Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 17th, at 1:00 PM EST
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Betting Odds: HOU +9.5, 42.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Houston Texans
Quarterback
Davis Mills (Sit)
Days later, I’m still unsure how Davis Mills was able to have the game he did against Bill Belichick and the Patriots of all teams. Mills completed 21 of 29 passes for 312 passes, three touchdowns and no interceptions. I would be hard-pressed to believe this is the start of something for Mills, and so he remains on the wire; even at the start of BYE weeks.
Running Backs
Mark Ingram II (Sit), Phillip Lindsay (Sit), David Johnson (Sit)
This backfield continues to tread muddy waters, with no clear runaway option, thus making it a situation to shy away from in fantasy lineups. Mark Ingram II has turned into a touchdown-or-bust runner, Phillip Lindsay is a complete afterthought, and David Johnson is truly a shell of himself. It’s truly hard to find any positives for any back. I wouldn’t trust starting any of the three.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Brandin Cooks (Start, WR2), Chris Conley (Sit), Chris Moore (Sit), Danny Amendola (Sit), Pharaoh Brown (Sit), Jordan Akins (Sit), Antony Auclair (Sit)
The only viable starting option remains to be Brandin Cooks, even coming off back-to-back down weeks. He should be considered a WR2 off of volume alone. Chris Moore was a practice squad player last week, and came into Week 5 to catch all five of his targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Consider that a mirage this week, but he’ll be a name to keep an eye on for Week 7 if he happens to see an uptick in looks from Mills this week. The Colts have given up the eighth-most fantasy points to WR’s so far this season. Out of the three active tight ends, none are fantasy relevant.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Carson Wentz (Start, QB2)
Have a night, Carson Wentz. The Colts may have lost to the Ravens on MNF, but Wentz dialed it back some to the tune of 402 yards, two touchdowns on 25 of 35 pass attempts. It was surely his best game of the season to date, and if you are a Russell Wilson manager looking for a new QB, Wentz could be a viable streaming option this week. Not to jump the gun, but he does also get the 49ers Week 7 and Titans Week 8.
Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor (Start, RB1), Nyheim Hines (Sit), Marlon Mack (Sit)
It’s taken a few weeks, but Jonathan Taylor has settled in as the RB1 you drafted him to be. Against the Ravens, he rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, but turned four targets into three receptions for 116 yards and another score. This is clearly his backfield, as Nyheim Himes – despite signing a three-year contract extension in September – has been fairly irrelevant. Marlon Mack is not fantasy relevant at this point, but may be worth a stash in the event the Colts actually honor his request for a trade, with the Chiefs being a potential landing spot per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler:
Per @JFowlerESPN, the Chiefs "have looked into [Marlon] Mack" as a potential trade target.https://t.co/K2HbjNtUvy [+]
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 12, 2021
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Michael Pittman Jr. (Start, WR3 with WR2 upside), Parris Campbell (Sit), Zach Pascal (Sit), Mo Alie-Cox (Start, TE2), Jack Doyle (Sit)
After scoring three times in the first two games of the season, Zach Pascal hasn’t been a factor since. He hasn’t surpassed 50 receiving yards at any point, and hasn’t had five or more receptions in a game since Week 2. The only Colts WR to start remains to be Michael Pittman Jr.. Despite only scoring once this season, and posting over 100 receiving yards once (123 in Week 2), the target count remains high, as does his reception total, which has boded well in PPR leagues. Leading all Colts with a 24.86% target share, Pittman remains a strong WR2/3 option.
As he did at some points last season, Mo Alie-Cox is becoming a viable streaming option at the tight end position. Against the Ravens, he caught three of four targets for 50 yards, and has 92 yards total and a score in the last two games. He is surpassing Jack Doyle as the lead TE in this offense, and gets a juicy matchup this week against a Texans defense that is allowing the most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
-Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)