Team Profile
Indianapolis Colts
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-2.3% 19thOff DVOA
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10.1% 20thPassing DVOA
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2% 11thRushing DVOA
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4.7% 20thDef DVOA
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17.5% 28thDef Passing DVOA
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-8% 17thDef Rushing DVOA
2024 Team Stats
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Points For20.8 19th
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Points Against22.3 15th
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Yards Per Game320.0 19th
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Yards Allowed Per Game387.0 29th
With the Cleveland Browns locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC for the postseason, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that the organization is still "working through" the possibilities and balancing the objectives in terms of resting key players in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were eliminated from postseason contention with their Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The most obvious decision involves quarterback Joe Flacco, who will turn 39 on Jan. 16. He's been such a critical piece of the team's strong finish this year that keeping him safe on the sideline this Sunday makes sense. Stefanski said "we'll see" if Jeff Driskel is an option to start if Flacco is rested in Week 18. P.J. Walker would be another option to run the Browns' offense in a meaningless game.
Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Josh Downs caught both of his targets for 53 yards in the team's 23-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie caught a 50-yard deep shot on the team's third play from scrimmage and was then only targeted one more time for a three-yard catch. This also marks the first time Downs has cleared 50 total yards since the team's Week 8 win against the New Orleans Saints. The former Tar Heel has proved to be a viable deep-threat option for quarterback Gardner Minshew but has struggled with consistent fantasy success. He'll look to build on this performance in Week 18 when the Colts face off against the Houston Texans, and fantasy managers can look Downs' way for a boom-or-bust WR3/Flex option.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce took his only target of the day for a 58-yard touchdown in the team's 23-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The touchdown came late in the first half, which would make for his only catch of the game. Pierce has been an underwhelming fantasy option this season, as today's win marked just the second time he's posted a double-digit fantasy outing. Pierce will look to remain involved in the team's Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans but is largely off the fantasy radar for that contest.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught five of his seven targets for 46 yards in the team's 23-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. A rather pedestrian outing for Pittman, who hasn't been held to less than 50 yards since Week 8. Quarterback Gardner Minshew found success throwing to both wide receivers Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, which took away some volume from the team's usual No. 1 option. With that, he still led the team in targets, having four more than the next closest pass-catcher. The former USC Trojan will look to get back on track in Week 18 against the Houston Texans, and fantasy managers can rely on him as a solid WR2 option in that contest.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 21 times for 96 yards and a touchdown in the team's 23-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. He also reeled in his only target of the day for another eight yards through the air. Taylor once again saw a huge workload in running back Zack Moss (forearm), receiving over 80% of the team's running back opportunities. With his touchdown today, he now extends his touchdown streak to four games. He'll look to continue his momentum in Week 18 when Indy hosts the Houston Texans, and fantasy managers in all formats can look to include him in lineups for that contest.