Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson completed nine of his 19 passes for 212 yards in the team's loss against the Houston Texans. Richardson threw for two touchdowns as well as one interception. He also ran the ball six times for 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Richardson showed why his low-end passing volume isn't a huge deal for his fantasy production, as he was able to combine his big-play ability with his rushing ability into a very productive fantasy showing. Richardson remains a high-tier QB1 option moving forward, and fantasy managers can start him with confidence next week when the Colts take on the Packers.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught just four of his eight targets for 31 yards in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Pittman saw the most targets and snaps out of all Colts pass-catchers, but was unable to turn it into a productive fantasy day. Pittman remains the No. 1 option for Richardson and the Colts passing attack, and fantasy managers can include him as a WR2 in lineups in the team's Week 2 contest against the Green Bay Packers.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was the surprise name of Sunday afternoon, grabbing all three of his targets for 125 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. QB Anthony Richardson connected with Pierce on some big plays, including a 60-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 57-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Pierce also saw favorable playing time in Josh Downs' (ankle) absence, playing 84% of snaps, only behind Michael Pittman Jr in the WR group. Richardson's big arm makes all Colts pass-catchers a potential homerun option, and Pierce was the beneficiary of that on Sunday. It's unclear how sustainable Pierce's production may be moving forward, but he does make for an interesting waiver wire target this week. Fantasy managers can likely leave Pierce out of lineups in Week 2 in the Colts contest against the Green Bay Packers, but can revisit his status in Week 3 if he can follow up this week's performance.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ran the ball 16 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in the team's loss to the Houston Texans. Taylor was not involved in the receiving game, getting zero targets through the air. Taylor struggled to breakthrough at just three yards a carry, but did receive the full workload as he was the only running back to see any carries. QB Anthony Richardson led the way on the ground for the Colts, rushing for 56 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. While it is encouraging to see Taylor get high-end usage, his inefficiency and lack of receiving work paired with Richardson's rushing upside did limit him in the contest. Taylor will look to bounce back next week when the Colts take on the Packers, a team that let Saquon Barkley rush for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in their Week 1 matchup. Fantasy managers can start Taylor with confidence in next week's matchup as an RB1 hopeful.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (hernia) is officially inactive for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans. Gay recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia and wasn't able to practice this week, although the Colts listed him as questionable on the Week 1 final injury report on Friday. The 30-year-old veteran booter was trending toward not playing all week, though, and the final indication that he wouldn't play this weekend was when the Colts elevated rookie kicker Spencer Shrader to the active 53-man roster on Saturday. It's unclear if Gay will be ready to kick in Week 2 at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, but fantasy managers need to look for another option in Week 1. We'd suggest ignoring Shrader in his NFL debut and look for other more reliable kicking options to replace Gay.