Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce has had some big plays this season, however, they've come on few catches. The 24-year-old owns a superb 25.5 yards per reception average thus far but has just 15 total catches in seven games. One of those catches was a 60-yard touchdown back in Week 1 versus the Texans, which is his opponent in Week 8. It was Anthony Richardson who threw him that ball and it will be Richardson under center again this week, while Houston has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Whether or not that translates to fantasy points for Pierce again seems like more of a roll of the dice with the second-year QB's poor completion rate (48.5%), so view the former second-round draft pick as a boom/bust candidate in the rematch versus the Texans as a WR5.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed less than 50% of his passes again in his return to the starting role last week, completing 10 of 24 passes for a miserly 129 yards and no touchdowns. On the bright side, he did not throw an interception and contributed 56 yards on the ground on 14 carries, but he did not find the end zone there either. In the four full games Richardson has played, the 22-year-old has a 47.4% completion rate and is averaging a meager 178 yards passing per game along with a 3:6 TD:INT. Despite these uninspiring numbers, the second-year pro will face the Texans in Week 8, a team allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks so far this season and one who Richardson tallied three touchdowns (two pass, one rush) against back in Week 1. Still, the former first-round draft pick is a low-end QB2 this week and there are probably higher-floor streaming options for those in need.

After missing practice Wednesday, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (toe) practiced in full Thursday and Friday, carrying no injury designation heading into the weekend. Still, with Anthony Richardson at quarterback, the team's pass catchers have limited upside as Richardson has a 47.4% completion rate and is averaging a meager 178 yards passing per game in the four full games he's played. In the two games Downs has played with Richardson under center, the 23-year-old has just four catches on eight targets, totaling a paltry 25 yards receiving. Regardless of QB, Downs is reliant on his yards after catch (YAC) ability, as the third-round pick has a low 5.24 aDOT, gaining 109 YAC (45.0% of 242 total). In Week 8, the Colts face the Texans who have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, but Indy already took them on in Week 1 with Richardson completing just nine of 19 passes in the contest. Thus, Downs figures to be a WR5 this week or low-end Flex play.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is officially off the team's injury report ahead of their Week 8 matchup. The Wisconsin product returned to practice on Wednesday in a limited fashion and was able to upgrade his participation to full on Thursday and Friday. It's excellent news for the Colts, as Taylor -- who has been out since Week 5 -- should resume handling RB1 duties for the team in their road outing against the Houston Texans. While it will be hard to bench him, fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for the fifth-year RB coming off a high-ankle sprain in a difficult matchup. The 25-year-old rushed for 48 yards and a score on 16 carries back in Week 1 against their division rivals.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) was not practicing on Friday according to Jake Arthur of Sports Illustrated. This is surprising as Pittman was a full participant during Thursday's practice after sitting out on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the 27-year-old's status throughout the weekend as he may carry an injury designation if he faced a setback. Pittman has been dealing with a lingering back injury over the past few weeks but has been able to play in every game. If he is able to suit up once again, fantasy managers should view him as a low-end WR2 facing the Houston Texans who have allowed the 21st-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.