Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has officially ruled wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) out for the Week 1 regular season contest on Sunday versus the division-rival Houston Texans. Things had been trending this way all week as Downs was unable to practice due to a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in August. The 23-year-old worked off to the side in practices this week, though, and appears to be getting close to a return, so it's possible he may be able to make his 2024 debut in Week 2 at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers. With Downs officially out this weekend, it will make both rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce a bit more attractive as DFS sleepers behind WR1 Michael Pittman Jr. The 21-year-old Mitchell was selected with the 52nd overall pick back in April in the second round. He has the ability to line up inside or outside and should give fantasy managers a bit more upside than Pierce.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) was not seen at Friday's practice, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. This is not a great sign for the 30-year-old who has not logged one practice, which puts his status for Week 1 in danger. Gay underwent a sports hernia procedure after the team's final preseason game during the final week of August. If Gay cannot suit up on Sunday, rookie Spencer Shrader will likely serve as the No.1 when the Colts take on the Houston Texans. Gay had one of the worst seasons of his career last fall as he posted a mere 80.5% on field goal attempts, which was a start drop compared to the strong 93.3% he held in 2022. Fantasy managers looking to stream a kicker this weekend should not look to adding Shrader, who could be making his NFL debut on Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) was seen doing individual work on Friday but did not participate in practice, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. The 23-year-old expressed on Wednesday that he feels "real close to returning." While he has not officially been ruled out for the season opener on Sunday, it is not promising that he did not participate in team practices during the week. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to any further updates regarding Downs' status as we approach the weekend. Downs enjoyed a nice rookie season as he caught 68 passes for 771 yards and two scores. If Downs happens to suit up for the season opener, he should be considered a low-end flex play in most leagues as he will compete for targets with Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Adonai Mitchell.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday after recently undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. The fact that Gay has yet to practice so far this week is a sign that he's not going to be available to kick in the Week 1 regular-season opener this Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texas, so fantasy managers that were planning on using him as a low-end fantasy kicking option to kick off the year should begin to start searching for a streaming replacement. Rookie Spencer Shrader will most likely be called up from the practice squad later this week if Gay is officially ruled out, but fantasy managers should look to avoid the unproven kicker if he makes his first NFL start against the Texans.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) said he ran some routes on Wednesday and calls himself "real close" to returning. Downs isn't ruling himself out for Sunday's Week 1 regular-season opener against the division-rival Houston Texans despite suffering a high-ankle sprain in training camp. The 23-year-old didn't practice on Wednesday and wasn't seen on the practice field on Thursday, so he'll need to at least be limited on Friday to have a shot at suiting up this weekend. As of right now, he looks to be on the wrong side of questionable, so fantasy managers in deeper leagues should be looking in another direction if they were planning on using Downs in their starting lineups. If Downs misses the season opener on Sunday, rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce will be more intriguing DFS plays as starting wideouts alongside WR1 Michael Pittman Jr.UPDATE: Downs officially didn't practice on Thursday.