Indianapolis

Colts

With Jonathan Taylor out for Week 6’s matchup against the Titans, it makes sense for Indianapolis to add depth in the backfield with Hull. Trey Sermon will operate as the lead back with Tyler Goodson as the No. 2.

Paye has been out since Week 4 because of the quad issue. He totaled 1.5 sacks over the first three weeks of the season. Defensive back Kenny Moore is listed as questionable. he practiced in full on Friday, putting him on the right side of his questionable tag for Week 6.

Sermon missed Wednesday’s practice but was back for two full sessions to close the week. Jonathan Taylor has already been ruled out, putting Sermon in line to make his second start of the year. He rushed for 38 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts last week while adding six grabs for an additional 25 yards. Sermon sits comfortably inside the top 24 running backs for Week 6.

Downs missed the first two practices of the week but returned for a full session on Friday, putting him on the optimistic side of questionable heading into the weekend. Downs has dominated targets since returning to the lineup a few weeks ago, amassing 26 looks over three weeks. With Anthony Richardson expected to play, Downs will fall deep into the WR3 ranks for his matchup with Tennessee.

It’s a truly odd situation for Pittman as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that he was expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks and that “injured reserve is an option.” Pittman did not practice on Thursday but was back for a full session on Friday before being listed as questionable. The veteran receiver told reporters on Friday, “We still don’t know what course of action is going to happen, but I’m just doing everything to put myself in the best situation to try and play.” Fantasy managers will want to be wary of this situation with Pittman possibly on a pitch count and Anthony Richardson replacing Joe Flacco after a one-week absence. Josh Downs is also questionable, further muddying Pittman’s outlook.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen called him a game-time decision earlier today. Richardson has been practicing in full this week, putting him on the right side of questionable heading into the weekend. As Fowler said, barring a setback, he should be good to go. Expect a run-heavy approach from the Colts in Richardson’s first game back in the lineup. Both the Colts and the Titans have banged-up quarterbacks for Week 6. Both teams will want to escape their matchup without any further injuries, likely resulting in a low-scoring affair.

Richardson has been practicing in full and Steichen already told reporters he remains the starter when healthy. He will be listed as questionable on the injury report but looks like a good bet to suit up after missing Week 5 with the oblique injury. Richardson had no issues finding the big play early in the year but was dreadfully inaccurate on the easiest throws in the book. His return will hurt the fantasy outlooks of Josh Downs and Michael Pittman, though deep-threat Alec Pierce may not be affected as much.

Taylor will miss his second straight game since suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Steelers. The veteran running back hasn’t taken the practice field since his injury, so Friday’s announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise to his fantasy managers. Expect Trey Sermon to lead the backfield in touches once again, while Tyler Goodson spells him on occasional downs.

Downs was absent for Wednesday and Thursday’s practices but will presumably log a limited session on Friday. The Colts’ slot receiver was reportedly “moving around pretty good” per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, so we’ll see what kind of injury designation Downs carries into the weekend. Downs has caught 17 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks, but that production has come largely with Joe Flacco at the helm. With Anthony Richardson (oblique) likely playing in Week 6, we could see Downs’ numbers decline a bit against the Titans.

Pittman was rumored to be a candidate to land on injured reserve with a back injury and hadn’t practiced before today. Now, a Friday practice leaves the window open for him to play in Week 6 against the Titans — at least for now. We’ll see what head coach Shane Steichen has to say about Pittman later in the day, but regardless, this is an encouraging sign for Pittman and his fantasy managers.