Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's (back, foot) status for Week 17 versus the New York Giants on Sunday is in question after he missed a second straight day of practice on Thursday with back and foot injuries. However, a team source said the Colts are optimistic that Richardson will play on Sunday after he has made consistent progress while responding to treatment. Still, Richardson's performance in practice on Friday will be critical. He didn't miss any snaps in the Week 16 win over the division-rival Tennessee Titans, when he rushed for a career-high 70 yards. If he is not able to play this weekend, the Colts will turn back to veteran Joe Flacco to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. While Richardson remains a work in progress as a passer, he's had nine or more rushes in four of the five games since returning as the starter and would have clear QB1 upside in Week 17 if he's active.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (back, foot) is missing his second straight practice of the week on Thursday and was not seen stretching with the other QBs. Richardson still has one more day to get back on the practice field on Friday, but two DNPs to open the week put him at risk of not being available to play this Sunday in a great matchup against the two-win New York Giants. If the 22-year-old second-year signal-caller is not able to gain clearance to play this weekend, veteran Joe Flacco would once again step in to lead the Colts' offense. Richardson's accuracy issues are well-documented at this point in his second NFL season, but he does offer clear QB1 potential in Week 17 if he's active against the Giants because of his rushing abilities. Fantasy managers will want to check back on his status on Friday. If Flacco ends up starting on Sunday, he'll be a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion) is still in the league's concussion protocol but is advancing well. Pierce suffered a concussion in the Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos and was unable to play in the Week 16 win over the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday. The 24-year-old is recovering, but he'll need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist later this week to have a shot at returning to action for the Week 17 game this Sunday at the New York Giants. The matchup against the two-win Giants is a great one for the Colts offense this weekend, but Pierce would be a pretty shaky WR4/5 for fantasy managers in a low-volume passing attack if he's cleared to play. Quarterback Anthony Richardson only attempted 11 passes in the win over the Titans. When active, Pierce is Indy's WR3 behind Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell indeed worked as the deep threat in the absence of Alec Pierce (concussion), however, the 22-year-old was targeted just one time in this contest. The rookie wideout hauled in that one target for a big gain of 36 yards, but that was midway through the second quarter and the speedster did not receive another look for the rest of the game. Not that he was the only one who put up disappointing receiving numbers, as Josh Downs "led" the corps with three catches while Michael Pittman Jr. corralled just two. Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Titans, so there was no need for the Colts to ask Anthony Richardson to throw up a lot of passes, completing just 7-of-11 attempts on the day. Assuming Pierce can play next week, Mitchell will again work as the fourth option in a feeble passing attack and should not be trusted in fantasy championships.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught 2-of-3 targets for 19 yards and no touchdowns in a 38-30 win over the Titans on Sunday. With Jonathan Taylor running wild on the Tennessee defense, quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn't tasked with airing it out much in this one, completing only seven passes in the game. Josh Downs returned to being the "preferred" receiving option in this one, logging three catches on four targets, but both receivers probably have a similar chance to lead the receiving corps next week. In Week 17, the Colts will take on the Giants, a defense that has been good at limiting fantasy production to receivers but one of the worst against running backs, so look for Taylor and Richardson to carry the load again next Sunday. That likely leaves Pittman Jr. as a dicey WR3/4 option with fantasy championships on the line.