58 yards and no scores. Pittman also lost one of the three fumbles the Colts lost on the day, further diminishing his fantasy output. The 6-foot-4 wideout has become Richardson's preferred option in the passing attack since being renamed starter back in Week 13, but hasn't found the end zone since Week 6 and hasn't topped 100 yards receiving since Week 4. The fifth-year pro gets a more favorable matchup in Week 16 against the Titans, but with the inefficiency of the passing game, Pittman figures to be a low-end WR3 or Flex option next Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor handled a heavy workload in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Broncos, rushing 22 times for 107 yards and adding one reception for four yards. However, it could have been a great day had he not celebrated a would-be touchdown too early, dropping the ball before he crossed the goal line which ended up being a fumble, not six points on the board. Nevertheless, it was the fourth time in five games that the 25-year-old handled more than 20 touches and the seventh time in 11 games he's gone over 100 total yards rushing and receiving. Next week's home matchup versus the Titans should offer another chance to score, as the Titans have allowed four rushing TDs over the last three weeks, and there aren't many backs who garner as many weekly opportunities as Taylor. Still, the former second-round draft pick is likely a borderline RB1/2 again with the threat of Anthony Richardson taking away a chunk of the goal line work and killing drives with turnovers.