Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was the surprise name of Sunday afternoon, grabbing all three of his targets for 125 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. QB Anthony Richardson connected with Pierce on some big plays, including a 60-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 57-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Pierce also saw favorable playing time in Josh Downs' (ankle) absence, playing 84% of snaps, only behind Michael Pittman Jr in the WR group. Richardson's big arm makes all Colts pass-catchers a potential homerun option, and Pierce was the beneficiary of that on Sunday. It's unclear how sustainable Pierce's production may be moving forward, but he does make for an interesting waiver wire target this week. Fantasy managers can likely leave Pierce out of lineups in Week 2 in the Colts contest against the Green Bay Packers, but can revisit his status in Week 3 if he can follow up this week's performance.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 16 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Taylor was not involved in the receiving game, getting zero targets through the air. Taylor struggled to breakthrough at just three yards a carry, but did receive the full workload as he was the only running back to see any carries. QB Anthony Richardson led the way on the ground for the Colts, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. While it is encouraging to see Taylor get high-end usage, his inefficiency and lack of receiving work paired with Richardson's rushing upside did limit him in the contest. Taylor will look to bounce back next week when the Colts take on the Packers, a team that let Saquon Barkley rush for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in their Week 1 matchup. Fantasy managers can start Taylor with confidence in next week's matchup as an RB1 hopeful.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) is officially inactive for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans. Gay recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia and wasn't able to practice this week, although the Colts listed him as questionable on the Week 1 final injury report on Friday. The 30-year-old veteran booter was trending toward not playing all week, though, and the final indication that he wouldn't play this weekend was when the Colts elevated rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to the active 53-man roster on Saturday. It's unclear if Gay will be ready to kick in Week 2 at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, but fantasy managers need to look for another option in Week 1. We'd suggest ignoring Shrader in his NFL debut and look for other more reliable kicking options to replace Gay.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will make his pro debut on Sunday when the Colts host the Houston Texans. The second round pick out of Texas is coming off a collegiate season where he grabbed 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns. The rookie brings a ton of speed and versatility to the table, and will likely be a solid target when paired up with QB Anthony Richardson's big arm. With the injury to Josh Downs (ankle) Mitchell is in line for a starting spot, but his floor isn't safe enough to provide fantasy managers with confidence for his career debut. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues in need of a flex option can give Mitchell a look, but most fantasy managers should be waiting to see how he performs in his first few games before throwing him into lineups.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off an underwhelming 2023 season where he missed time but appears to be all set for the 2024 campaign. He'll start things off on Sunday when the Colts host the Houston Texans in an AFC South clash. Taylor has historically performed great against the Texans, averaging 135.2 yards/per game with eight total touchdowns in the six games played. Taylor is also up for a huge workload, as Indy has used him in year's past. The Texans were a middle of the pack matchup for fantasy RBs last season, allowing the 16th most points to the position. Given that Taylor is fully healthy, has little competition in the backfield, and his history facing the Texans, he is a must-start for fantasy owners this weekend.