Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was held in check in Week 9 against a stout Vikings rush defense, but Week 10 brings a much more favorable matchup. The Buffalo Bills have allowed the second-most fantasy points to the RB position, and it hasn't just been on the ground. Running backs have scored four receiving TDs against them as well, in addition to the six rushing TDs they've yielded. Taylor is certainly a capable receiver, even receiving a season-high five targets in Week 9 with Joe Flacco under center. Although the 25-year-old missed a few weeks with an ankle injury, when he returned in Week 8, Taylor eclipsed 100-plus rushing and receiving yards for the fourth consecutive week. With Flacco struggling through the air last week and the Bills tougher against the pass, along with the expected absence of WR Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts could lean a bit heavier on the ground game in Week 10, which sets Jonathan Taylor up as a back-end RB1 on Sunday with some upside.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones heads into Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers looking to build on a solid performance in Week 9, where he rushed for his first touchdown of the season and threw for two scores in a 27-22 loss to the Commanders. Jones has tallied 1,880 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions this season, but he's still without a 300-yard game. Facing Carolina's 25th-ranked pass defense, which allows 232.6 passing yards per game and has surrendered 18 touchdown passes on the season, Jones has a favorable matchup for fantasy production. Although Jones ranks 27th in fantasy points per game (16.21), the Panthers' defense has allowed an average of 19.28 points per game to opposing quarterbacks, suggesting a potential opportunity for Jones to deliver a strong fantasy outing in Munich.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has been one of the lone bright spots on offense regardless of who has been under center for Indy, accruing nine or more targets in five of the seven games he's played and nabbing six or more receptions in four of them. One of those instances came just last week when he hauled in six of nine targets for 60 yards from Joe Flacco, who will once again be quarterbacking his squad in Week 10. While their opponent, the Buffalo Bills, has been good against the pass by allowing the sixth-fewest points to WRs, the Colts will be without Michael Pittman Jr. on Sunday, so Downs should be the unquestioned No.1 receiver. With a 6.58 aDOT, Downs' receptions will likely be of the short variety, but he does offer solid YAC (yards after catch) ability, and as four-point underdogs on their own turf, the Colts could be playing catch-up all game, so Downs should be dependably involved. As such, the 23-year-old is a solid WR2 this week.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) has officially been ruled out for the Week 10 contest on Sunday versus the visiting Buffalo Bills after missing practice all week, according to head coach Shane Steichen. Pittman has been battling a back injury in recent weeks but hasn't missed any game action until now. He will now look to rest up so that he can hopefully return for a Week 11 clash on the road against the New York Jets. With Pittman now out this weekend, it essentially makes receiver Josh Downs a must-start as quarterback Joe Flacco's likely go-to passing target in a game in which the Colts will likely have to throw often to keep up on the scoreboard. In addition to Downs seeing more targets, the flex-play appeal of both Alec Pierce and rookie Adonai Mitchell goes up for those in deeper leagues.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Khalil Herbert was traded from Chicago on Tuesday before the trade deadline. It was surprising that the team activated him for his first game after just two days of practice. He only played 2% of the offensive snaps and didn't register any touches in the box score. He did fumble the hand-off on one play but was able to recover it. He'll have some extra time with the team and the playbook as the Bengals take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night in Week 11.