Fantasy Football Implications of Daniel Jones Being Named the Colts' Starting Quarterback

The Indianapolis Colts announced that Daniel Jones will be their starting quarterback in Week 1. Head coach Shane Steichen said he wants this to be the long-term plan rather than pulling the plug quickly or switching back and forth, so we can make some determinations on what it means for Indianapolis players in fantasy for at least the first month barring injury.

Let's look at every fantasy position affected by the news and what it means for individuals along with what would change if Anthony Richardson Sr. were to be placed back into the lineup later in the season.

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Quarterback

The obvious fallout for Richardson is that he loses all fantasy value. He was being chosen very late or even going undrafted in most leagues, so there's not a huge change, but if he were the starter, Richardson would have been at least a little intriguing because of his running ability.

He is one of the most inaccurate passers in the league, and while some of that has to do with throwing deep often, no QB can subsist on completing around half of his passes, which is where Richardson sits for his career. No matter how great an athlete he is, Richardson hasn't shown that he can play the quarterback position at an NFL level.

Jones isn't great; he is probably fighting an uphill battle to even qualify as good. He is a clear level above Richardson as a passer, though, and gives the hope that he can keep an offense afloat. Jones has completed 64% of his passes in his career but at a below-average rate of 6.5 yards per attempt (Richardson is at 6.9, just a hair below average). What the Colts are hoping for is that Jones can help the offense move more consistently without the explosive potential that Richardson holds.

Jones also has been a capable runner as a pro. He has averaged 363 rushing yards per season, and that's with only reaching 16 games once. His best season (2022) saw him run for 708 yards and seven touchdowns, numbers that helped him to a QB9 fantasy finish. That's Jones' best chance of making a fantasy impact is if he runs the ball at a decent rate.

Most likely, Jones will be below the level of a fantasy starter most weeks, and that will coincide with below-average real-life play. He will be a name to keep in mind as a streamer on the right weeks, but you can probably find a better option early in the season when most guys are healthy. If Richardson gets back in the lineup, he will also have a little fantasy value based on that running.

Running Back

Jonathan Taylor is the only name we need to pay attention to here unless he goes down for an extended stretch. Taylor is being drafted in the first or second round in essentially every fantasy draft and is expected to be a workhorse.

It makes sense: Taylor ran for over 1,400 yards last season and scored 11 touchdowns, though his pass catching has fallen off since 2021. With Jones throwing shorter passes, maybe Taylor will get more looks in the screen game and short passing game, but his rushing ability is what is going to carry him.

Being next to a running QB like Richardson could have helped, as running backs often find more success with a guy next to them who is also a threat to move with the ball, so maybe Taylor gets dinged just a little there, but his outlook doesn't change much depending on who is under center. Treat Taylor the same as you did before this news, which is as a top-10 fantasy RB.

Wide Receiver

Here's where things start getting a little trickier. Counting on death by 1,000 cuts is tough in the fantasy world; you need a tactician like Drew Brees or Tom Brady throwing the ball and completing passes at a high rate. Expecting the same thing from Jones and any Colts receiver is unlikely given his lower proclivity to dissecting defenses.

With Richardson under center, there was more hope that any Indy receiver could catch a bomb down the field and gain a big chunk of yards and maybe even find the end zone. With Jones at quarterback, you're hoping more for volume catches to rack up yards, something that again, is more feasible when talking about Brady and Wes Welker.

Michael Pittman is the top receiver and the only guy really worth considering in most leagues. He had over 900 yards each season from 2021-23 and scored 14 touchdowns in that time, putting together performances that made many see him as a real WR1. Last year was a little disappointing: 69 receptions, 808 yards, and three touchdowns, all of which were career lows outside of his 13-game rookie season.

Pittman's draft value is much lower this year than it has been in the past several years, something that gives him a little intrigue. He is being taken close to WR50 in both standard and PPR scoring, going in the 12th round or later. For a top receiver on any team that's a draft range that allows for upside and surplus value, something owners are looking for when choosing players that late.

Some of the other guys being drafted in the same range are Darnell Mooney, Marvin Mims, Brandon Aiyuk (who is out for at least the first six weeks according to reports), and Indianapolis teammate Josh Downs. Who would you rather have from that group?

Speaking of Downs, he joins Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell as the next wave of WRs on the team and guys who could also find a little fantasy value. None of the three has the history or the top-receiver outline that Pittman does, but someone could emerge, particularly if Pittman were to miss time with an injury.

Downs has combined for nearly 1,600 yards and seven touchdowns in his two seasons. He is undersized at just 5'9 and 170 pounds, but he's a good complement to the more standard-sized Pittman. Downs is the most likely guy to emerge as a capable WR2 from this team.

Pierce is a deep threat who went on a streak of big plays last year, catching just 37 passes but gaining a whopping 22.3 yards per catch and scoring seven touchdowns. With Jones likely throwing shorter passes than Pierce saw last season, he might not get those same looks, holding back his chances of finding consistent fantasy value.

Mitchell was a second-round pick last year and has a chance to develop into something more like a top-line receiver, but he was mostly anonymous as a rookie, catching 23 passes for 312 yards. These three secondary receivers all have the chance to develop, but none of them look like real fantasy contributors right now outside of super-deep leagues.

Tight End

Here is the best pass-catching option from a fantasy standpoint. Tyler Warren was the 14th overall pick in this year's draft and is seen as a guy who can work as an in-line tight end, slot receiver, and even outside receiver at times and catch passes from each spot. He is a dynamic weapon who could emulate some of what Brock Bowers did last year for the Raiders.

If the average pass ends up not traveling very far, that could benefit Warren more than anyone else, as tight ends often catch shorter passes. Call him a checkdown option or whatever you will, but Warren could be looking at a lot of volume in an offense without many other accomplished pass catchers.

Warren is being taken around TE10, right at the back of the starters. He has the upside of a top-10 fantasy tight end and is probably my favorite pick outside of the top seven at the position, who are all accomplished veterans.

Conclusion

Jones being named starter doesn't change a lot in terms of the big picture. The Indianapolis pass catchers lose some of the explosive factor while getting a quarterback who will throw the ball more accurately, likely resulting in more receptions. That could mean a small boost in PPR.

Overall, Indianapolis will probably be a below-average offensive team, and outside of Taylor and Warren, they will be inconsistent fantasy players who are more names to keep an eye on and look to stream more than count on for anything consistent.