Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will return to practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Shane Steichen. The Colts said on Monday that they were optimistic that Taylor would resume practicing this week, which could put him on track to return to play this Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans. The 25-year-old has not practiced or played the last three weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain. Taylor returning to practice this week doesn't make him a lock to suit up in Week 8, but it's an encouraging sign for the Colts and fantasy managers. Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson have split the backfield the last three weeks, but with Taylor nearing a return, their usefulness as short-term flex options in fantasy is about to run out. If Taylor is active against Houston, he'll be a must-start in fantasy lineups.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has struggled as a passer early on in the season. Richardson saw his struggles continue on Sunday when he completed 41.7 percent of his passes for 129 yards in the win over the Miami Dolphins. Despite his struggles, head coach Shane Steichen is showing faith in his young-signal caller and even said he needs to put Richardson in better positions to succeed. In parts of five games, Richardson has thrown for 783 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions. The Colts are sticking with Richardson, but fantasy managers might want to look for another viable option given his struggles.

As reported by Kevin Bowen of 'The Fan,' Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen is "very optimistic" that running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will return to action in Week 8. It's excellent news for the Colts and fantasy managers, as Taylor has been shelved since Week 4 when he picked up an ankle sprain in the team's 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It'd be nice to see him return to practice -- something he hasn't done in quite some time -- but it's an encouraging statement from his head coach. Steichen noted that defensive lineman DeForest Buckner (ankle) will also return this week. Even if Taylor is active, it's fair to wonder about his workload and effectiveness coming off an injury that can sap a player's juice for a bit. However, he is one of the most dynamic backs in the league and should immediately slide back in as the Colts' RB1. Indianapolis will take on their division-rival Houston Texans this Sunday, and the 25-year-old struggled against them back in Week 1, averaging three yards per carry on his 16 rush attempts (48 yards) and scoring a touchdown.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce caught two of his five targets for 15 yards in the team's 16-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Pierce led Indy in targets, tied with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Pierce and quarterback Anthony Richardson did connect on a 28-yard pass that nearly had him in the end zone, but the play was ultimately negated due to an illegal formation penalty. Pierce has been a very boom-or-bust option for fantasy managers and will likely continue to stay in a similar role moving forward. That being said, Pierce will have a more favorable matchup in Week 8 against the Houston Texans and can potentially be viewed as a WR4/5 option in the contest.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell caught two of his three targets for 30 yards in the team's 16-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. Mitchell finished second in receiving yards for Indy, behind Michael Pittman Jr., who finished with 63. All of Indy's pass-catchers finished with underwhelming stat lines, given Miami's run funnel defense. Despite finishing second in yards, Mitchell continues to see a very low snap share, logging just 14 total snaps with six routes run in the matchup. While he has still seen production in the limited snaps, it does make him hard to trust as a viable option moving forward. The former Longhorn is likely off the radar in Week 8 when the Colts take on the Houston Texans.