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    Colts RB coach wants less workload for Taylor

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    IND Running Back #28
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    Colts RBs coach DeAndre Smith said the team “definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off” Jonathan Taylor.

    “If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better,” Smith continued. We’re not that concerned about this from a fantasy perspective because the Colts haven’t exactly invested in finding that player. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.” Taylor should remain in the RB1 conversation this year, though it’s going to be harder to believe in him posting his early-season numbers if Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury limits him.
PFT PM Mailbag: Steichen, Ballard's job security
Mike Florio opens the mailbag to answer viewers' latest questions, assessing Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard's job security, the continued postponement of Mark Sanchez's trial, and much more.

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  • IND Running Back #28
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    Taylor, 27, has totaled more than 320 offensive touches in each of the last two seasons. His current $14 million annual salary makes him the seventh-highest-paid running back in the league. Taylor has set multiple Colts records, operating as the centerpiece of Indianapolis’ offense for years. FOX 59’s Mike Chappell writes that it is “uncertain whether there’s a mutual desire to keep Taylor in Indy beyond 2025.” Multiple Colts stars, including DTs DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, OG Quenton Nelson and WR Josh Downs, are also entering the final year of their deal. Chappell believes owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon “might believe it’s more prudent to allow the upcoming season to run its course rather than reinvest in lucrative contracts.” Time will tell.
  • IND Running Back #28
    That can change if the Colts select a ballyhooed running back in the 2026 NFL Draft, but at this time, Taylor looks like he should handle another RB1-worthy workload next season. Taylor’s 369 offensive touches in 2025 rank second at the position and he is one among just 10 NFL running backs to clear 300 offensive touches during the regular season. He logged 321 in 2024. No. 2 RB DJ Giddens touched the ball 18 times last season and therefore enters 2026 as an unknown. If Taylor can again remain largely healthy next season, he has decent odds of surpassing 300 touches again.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Every Colts player suffered from a tale of two halves because of Daniel Jones’ knee and torn Achilles injuries. Taylor rushed for 1139 yards and 15 touchdowns in the first 10 games of the season. He didn’t crack 100 yards in any single game afterwards, adding just three more touchdowns to the total ledger. He was the PPR RB3 overall through 17 weeks, but there is some uncertainty about how he’ll hold on to that with Jones’ mobility likely compromised in 2026 -- not to mention Jones’ impending free agency, or the idea that the Colts might move on from their coaching staff. The talent has always been there for Taylor to play like this. If the Colts can give him solid quarterback play again, he should be in the top-5 RB mix in 2026.
  • IND Running Back #28
    He lost a second score to a holding penalty, the Colts ended that drive with a Philip Rivers touchdown pass to Mo-Alie Cox. The Jaguars were essentially sitting on Taylor carries the entire game — it’s not like Rivers could threaten them over the top — and they’ve got a good enough rushing defense that Taylor was left trying to bounce plays outside for big plays. Taylor managed just nine carries for 19 yards in the second half. The Colts don’t have a major reason to play him in Week 18 against the Texans, but it isn’t completely out of the question that he tries to catch James Cook for the rushing crown after coming into today trailing by 43 yards. Colts will be tough plays against a Texans defense with something to play for in Week 18.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Taylor struggled throughout behind an injury-ravaged offensive line against a defense many before him had found success against. He salvaged his fantasy outing with a touchdown plunge from one yard out in the fourth quarter to bring the team within seven points, a deficit they ultimately fell short of overcoming. The Colts could also be turning back to rookie Riley Leonard under center moving forward now that they are eliminated from the playoffs, something that could dent his fantasy upside over the final two weeks of the regular season.
  • IND Running Back #26
    Abdullah was very much involved as a pass catcher, though he only ran six pass routes and saw a target on five of those routes. Jonathan Taylor, meanwhile, logged 18 routes and saw four targets from check-down artist Philip Rivers, 44, who made his first start since 2020 on Sunday against Seattle. With short-area pass catchers set to feast with Rivers under center, Abdullah could have some value in deeper formats next week against the 49ers.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Taylor was predictably the centerpiece of the Colts offense with 44-year-old Philip Rivers under center for the first time since 2020. The Colts had 29 rushing attempts and 27 passes in this one. Rivers peppered the team’s short-area pass catchers with targets: Tyler Warren led the way with six targets, Taylor had four targets, and veteran RB Ameer Abdullah had five targets, leading the Colts with five grabs for 32 yards. That’s a little deceiving considering Abdullah ran a mere six pass routes on the day. Taylor logged 18 routes. Taylor is the one Colts player who might survive the Rivers experience. He gets the 49ers in Week 16.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Taylor scored on Indianapolis’ second drive and was at 6/22/1 before Daniel Jones (Achilles) left the game. Afterwards, the Jaguars easily keyed on the star running back to contain him. The MVP season now in tatters, Taylor is surviving the RB1 line on volume and touchdown equity, but without Jones (and more importantly, with sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard under center) it’s hard to imagine he carries the same sort of league-winner upside at this point. Firing into Seattle’s top-notch defense in Week 15 won’t be an easy call for every fantasy manager, but Taylor still belongs on the RB1 line.
  • IND Running Back #28
    He took all but one running back snap for the Colts in a must-win divisional game. Taylor’s biggest play was a 33-yard screen catch with plenty of offensive linemen out front. He didn’t hit the big run, and the Texans were able to stuff him a few times, with six carries for one yard or less on the day, including a minus-5 yard run in the red zone that basically forced a Colts field-goal attempt. The Jaguars await in Week 14, and Taylor is too good to take off the RB1 line, but the past few weeks have shown that teams will sell out to stop him and take their chances with Daniel Jones.
  • IND Running Back #28
    Kansas City sold out to stop Taylor on early downs and let Daniel Jones try to beat them with his arm on third downs. That resulted in Taylor’s second-worst game of the year by rushing yards and left him with just 3.6 yards per carry. Jones, in turn, posted his worst game by both passing yards (181) and averaged 5.8 yards per attempt. Taylor’s box score today is eerily similar to his box score from the Colts’ Week 9 loss to the Steelers. Pittsburgh bullied Jones and managed to keep Taylor in check, effectively shutting down the Colts’ offense. The blueprint appears to be set for stopping the Colts. Even if the team isn’t as successful in the back half of the season, Taylor is going to get fed and remains a home run threat on every play. He will remain at the top of the running back ranks for his Week 13 date with Houston.

Rotoworld

  • FA Wide Receiver #81
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    WR Trent Taylor announced his retirement from the NFL.

    Taylor last played with the 49ers during the 2024 season, ending his career with 88 receptions for 845 yards and three touchdowns. He initially spent three seasons in San Francisco before playing two for the Bengals and one for the Bears, finishing his career back where it started. A longtime role player, Taylor made only three starts at the professional level. He announced his retirement on his wife’s instagram account, accompanied by a picture of the two with former teammate George Kittle and his wife, whom Taylor entered the league with in 2017.
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    The Athletic’s Josh Kendall believes Zachariah Branch will finish among the team’s top three receivers in targets.

    It’s not really a stretch when you consider Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are the two other receivers behind Drake London that are competing for real time on the Falcons. Branch isn’t exactly a lock to be fantasy-relevant as a rookie, but if he shows more than expected, the door is wide open for him in Atlanta.
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    ESPN’s Ryan McFadden believes Brock Bowers “could have a record-breaking season” if he can remain healthy.

    “Realistically, he can surpass his receptions total from his rookie year and perhaps close in on the league record of most receptions in a single season by a tight end, set by the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride (126) last season. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s record 1,416 receiving yards in 2020 is a daunting mark to top but not impossible for Bowers,” McFadden continues. The Raiders receiving corps is completely unsettled at this point — Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker are here — and someone has to catch the ball in Vegas. Everyone got burned by Bowers last year so you probably won’t have to pay 2025’s prices, but you could very well net 2024’s results under new playcaller Klint Kubiak. Bowers is currently going off the board as the overall TE1, but he’s close to an ADP of 20 on most sites.
  • IND Running Back #21
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    ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports DJ Giddens “didn’t develop as quickly as the Colts hoped during his rookie season.”

    Giddens was supposed to provide some relief to Jonathan Taylor last year, but “that plan was mostly shelved” as the Colts apparently didn’t love what they saw. Giddens and sixth-rounder Seth McGowan figure to battle for the main backup job behind Taylor, but neither is a priority backup to target late in drafts as they’d likely form a committee.
  • IND Running Back #28
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    Colts RBs coach DeAndre Smith said the team “definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off” Jonathan Taylor.

    “If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better,” Smith continued. We’re not that concerned about this from a fantasy perspective because the Colts haven’t exactly invested in finding that player. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.” Taylor should remain in the RB1 conversation this year, though it’s going to be harder to believe in him posting his early-season numbers if Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury limits him.
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    Paul Kuharsky reports Oluwafemi Oladejo missed spring practices with a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready for training camp.

    Oladejo had a lost 2025 rookie season, failing to generate a sack, and the hamstring injury likely sets him up as a reserve in 2026 under a new coaching staff. The 52nd overall pick in the 2025 draft will try to change the narrative in training camp.
  • KC Defensive Tackle #95
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    The Kansas City Star’s Pete Sweeney believes that, barring a restructure or pay cut, 2026 could be DT Chris Jones’ last season with the Chiefs.

    Moving on from Jones would save the Chiefs $28.35 million in 2027 cap space, and while he’s still clearly an upper-echelon defensive tackle, the Chiefs did just draft Peter Woods in the first round. Jones managed just seven sacks last year and was left off the All-Pro teams for the first time since 2019. He’s entering his age-32 season in 2026.
  • LA Outside Linebacker #0
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    The Athletic’s Nate Atkins believes it is “very unlikely” the Rams re-sign EDGE Byron Young after the season.

    Young, who had a team-high 13 sacks in 2025, figures to be one of the jewels of free agency if he makes it there. The 2023 third-rounder enters the final year of his rookie contract this season.
  • PIT Running Back #20
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    Pittsburgh Union-Tribune’s Chris Adamski believes Kaleb Johnson is “not assured” a spot on the roster this year.

    Buried on the depth chart after a key special teams error last year, Johnson now has Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle ahead of him for carries. We’d still bet Johnson makes the roster — he was a third-round pick just last year — but the early run out has been wildly disappointing.
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    The estate of former Seahawks owner Paul Allen has announced the sale of the team to 49ers limited partner Vinod Khosla.

    The impending sale was first reported by Sportico then confirmed by ESPN before the team itself announced the move. Sportico and Schefter have reported an eye-watering sale price of $9.6 billion, shattering the Commanders’ previous NFL record and making the transaction one of the most expensive in the history of global sports. As NFL franchise values spiral ever upward, this probably won’t remain the record for long. Sitting pretty as Super Bowl champions with a 21st century largely spent winning, the Seahawks are a crown jewel asset, but things can always go haywire when those change hands. Khosla has a lot to live up to in the late Allen, who passed away in 2018. That, of course, is once the deal is formally approved by the NFL. That will reportedly take place in late August. A “tech billionaire” in the words of Sportico, Khosla is one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems