Summer Series: Indianapolis Colts

By: Josh Frey-Sam

The Indianapolis Colts’ success this season will depend on how quickly their quarterback, Daniel Jones, can return to looking like himself again.

Danny Dimes is coming off an Achilles injury, and while he is expected to be on the field Week 1, there are sure to be some residual effects on his mobility.

However, the Colts offence plummeted without Jones last season, and with him back under center, there is reason to get excited about some of their offensive weapons for fantasy.

To get some answers, I spoke with beat writer Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) about what we can expect in Indy in 2026.

Below are a few key takeaways from our conversation, but if you’d like to hear everything that Kevin said, listen to the audio above.

Can we expect a similar workload for Jonathan Taylor this year, or will his touches be managed?

Takeaway: Jonathan Taylor is entering the final year of his contract and, frankly, all signs point to the Colts running him into the ground. To Kevin, it wouldn’t be a shock to see JT leading the league in rushing attempts again this season.

The Colts drafted DJ Giddens in the 5th round last year, then followed that up with drafting Seth McGowan in the seventh round this year — not the kind of draft capital that suggests they have any intention of decreasing JT’s workload.

JT is coming off a massive workload in 2025, when he logged 369 touches. As I’ve written about previously, history does not favour Taylor staying healthy this season, especially if he gets a similar workload, but for fantasy players who are willing to risk it, he profiles as an elite option again.

If there’s reason for optimism, Taylor didn’t appear on the injury report at all last season.

What kind of concern should we have right now around WR Alec Pierce, and who becomes the beneficiary if he’s out?

Takeaway: There’s no doubt that there is a lot more concern around Pierce’s ankle injury today than there was a month ago. He still sports a noticeable limp in his step, and for a guy who is known for his speed and downfield ability, the concern is justified.

Having said that, Pierce has dealt with ankle pain for a long time and still eclipsed 1,000 yards and scored six times last year.

Pierce was given a timetable of 4-6 months. The backend of that would mean a return to the field in late September. It feels plausible that he’ll begin the season on the PUP, forcing him to miss the first four games of the year.

When he returns to full health, though, Kevin fully expects Pierce to command a healthy share of the targets again, which makes sense given the Colts just gave him a massive four-year contract extension.

Pierce is currently being drafted as the WR33 in the fifth round. I’m not keen on drafting him at this price, but his ADP could very well fall in August once his timetable becomes clearer. If he became a sixth-round pick, he would be a tremendous value.

The primary beneficiary would be Josh Downs, while Tyler Warren would also be leaned upon even more. Of course, Downs’ outlook would change in the event the Colts signed a veteran WR like Keenan Allen.

If the Colts don’t add another WR, Downs, who is currently going in the 10th round, could deliver great returns in the early goings.

What should we expect out of Tyler Warren this season?

Takeaway: Warren posted 78 grabs, 112 targets, 817 yards and four touchdowns en route to a TE4 finish in his rookie season, and we can expect all of those numbers to increase. Especially if Alec Pierce is out, this could be a situation similar to Las Vegas and Brock Bowers, where Warren is the undisputed No. 1 target in the Colts’ passing attack.

What’s also nice is that the Colts have shown a willingness to use Warren as a rusher, as well. He is going in the fourth round right now, and I would argue that he is a bit underpriced. A smash draft pick.

Is there a Sleeper whom we should know about?

Takeaway: With Jonathan Taylor in a contract year at 27 years old, it would make a lot of sense if the Colts decided not to bring him back after this season, especially if there is a new GM at the helm. Seth McGowan or DJ Giddens could be both worth stashing at this point, with the potential to carve out larger roles next season.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh