Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) will not practice on Wednesday, and his status for Week 1 of the regular season this Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans is up in the air. Downs is trending in the wrong direction to be ready for the start of the regular season after suffering a high-ankle sprain on Aug. 7, but that could change if he's able to get back on the practice field on either Thursday or Friday. As of right now, though, fantasy managers should be planning to be without the 23-year-old in Week 1. If Downs is inactive on Sunday, it will mean that rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce will start next to Michael Pittman Jr. in three-wide sets on Sunday against Houston. Downs should be set in a bench spot for now as Week 1 approaches.

Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce will both have roles on offense this season, according to JJ Stankevitz of the team's official website. He noted that Mitchell has displayed impressive size, speed, and athleticism while getting extra reps in the slot with Josh Downs (ankle) sidelined. Meanwhile, Pierce has earned plenty of high praise from the coaching staff after consistently making plays on short, intermediate, and deep passes. Head coach Shane Steichen mentioned that he hopes Pierce's consistency will continue into the regular season while general manager Chris Ballard said that the receiver had his best camp yet. These two pass-catchers won't be able to touch Michael Pittman Jr. on the depth chart, but it sounds like they'll both still get involved as early as Week 1. However, with a little bit of competition and some lingering questions about Anthony Richardson's passing upside, it's best to hold off on pursuing Mitchell or Pierce in fantasy football for now.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell impressed during the preseason and is trending toward being the team's primary slot receiver when the regular season kicks off this week, according to fantasy football analyst Jared Smola. Indianapolis spent a second-round pick on the Texas product, and it now appears he's poised to start in place of the injured Josh Downs (ankle). Even with a starting role, Mitchell might not be worth deploying right away in fantasy football. He's still behind Michael Pittman Jr. in the receiver room, and he'll also lose some opportunities to rushing threats Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) is "progressing well" as he continues to rehab a high-ankle sprain, according to head coach Shane Steichen, but there's no indication as to whether he'll actually take part in the team's first official practice of the 2024 regular season on Wednesday. We will have a better idea of Downs' status for Week 1 of the regular season on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans after Indy releases their injury report on Wednesday, but as of now, the 23-year-old is completely up in the air for this weekend. Fantasy managers that have Downs rostered should plan as if Downs won't suit up and go from there. If he's unavailable or limited for the Colts against Houston, expect to see rookie Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce lined up in three-wide sets alongside starter Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce has been receiving high praise from head coach Shane Steichen regarding his consistency through training camp, according to Nate Atkins of the Indy Star. In addition, general manager Chris Ballard has also expressed praise for the third-year wideout. In the final preseason game, Pierce caught both of his targets from quarterback Anthony Richardson and is currently listed as the No. 3 option on the depth chart. If Josh Downs (ankle) is not cleared to play in the season opener, Pierce could see a significant uptick in work along with rookie wideout Adonai Mitchell. If Pierce can establish himself as a reliable No. 3 pass-catcher in this offense, he could be worth stashing in deeper leagues.