Indianapolis

Colts

This is the first time this season that Steichen has left open the possibility of replacing Daniel Jones as the team’s official starter. Anthony Richardson replaced him in-game today, with just under 12 minutes remaining. It seems as though Richardson, or even fellow backup Riley Leonard, could end up playing next week against the Cowboys’ fantasy-friendly defense.

Stevens said that this trade “could happen at any moment,” telling Broncos Country that they “might not want to go to sleep.” While this could be hyperbole, it sounds like Stevens is saying the trade could go down tonight. Stevens said he’s had conversations with multiple people on the matter, and the Broncos “know that this is not the time to wait and develop” young running backs. Stevens closed by reminding viewers that the Broncos were very interested in Breece Hall at one point, and added that there are likely other backup plans that the Broncos could be considering.

McGowan actually out-gained Jonathan Taylor on the ground in a game the Colts trailed 28-0 at halftime and 42-7 heading into the fourth quarter. No. 3 back DJ Giddens was called upon for six carries, which he turned into 43 yards. Fantasy managers are stuck in a holding pattern as they await Taylor’s Colts fate ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but McGowan remains worth a speculative stash in most 12-team leagues.

As is now the case every week, Allen easily lead the Colts in most every receiving category. That did not include targets — a returning Tyler Warren commanded 10 looks — but Allen out-gained him 67-18. Now Allen and fantasy managers must sit and wait to see what kind of moves the tanking Colts make ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. That could include non-roster changes like the benching of Daniel Jones. For now a low-end WR3, Allen could be valued much differently 10 days from now.

Downs’ score was something of a pity touchdown in a game the Colts were trailing 35-0 at the 3:59 mark of the third quarter. Jacksonville’s defense had a rare mixup, and Downs was roaming free in the end zone. Amazingly, it was his first touchdown of the year. That speaks to just how dire things have been for Downs in an offense with an ineffective Daniel Jones and ageless Keenan Allen. Downs, who of course must be held responsible for his own mediocre play, will have no shot at a 2026 fantasy revival unless he’s subject to a change-of-scenery trade ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.

Warren was active for the first time since Week 5 after recovering from a groin injury. As if that inefficiency was not enough, Warren also batted a late second quarter target into the air for an “interception” that turned into a 92-yard Jaguars touchdown. Brutal stuff, not that it’s anything new in a season where Warren has only two touchdowns and is averaging an abysmal 6.8 yards per reception. Daniel Jones is not playing well, but his seemingly inevitable benching would only make things worse with Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard as the “alternatives.” Warren will be a low-end TE1 for Week 9 against the Cowboys. That is at least an A+ matchup.

With the Colts losing 28-0 at halftime and 42-7 going into the fourth quarter, there simply wasn’t any run to be established. Daniel Jones also short-circuited two drives with interceptions, further limiting volume in a game where it was already exceedingly difficult to come by. You could question why Taylor even played at all as trade rumors swirl ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline, but that will be a bigger question mark in Week 9 against the Cowboys. That’s a far better matchup than the Jaguars, so even if Taylor remains in limbo, you will have no choice but to fire him up for what could be his final game in a Colts uniform.

Distressingly, this has become something of a standard statline for Jones, who is now sitting on a 5:9 TD:INT ratio through eight starts. That being said, Jones would have piled up more garbage time yards had he not been benched for most of the fourth quarter with the Colts getting annihilated. Jones’ first interception was a 92-yard pick-six, though the “interception” was really more of a Tyler Warren drop. The same was not true of Jones’ second pick, which was simply an awful third quarter throw where he never saw LB Branson Combs in coverage. There is nothing left to see of Jones under center for the tanking/rebuilding Colts, but the problem is, the same is true of backups Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard. This is just a team that’s going to have to play out the string with things getting worse before they get better. That does not mean Jones will keep his starting job. It’s likely only a matter of time before Richardson gets one final look under center. That could come as early as Week 9 against the Cowboys.

The biggest news for fantasy purposes with the Colts inactives is simply that Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs are up, but that isn’t exactly surprising. Gould practiced in full the last two days of the week before being ruled out and stands a chance at being ready for Week 8. Inactive for the Colts are: LB Bryce Boettcher (groin), TE Pharaoh Brown, DT Kevin Givens, T Charlie Heck, QB Riley Leonard (third quarterback) and CB Justin Walley (knee).

The Colts are already the league’s biggest sellers ahead of the trade deadline and they’re not done yet. While they get plenty of interest in Downs, a third-round pick might be too much to ask after his slow start to the year. Downs has 26 catches for 307 yards as we approach the midway point of the season. Downs is also set to become a free agent in the spring, meaning that he might play only a handful of games for his new team. On the other hand, his disappointing season can largely be written off as the product of a failing offense. Fantasy managers should at least hold onto Downs until the trade deadline, even if he’s barely a WR3 as things stand right now.