Sean Koerner said Alec Pierce’s volatility makes him a far better asset in best ball than in managed leagues. Pierce finished outside the top-40 receivers in more than half his games last year, yet posted a top-12 finish roughly 27-29 % of the time thanks to occasional 80-yard touchdowns. Koerner’s Best-Ball Points Added metric rewards those spike weeks, so he’s willing to grab Pierce late as a weekly ceiling play without worrying about the zeros.

Greg Brainos recommended scooping up Alec Pierce at the back of drafts, citing an avalanche of unprompted praise from Colts decision-makers. He compiled multiple quotes where GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen singled out Pierce’s off-season work ethic and claimed the receiver "just keeps going like this," while physically motioning upward. Ballard even pivoted from questions about rookie A.D. Mitchell to rave about Pierce, suggesting Mitchell will have to fight for playing time. Brainos views Pierce as the lone Colts wideout who benefits from more Anthony Richardson starts—Richardson ranked top-five in average depth of target before his injury—making Pierce an archetypal spike-week play. Because Daniel Jones would favor Josh Downs underneath if he wins the job, Brainos likes drafting Pierce alone rather than doubling up on Indy receivers, betting on deep-ball chemistry with the big-armed Richardson.

Best Ball Guy said Alec Pierce vaults up his board whenever he already has Anthony Richardson on the roster. Richardson ranked top-10 in average depth of target last year (11.3 yards) and has the league’s second-strongest arm by ball-velocity testing, so BBG wants receivers who win downfield attached to that deep ball. He argued that Pierce and fellow rookie AD Mitchell are the prime beneficiaries, while short-area options like Josh Downs and Michael Pittman would actually lose volume if Richardson is under center. Conversely, if the Colts pivot to a lower-aDOT passer (he mentioned Daniel Jones as the hypothetical), BBG flips the script and favors Downs, Pittman and even RB Jonathan Taylor’s target share. The takeaway: on Richardson builds, actively reach for Pierce/ Mitchell because their spike-week profiles align with the QB’s vertical tendencies in Underdog Superflex best ball.

Chris Gimino argued Alec Pierce is mis-priced in Round 15 and should go several rounds earlier in best-ball drafts. Gimino cited steady offseason praise from Shane Steichen’s staff—Pierce is “someone we can trust” and currently sits ahead of rookie Adonai Mitchell on the depth chart. Pierce logged almost 1,500 air yards last season but converted barely half because Gardner Minshew and Anthony Richardson couldn’t connect downfield; Gimino expects at least modest improvement from whichever quarterback wins the job. Michael Pittman’s chronic back issues and Josh Downs’ slot-only role leave a clear outside lane for Pierce to run full-time routes. His 4.41 speed and 39-inch vert generate the exact high-leverage targets that create 20-point spike weeks, and at this ADP managers need only two or three such eruptions for the pick to pay off. Gimino admitted Pierce’s floor is “Chris Hogan exercise routes” but said the upside is too cheap to ignore when filling WR7-WR9 slots.

Davis Mattek clicked Alec Pierce as the perfect late-round "ceiling bet" for a roster whose WR2 slot is shaky. Mattek noted that every receiver on his team outside of A.J. Brown is unlikely to top six weekly targets, so he needs someone who can score from distance on minimal volume. Pierce already owns two different games with two targets and two touchdowns, and he posted a 17.5-yard average depth of target last season. Mattek thinks the Colts will again scheme him downfield shots, and one 70-yard house call can swing an Underdog Best Ball week. In builds that intentionally punt wide receiver early, Pierce’s big-play profile is the sort of cheap volatility that can mask low target floors and push a roster through playoff advance rates.