Re-watching 2024 tape convinced Josh that Josh Downs is "a total baller, one of the best slot receivers in the game" who can also win deep when asked. While Michael Pittman’s presence caps ceiling, Daniel Jones’ heavy short-area usage under Shane Steichen should flood the slot with quick targets. Downs’ talent plus scheme fit makes him an appealing bench upside play in the double-digit rounds, especially in PPR formats where high-catch outings swing matchups.

Josh said fantasy drafters should bump Tyler Warren ahead of every other Colts pass catcher. He expects Shane Steichen to run a constricted, quick-game offense built around Daniel Jones’ short reads, noting the staff has already featured manufactured tight-end screens and routes inside five yards. Warren was drafted ahead of edge defenders in April, a clear signal the front office views him as an offensive focal point. With Jones unlikely to push the ball vertically and the coaches prioritizing on-schedule throws, Warren projects to soak up the easy buttons in this attack, making him the most bankable piece of the passing game at his current late-round ADP.

Hayden Winks labeled Michael Pittman Jr. the round-10 land mine because Shane Steichen’s planned "PPR scam" offense offers volume, but it will be split three ways and attached to questionable quarterback play. Steichen named Daniel Jones his season-long starter and said he wants to replicate Jones’s 2022 Giants campaign—a system that ranked dead last in deep-ball rate and relied heavily on RPOs and quick hitters. That approach funnels targets to the slot and tight ends, putting Pittman in direct competition with ascendant Josh Downs on choice routes and first-round rookie tight end Tyler Warren on RPO slants. Downs’s skill set mirrors the receivers Jones fed in New York (Wandale Robinson, Richie James), and Warren gives the Colts a single every-down TE instead of last year’s three-man rotation. Hayden expects plenty of 3-WR looks and short-area congestion, reducing Pittman’s target share ceiling and leaving him a "vanilla" option who needs sheer volume to pay off. He prefers betting on the younger, cheaper Downs or Warren for upside.

Kevin Szafraniec said DJ Giddens is strictly a contingency-upside pick in best ball drafts because he is 'buried behind Jonathan Taylor.' Szafraniec pointed out that, in a more open backfield, Giddens’ prospect profile would push him several rounds earlier—citing a rookie draft where JCM jumped to the 13.02 on nothing more than preseason highlights. With Taylor commanding early-down and goal-line work, Giddens is unlikely to deliver standalone points before an injury or depth-chart shake-up, but Szafraniec still targets him late for the spike-week payoff if that opportunity comes.

Kevin Szafraniec framed DJ Giddens as a classic contingent-only play for tournament-style best ball. Citing Jonathan Taylor’s missed time in each of the past few seasons, Szafraniec likes Giddens’ week-11 bye and league-winning upside if Taylor’s health issues resurface. He did warn that Giddens offers almost no stand-alone production early in the year, but argued that drafters who already invested in reliable backs such as Bucky Irving and Omarion Hampton should be chasing ceiling, not immediate floor. For him, Giddens is the type of late pick that can swing an entire postseason if the starter goes down.

In the same late-round strategy bucket, Sean Koerner circled rookie Tyler Warren as a near-identical upside bet to Colson Loveland. Warren is also being drafted in the TE10-12 window; Koerner pointed out that rookie tight ends have become immediate fantasy difference-makers and sees Warren’s athleticism and projected route volume giving him a legitimate shot at a top-five finish as soon as 2025.

Matthew Berry noted that Daniel Jones starting over Anthony Richardson is a "slight plus" for Jonathan Taylor because Richardson was a significant goal-line touchdown vulture. With the less mobile Jones under center, Berry expects more red-zone touches to flow back to Taylor, increasing his touchdown equity and raising both his weekly floor and overall ceiling in season-long formats.

Jake Ciely boldly predicted that Anthony Richardson will finish ahead of Justin Fields in fantasy points this season. Ciely said the preseason film shows Richardson processing faster and throwing with better mechanics than Fields, which could level their passing lines at roughly 2,400 yards and 18 touchdowns apiece. Because their rushing ceilings are similar, any incremental progress as a passer would swing the advantage to Richardson. The caveat is durability—Ciely worries Richardson’s lowered playing weight and unwillingness to slide could cost him four to five games—but at current ADP he still prefers Richardson’s upside over Fields.

McFarland spotlighted Tyler Warren as a mid-round tight-end smash. Warren recorded a 91% route participation, saw a 30% target share on Daniel Jones’ two drives, and is already the team’s red-zone first read. McFarland notes Warren is his most-drafted TE inside pick 120 (21% exposure) and part of his 2025 positional blueprint. With rookie Adonai Mitchell likely sliding back to WR4 once Josh Downs and Alec Pierce return, Warren’s weekly floor rivals the elite tier yet his ADP sits outside the top 10 at the position.

Mike Fanelli called Zaire Franklin a set-and-forget LB1. Franklin led the NFL with 173 total tackles and ranked third with 93 solos while forcing five fumbles (second most in the league). Those numbers fueled a career-best 10.8 fantasy points per game and his third straight top-10 linebacker finish, including the overall LB1 spot in 2024. Fanelli expects similar three-down volume in 2025 and urged managers in tackle-heavy scoring to draft Franklin as the first linebacker off the board.

Andy Holloway said Tyler Warren is the easiest late-round smash at tight end, calling him a "culture-changing mismatch" the Colts will feature right away. Holloway reminded listeners that Warren torched man coverage in college (he “gave the numbers” on a prior show) and owns a huge catch radius plus run-after-catch juice that neither Evan Engram nor the other mid-tier vets offer. Indianapolis projects to throw more than people expect because its defense is mediocre, and whichever quarterback wins the job (Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson) will lean on Warren’s high-percentage throws. At a ninth-round ADP Warren costs three rounds less than Engram while providing every-week startability and the kind of ceiling that produced back-to-back TE1 seasons from fellow rookie breakouts Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers. Holloway urged season-long drafters to stash Warren before the market corrects in September.

Andy Holloway stumped for Tyler Warren as a ninth-round tight-end steal with every-down upside. Indianapolis spent pick 14 on Warren, then left him on the field for every first-team snap in the preseason opener where he caught all three targets on varied route types (hitch, deep out, play-action crosser). Warren led all of college football in receiving yards versus man coverage last season, posted higher targets-per-route run and yards-per-route run than top prospect Brock Bowers, and was even used in Wildcat looks, underscoring his athletic versatility. With only solid but unspectacular options like Michael Pittman and undersized slot man Josh Downs on the perimeter, Holloway expects Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones to funnel throws to Warren’s huge catch radius. The Colts’ middling defense should force a pass-heavy script, and Holloway believes Warren can follow the Sam LaPorta rookie trajectory, paying off handsomely at TE9 prices.

Hayden Winks said Anthony Richardson is the perfect last-round stash in August drafts that happen weeks before the opener. If Richardson ends up starting and looks even "a little bit better," you are effectively getting Justin Fields-level rushing production at a six-round discount. Because managers can still churn the roster before Week 1, Winks views Richardson as a risk-free swing: cut him for a waiver-wire kicker once line-ups lock if it does not pan out. The idea is to exploit the rushing floor/ceiling combo without sacrificing mid-round capital while preserving flexibility to stream a kicker later.

Josh Norris urged drafters to burn their final pick on Anthony Richardson. Whenever Richardson starts, his rushing gives him top-5 to top-7 weekly ceilings, yet a dislocated finger has driven his price to the 15th round. Colts brass have publicly stated they want him under center for the next decade, and Norris sees a six-round discount compared to similar rushing QBs like Justin Fields. In single-QB formats managers can simply cut Richardson if Daniel Jones opens Week 1, but if Richardson wins the job he instantly becomes a trade-chip QB1.

Matthew Wiley pushed back on the Richardson enthusiasm, saying he "can’t stomach" paying the eighth- or ninth-round price tag. Wiley believes the market is drafting Richardson at his absolute ceiling; if the accuracy issues linger or the Colts offense stalls, the pick becomes an anchor. He would rather spend that draft slot on position players and wait for cheaper late-round quarterbacks who project similar weekly medians with far less opportunity cost.

Whenever JSU drafts three quarterbacks he usually makes Anthony Richardson the third, arguing that Richardson offers the biggest ceiling of anyone available in that tier. The dual-threat passer regularly slips into the double-digit rounds on DraftKings, and JSU thinks his 30-point potential more than offsets the volatility. In a 50-person Week-17 final, that kind of one-game upside can swing the entire tournament.

Ryan Heath said Adonai Mitchell is “no more than a stash” and should be avoided in 2025 season-long leagues. Heath pointed to Mitchell’s paltry 34.1% rookie route participation, the presence of Josh Downs, Michael Pittman, and Alec Pierce, and Indianapolis’ still-shaky quarterback situation. Even with above-average separation on certain routes, Heath does not expect the sophomore to command volume and sees little path to weekly fantasy relevance.

Pat Mayo recommended scooping DJ Giddens in the final round as the clear backup to Jonathan Taylor. Mayo noted beat-writer and coaching-staff comments that anointed Giddens the No. 2 back and drew a David Montgomery comparison, praising his three-down skill set. If Taylor misses time, Mayo projects an immediate RB18 floor with legitimate RB1 upside in Shane Steichen’s run-centric offense. Given Giddens’ near-zero draft cost, Mayo prefers him to roster-clogging WR5s, extra quarterbacks, or kickers and defenses, framing the pick as a cheap lottery ticket that could become a weekly starter overnight.

Jake Ciely cautioned drafters about Jonathan Taylor's week-to-week volatility and mounting risk. Taylor has missed time in each of the past three seasons, and Ciely noted the Colts offense—forced to toggle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones whenever Richardson gets banged up—is "not conducive to scoring points." Indianapolis also targets its running backs sparingly, preferring Richardson to scramble or absorb sacks. Ciely highlighted that 38 % of Taylor's 2024 fantasy output came in the final three weeks, calling his production profile a roller coaster of single-digit duds and 25-plus-point spikes. He ranked safer options like Chase Brown ahead of Taylor in season-long drafts.

Tristan H. Cockcroft urged managers not to give up on Adonai Mitchell after a rough rookie season that featured a league-worst 42.6 percent catch rate among receivers with 50+ targets and a 5.6 percent drop rate. Mitchell’s speed remains elite, and Colts camp reports plus a preseason opener featuring catches of 15 and 22 yards indicate cleaner hands and better chemistry with the quarterback room. If his efficiency merely reaches league average, Cockcroft expects Mitchell to push Alec Pierce for a full-time perimeter role and become an upside bench option who can break long scores in any given week.

Matthew Freedman said to sell Tyler Warren after his ADP jumped to 113.8. He expects the Colts to lean run-heavy if Anthony Richardson starts and pointed out the rookie tight end must battle Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Adonai Mitchell for targets. Freedman does not see enough passing volume for Warren to pay off inside the top 120 picks.

Best Ball Guy said drafters should leave most rooms with Tyler Warren when they miss on the elite tight-end tier. Warren is still available around the 8-10 turn even though he is expected to be a top-15 real-life draft pick. That blend of first-round capital and encouraging early evaluations – Warren is "looking the part" in camp – makes his current ADP a bargain relative to the dusty committee running backs that populate the same range. Guy added that his fallback plan this summer is to double-tap Warren and Colston Loveland in that pocket instead of chasing late tight ends.

Tom Strachan highlighted Josh Downs as a screaming value after a sneaky-good 2024 rookie campaign. Downs finished WR39 in half-PPR but actually led the Colts with a 24.8 % target share, narrowly topping Michael Pittman’s 24.2 %. His 66 % catch rate and 2.2 yards per route run also beat Pittman (62 %, 1.7 YPRR). Strachan pulled fantasy-points data showing only 15 receivers with 50-plus catches earned a higher YPRR, and 13 of those cracked the top-24 at season’s end—evidence that Downs’ peripheral profile already resembles a fantasy WR2. Quarterback splits were a non-issue: he averaged 11.0 PPR points with Anthony Richardson and 10.9 without. Despite that, Downs’ ADP sits around 80 in best-ball and 103 in redraft, a range Tom notes is typically "quarterbacks and tight ends" territory. He recommends scooping Downs as a WR4/5 wherever possible, confident the alpha usage and efficiency will pay off even if Indy’s QB situation remains unsettled.

Brandon Anderson downgraded Indianapolis from third to 16th in his line rankings after losing center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries to Minnesota. He pointed out that Quenton Nelson, while still a name brand, has not maintained his 2018-20 dominance and Braden Smith has missed 12 games over the past two seasons. With two new interior starters and durability concerns at tackle, Anderson warned that the Colts’ once-reliable protection is now an unknown. He advised fading Colts overs in early betting markets and tempering fantasy expectations for the backfield behind a unit that may settle in around league average rather than top tier.

Tyler Warren’s ADP has climbed 14.7 spots to 73.4, and Tom Strachan is still in. Coaches keep praising his versatility, and the Colts’ depth chart provides a clear path after they moved on from Mo Alie-Cox. Warren checked every box analytically (2.34 college YPRR, 86th-percentile agility) and offers immediate red-zone usage for Anthony Richardson. Strachan recommended mixing Warren into three-TE best ball constructions as a ceiling play who can finish as a weekly top-8 scorer early in the season.

Josh said fantasy managers should treat Tyler Warren as a tenth-round priority and even start him in the flex ahead of backs like Javonte Williams and Quinshon Judkins. He compared Warren’s profile to Mark Andrews and David Njoku, stressing that Shane Steichen will manufacture touches for the rookie because Indianapolis lacks established pass catchers beyond Michael Pittman. Josh emphasized that opposing defenses will sit in zone if Anthony Richardson is under center—exactly the look Warren carved up in college—and that the Colts historically feature tight ends near the goal line. Behind a line that still grades well in pass protection, Warren projects for steady underneath volume plus red-zone schemed looks, making him a clear value in season-long drafts.

Hayden Winks moved his Week 1 probability toward Daniel Jones after Anthony Richardson dislocated a pinky and failed a simple hot read that led to a hit. Shane Steichen keeps preaching "consistency," and Winks thinks the staff will default to the safer Jones while Richardson proves he can stay healthy. He advised fantasy managers to diversify late-round quarterback builds with Jones shares and lower early-season expectations for Richardson until he strings together healthy, mistake-free practices.

Hayden Winks raved that Tyler Warren played every snap with the Colts’ starters, posted three zone-beating wins, and even had a designed screen. Beat writers keep calling Warren the "featured player," and Winks stressed that the 1,350 snaps shared by three tight ends last year now flow to one guy. Comparing Warren’s route tree to Mark Andrews and citing Sam LaPorta’s rookie TE1 finish, he urged drafters to ignore Warren’s 10th-round ADP and select him ahead of middling vets. Winks believes Warren could realistically lead Indianapolis in targets and finish as a top-5 fantasy tight end.

Steve Palazzolo said Tyler Warren "looked fantastic on just four targets," praising the tight end’s timing on a screen and overall feel in the short passing game. Palazzolo expects the Colts to "feed him," calling Warren the perfect "easy button" that could both goose Anthony Richardson’s completion percentage and serve as a safety valve for Daniel Jones if the veteran wins the job. Given Warren’s likely role patrolling the shallow zones alongside slot receiver Josh Downs, Palazzolo believes the tight end is an under-the-radar PPR asset and a cheap DFS punt who could rack up quick receptions as early as Week 1.

Steve Palazzolo pointed out that Daniel Jones has now twice entered preseason action after a Richardson injury and "played pretty well" despite several drops that hurt his completion rate. Palazzolo highlighted Jones’s conservative, underneath style—"going to dink and dunk and throw underneath"—as a good schematic fit for a Colts roster that lacks proven field-stretchers but features reliable short-area targets. With the coaching staff openly debating whether they can trust Richardson to stay healthy, Palazzolo believes a risk-averse approach could hand Week-1 duties to Jones even if camp grades remain close. For season-long fantasy or best-ball managers, Jones is a cheap late-round stash who could return immediate starter value if the Colts opt for stability over upside.

Sam Monson said fantasy managers should tread carefully with Anthony Richardson after another abbreviated outing. Richardson attempted only three passes (2-for-3, 21 yards) before leaving with a dislocated pinky that was caused by a blown hot-read assignment. Monson noted this is Richardson’s second in-game injury of the summer, echoing the Colts’ own public worries about his ability to stay on the field for a full season. Every missed snap, Monson argued, strengthens Daniel Jones’s case in what was already viewed internally as a near 50-50 competition. He likened the situation to Jimmy Garoppolo’s tenure in San Francisco—good flashes overshadowed by constant availability questions—and warned that Richardson’s current ADP bakes in ceiling but not the very real possibility of lost starts. In season-long formats Monson views him as pure boom-or-bust, recommending managers pair him with a safer quarterback or fade the risk entirely.

Shawn Siegele argued that Jonathan Taylor is a smash at pick 3.03 in FFPC drafts. He acknowledged that some peripheral metrics dipped during the middle of last season, but emphasized how the game log tells a different story: Taylor closed the year with his three highest rushing yard totals, scored six rushing touchdowns over those contests, and never fell below 24 fantasy points even in non-PPR scoring. Siegele added that the Colts offense "is going to be more functional regardless," which should cushion Taylor’s weekly floor and create more multi-TD paths. Given that profile and the historical hit rate for backs with Taylor’s late-season surge, Siegele sees an extremely favorable range of outcomes relative to his current ADP.

Shawn Siegele called Jonathan Taylor “absurdly under-priced” at his current draft slot. Even in last year’s dysfunctional Colts offense, Taylor finished third among running backs in expected points per game, giving him an elite workload floor. Siegele expects efficiency to rebound toward Taylor’s 2021 form—when he averaged 5.5 yards per carry—because Anthony Richardson’s rushing threat should stress defenses in the same way Lamar Jackson boosts Derrick Henry and Jalen Hurts aids Saquon Barkley. If Richardson is merely competent, Siegele sees a clear path for Taylor to break long runs and push for a top-three finish while still offering week-to-week stability.

Shawn Siegele warned that Michael Pittman "has zero value" if Anthony Richardson wins the Colts quarterback job. Siegele argued Richardson’s 43% completion rate in camp and his run-first tendencies would sink Indianapolis’ pass volume and accuracy, dragging Pittman’s target quality well below starter-worthy levels. While Daniel Jones could still win the job, Siegele called the competition a "two-man capitulation," saying neither passer offers enough efficiency to create high-end outcomes for Pittman. Until clarity emerges, Pittman is a risky redraft hold and a player Siegele is passing on at his current price.

Shawn Siegele said a 3.03 ADP for Jonathan Taylor is “pretty absurd” value in FFPC Main Event rooms. Taylor sits in his own tier above names like Amari Cooper and Omarion Hampton in Siegele’s ranks, yet has fallen almost a full round over the last few Main Event drafts. Siegele emphasized that the Main Event market is far tighter than large-field best-ball lobbies, so any slide is uniquely exploitable. He advised pouncing when Taylor drifts because paying a late-second price is already a win, and grabbing him in the third lets drafters who opened with Brock Bowers pivot into a high-end RB room with tournament-winning upside.

Shawn Siegele called Jonathan Taylor 'absurd' value when he slid to Pick 3.03. Siegele highlighted Taylor’s 24-touch, 126-yard per-game finish over the final month of last season and argued that either potential Colts quarterback style benefits him: Anthony Richardson’s threat opens rushing lanes, while Daniel Jones (if he plays) historically targets backs at a high rate. Siegele acknowledged concerns about Indy’s pass volume but expects Taylor’s 80 % share of high-value touches (green-zone carries plus targets) to offset team-level efficiency issues. He compared the discount to last year’s Saquon Barkley slide, urging drafters not to overthink perceived reception ceilings at this price.

Sia Nejad recommended scooping up Anthony Richardson at his QB26 price because the Colts are giving him first crack at the preseason opener, signaling a real opportunity to seize the job. Nejad thinks the organization “owes it to themselves” to see if Richardson is the answer, noting the sizable draft investment. Even in last year’s injury-marred, inconsistent season, Richardson produced four 20-plus-point fantasy games and finished as a top-10 QB three times, twice inside the top-five, entirely on rushing upside. If he strings together strong starts he could hold the job, giving managers league-winning legs for the cost of a final pick; if he busts you can replace him with a waiver-wire veteran like Matthew Stafford or Geno Smith.

Indianapolis has notoriously rotated tight ends, yet Warren logged all 20 snaps on the first three drives while Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Will Mallory and Kylen Granson watched. Mattek believes the consolidated usage vaults Warren into draftable territory as a late-round upside swing, especially in formats that reward spike weeks from athletic tight ends.

Jason Moore said Josh Downs is the easiest late-round smash in 2025 drafts because every underlying metric already screams WR1 usage. Downs logged a 26% target share (just a tick below Ja'Marr Chase) and was targeted on 30% of his routes, matching Drake London’s rate. He handled 30% of Indianapolis’ first-read looks and posted 2.29 yards per route run, the same neighborhood as Malik Neighbors. Moore pulled a 10-year sample showing that day-one or day-two receivers who averaged 7.5+ targets per game in Year 2 became top-24 fantasy receivers 70% of the time and top-12 receivers 46% of the time in Year 3. Downs’ splits were identical with or without Anthony Richardson, so quarterback volatility is not a concern. Draft him as your WR3/4 or flex and bank on volume-driven upside.

Zach Greubel reminded readers that over the final five weeks of 2024, only Jahmyr Gibbs scored more half-PPR points than Jonathan Taylor. As one of the league’s remaining true bell-cows and now going at RB10, Taylor still carries league-winning upside that drafters are under-appreciating.

Citing colleague Dwain McFarland’s TE strategy work, Ian Hartitz moved Tyler Warren to TE10 and is hammering him when he falls to TE13+ on ESPN (133.8 ADP) or Yahoo (121.2). McFarland’s data notes that Shane Steichen’s Colts run the NFL’s highest RPO rate (22%) and fourth-highest play-action rate (28%) over the last two years—an ideal fit for Warren’s yards-after-catch skill set. The former No. 14 overall pick saw full first-team usage in Week 1 of the preseason, confirming expectations of an immediate every-down role. Hartitz concedes Daniel Jones is a wild card but believes quick RPO throws can still funnel volume to Warren, making him a late-round ‘first-or-last’ barbell target who has crept into 21.5% of McFarland’s best-ball drafts.

Mike Wright said he is happy to pounce on Josh Downs in the eighth because Downs posted “truly wide-receiver-one level” targets-per-route-run last season. While drafters are scared of the overall Colts passing attack, Wright expects Anthony Richardson to lock onto Downs the same way Daniel Jones opened last year force-feeding Malik Nabers, creating immediate, high-percentage volume out of the slot. With that underlying usage profile and a depressed ADP, Wright believes Downs can be an instant FLEX in full-PPR leagues and a screaming buy in Season-Long formats.

Andy Holloway admitted he is "nervous" about the Colts quarterback situation but still has no problem pulling the trigger on Jonathan Taylor in the middle of the second round. Holloway pointed out that Taylor’s final 17 games grade out as an "A" for consistency and included a string of "monstrous" late-season performances that masked some early-year inefficiency. His main concern is touchdown volume: both quarterbacks on the roster can steal goal-line scores, potentially capping Taylor’s ceiling. Even so, Holloway believes Taylor’s elite talent and proven workload make him a strong RB1 bet at pick 2.07, provided drafters bake in the TD volatility.

Andy Holloway highlighted Tyler Warren as a name to circle after the first preseason game. Warren logged every first-team snap and soaked up multiple first-read targets despite Josh Downs, Michael Pittman and Anthony Richardson sitting out. Holloway said that kind of unquestioned involvement with the starters usually signals that the coaching staff trusts the player’s assignments and route tree. Even if Pittman and Downs reclaim volume in September, Warren’s ability to line up in-line or flex to the slot gives him sneaky weekly touchdown upside at a position that falls off quickly after the elite tier.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound explained that in the late rounds he looks for wideouts with big-play ceilings, citing Alec Pierce as the ideal target. By that point he usually already has high-volume slot types and doesn’t want another low-aDOT "six-point" profile like Wan’Dale Robinson. Pierce’s deep route tree and proven ability to score 20-plus fantasy points on a handful of targets give him the spike-week potential required in Underdog’s playoff weeks, so Pat is prioritizing Pierce whenever he needs a ninth receiver.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound admitted that he only clicks Josh Downs when he needs a warm body in the mid-rounds, not because he believes Downs will beat his ADP. He said he’s "never confident he’s going to outpay ADP" and plans to scale back exposure for the rest of August. The takeaway: treat Downs as emergency depth, not a value target.

Davis Mattek said drafters looking for a cheap quarterback should "just take Richardson" in the late rounds. Mattek pointed out that Richardson was drafted as the QB5 in 2024 best-ball leagues before a shoulder injury cut his season short, and that game featured his highest number of designed runs. Because of that rushing usage, Mattek believes the upside remains "massive" if the shoulder holds up. In redraft, a missed game isn’t fatal— managers can simply cut him and move on— so the risk/reward profile is far better than in best-ball. Mattek paired Richardson with Drake Maye in his own home league, highlighting that the combination lets you chase Richardson’s week-winning legs while keeping a safety valve on the bench.

Dwain McFarland encouraged drafters to grab Tyler Warren after pick 100 (current ADP 118). The worries—Anthony Richardson’s accuracy, Indianapolis’ run-first lean, and crowded pass-catching depth—are already priced in, he said. McFarland likened the gamble to last year’s Brock Bowers pick, recalling Bowers’ 12.6 PPG alongside Davante Adams before the latter left town. Warren’s Round-1 pedigree and a tight-end-friendly scheme supply the theoretical ceiling, while Indianapolis’ wideout corps lacks a true star. McFarland framed Warren as the quintessential upside-or-cut selection: inexpensive enough to move on from, but talented enough to become a weekly difference-maker if the chaos of an NFL season clears his path.

Best Ball Guy flipped bullish on Anthony Richardson after hearing encouraging news on his shoulder surgery. With reports that he could now open the season as the starter, BBG says Richardson has become “one of the best picks on the board.” Anyone who buys the dual-threat quarterback at his still-depressed ADP is locking in elite rushing upside that was discounted during earlier injury concerns.

Chris Raybon selected DJ Giddens at RB63 as direct insurance for Jonathan Taylor. Taylor’s massive workload and injury history make any absence plausible, while the current backups are only Tyler Goodson and Khalil Herbert. Raybon highlighted Giddens’ pass-catching ability and fresh legs, projecting that even spot starts could yield RB60-level production. The pick prioritizes a higher weekly floor over pure ceiling in the middle rounds.

Sean Koerner labeled Jonathan Taylor the prototypical floor play in Round 2. The Colts gave him 303 carries, 1,400 rushing yards and 12 total TDs across 14 games last year, good for eighth-best points per game. Koerner expects the exact same every-down role because Indianapolis never takes him off the field—the backup only enters for a breather. Ceiling is somewhat capped: Taylor averages just 2–3 targets a game, and both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones can swipe goal-line scores. First-round tight-end pick Tyler Warren even vultured short-yardage TDs at Penn State, which could show up in a trick package. Still, Koerner feels comfortable drafting Taylor at RB9-10 when he slides, pairing him with a Round-1 wideout and locking in weekly top-12 production.