Alec Pierce (Colts – WR) | ADP – 167.7 | WR67

Alec Pierce had a somewhat quiet 2022. You can say that about the Indianapolis Colts offense overall. Jonathon Taylor was a letdown and Michael Pittman couldn’t build on his breakout 2021 season. You could partially blame that on bad quarterback play and offensive play calling. Matt Ryan and Frank Reich are no longer there and Anthony Richardson looks poised to take over the QB1 role.

If you go back and watch the tape, Pierce showed flashes of talent, especially as a down-the-field threat. He averaged 11.8% air yards per reception and had a 13.5% target share. He was clearly the #2 wide receiver behind Pittman. In steps Richardson and new coach Shane Steichen to try and help revive the stagnant offense. The Colts also drafted Josh Downs and recently signed journey receiver Breshad Perriman. I am not too worried about these two jumping ahead of Pierce as the WR2. Expect some early lumps from Richardson but once the offense revs up Pierce will benefit.

Cordarrelle Patterson (Falcons – RB) | ADP – 209.3 | RB63

If you drafted Cordarrelle Patterson last year you are probably screaming at your screen right now. Before his knee injury, Patterson had two 20+ fantasy point outings including rushing for 141 yards in week 3. He was not able to replicate the early success post-injury. Patterson has become the forgotten man with the arrival of Bijan Robinson and the emergence of Tyler Allgeier.

I am not yet ready to give up on Patterson despite the now crowded backfield. He is a true position flex player which many teams are now coveting. Robinson is still a rookie and the gadget role will be Patterson’s for the foreseeable future.

Curtis Samuel (Commanders – WR) | ADP – 198.3 | WR75

We recently brought up Curtis Samuel in our latest best ball rankings and it’s worth bringing up again. Samuel has a similar type of role to Patterson where you will see him lining up in the backfield a good amount. Last year, he had 92 targets and 68 of those were catchable. Sam Howell although raw will be an upgrade over Taylor Heinicke. On top of better quarterback play, the Commanders now have Eric Bieniemy who will find creative ways to get him the ball.

Tank Bigsby (Jaguars – RB) | ADP – 159.3 | RB51

When the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Tank Bigsby in the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL Draft it got our attention. Travis Etienne is clearly the lead back and James Robinson was no longer there. The Jaguars brought in Jamycal Hasty and D’Ernest Johnson this offseason and they now have a crowded RB room. I am not worried about those two backs jumping Bigsby for the #2 role. Bigsby will get his chances in the red zone for reasons we pointed out in this article. At this current ADP, he is worth grabbing late in your draft as the upside is too big to ignore.

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Houston Texans: WR Robert Woods (ADP 223.8)

Robert Woods is on his second team in two years as he tries to revitalize his career. When he was with the Rams, he was very consistent and made life easy for Jared Goff. His mission now is to help C.J. Stroud thrive. He is currently the top WR in the Texans. Look for Stroud to focus on him especially at the start in order to get a rhythm and to get acclimated to the NFL. His ADP of 223.8 is ridiculous for someone of his talent.

Indianapolis Colts: WR Alec Pierce (ADP 188.1)

For the Indianapolis Colts, I’m looking at Alec Pierce. As a rookie last season, he had his moments such as scoring 18.6 FP against the Cowboys and 15.1 FP against the Broncos. What makes him stand out is his 15 deep targets as the other Colts WRs only had 18 total deep targets. With Anthony Richardson having a cannon of an arm, Alec Pierce could benefit from the deep throws with the rookie QB.

Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Christian Kirk (ADP 82.9)

Christian Kirk had a career year last season when he caught 84 passes for 1108 yards and eight TDs. His year helped the Jaguars have a successful season and make Jacksonville look like an elite contender for years to come. Currently, he is slated at ADP 82.9 which is a steal for what he can do. Even with Calvin Ridley coming in, Trevor Lawrence will still pass the ball around. Christian Kirk will overcome his ADP again.

Tennessee Titans: QB Will Levis (ADP 137.9)

We’ve all seen the tape that he’s throwing the ball well in camps and looks like a steal. Let’s hold our horses first. He’s still very raw and Ryan Tannehill is still the guy for the Titans. Now I expect Will Levis to get some run depending on Tennessee’s record. This makes him intriguing especially in dynasty leagues if you need a QB. The fans will be calling for him if the Titans look bad.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts and their unearthly quarterback-running back duo were expected to steamroll the Houston Texans in Week 1. Well, it was safe to say that the Houston Texans and their Rudy-like attitude came to play against the Colts. The Texans tied the Colts by a score of 20-20. I believe the Texans ultimately won the day. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Colts-Texans showdown.

• Jonathan Taylor

If it wasn’t for a Hulk-like performance from Jonathan Taylor, the Houston Texans would have surely won the AFC South battle. JT ousted an incredible 161 rushing yards and a touchdown (as shown above). It was clear that Frank Reich wanted to defeat the Texans by a thousand cuts with Taylor leading the charge.

• Kwity Paye

The Colts did witness growth from second-year edge rusher Kwity Paye — which brought a smile to a lot of Colts fans. After having four sacks a season ago, Paye flexed two sacks on the day (which both arrived in OT). He may be on his way to garnering his first Pro Bowl nod.

• Alec Pierce

The Colts rookie wideout, Alec Pierce, was essentially MIA in the Week 1 showdown. Pierce had a whopping zero catches in his rookie debut. He was widely dubbed as a darkhorse OROY candidate entering 2022, but he still hasn’t quite got in sync with Matty Ice.

• Davis Mills

Davis Mills didn’t play like a vintage Tom Brady, but he was definitely efficient in the Week 1 showdown. Mills had 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and most importantly: a 98.9 passer rating. The second-year QB is off to a superb start in the frigid AFC South.

• Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan didn’t exactly look like the next Johnny Unitas in Week 1. Ryan had 1 TD to 1 interception and he also botched numerous snaps. I (and countless others) felt quite confident that Ryan would mop the floor against the Texans with his new Colts squad. Let’s hope that Ryan can quickly improve his chemistry with his toys moving forward. Perhaps the Colts will also sign OBJ?

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts will look to take a step from 2021 to 2022 that is similar to the Cincinnati Bengals improvement from 2020 to 2021. The Colts simply believe they can be the next surprise AFC team to play in the big dance. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Colts goal of playing in Super Bowl LVII could come to fruition.

Strength of schedule

The Colts may not have the same overall talent as the likes of Cincinnati and Buffalo, but they certainly have an easier mountain to climb than CIN and BUF next season. The Bengals have the third-most challenging schedule, while the Bills have the 12th most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the Colts have THE EASIEST schedule in the AFC in 2022-2023.

Stephon Gilmore

The Colts don’t only have an All-Pro LB in Darius Leonard, a behemoth in DT Deforest Buckner, and Frank Reich’s old pal in DE Yannick Ngakoue, but they also have a cream-of-the-crop CB by the name of Stephon Gilmore. It’s quite clear that the Colts have a well-rounded defense and I really expect Gilmore (who was ranked as the 14th best CB by PFF last season) to be pivotal against opposing WRs like Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, Ceedee Lamb, and Devante Parker.

Alec Pierce

Matt Ryan is unequivocally a more talented QB than Carson Wentz, but he will still need his play-makers to be tuned in for the duration of the 2022 season. I trust in Michael Pittman Jr playing like a 1,000+ yd WR, but I am a big fan of the potential for WR2 Alec Pierce. I expect him to be the cherry on top – as he should be quite productive with matchups alongside Jonathan Taylor and Pittman Jr. Louis Riddick of ESPN even believes that Pierce could win OROY.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to be a force in an AFC conference featuring the entire AFC West division, the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills, and the lethal QB-WR duo in Cincinnati. It’s safe to say that the focus for the Colts Super Bowl aspirations is on the clock.

The Colts recently brought back Super Bowl magic from Nick Foles, as Foles and Reich are reunited. The former Eagles legend that is four years younger than Matty Ice is slotted as the QB2 in Indy. He was able to garner a victory in his lone start last season.

The Colts also signed RB Ty’Son Williams today and he will be a nice addition to the offense. It’s safe to say that the Colts will have an impressive RB room with Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Lindsay, and Williams. It’s wise for Reich to add the right RB pieces in May, so the Colts aren’t scrambling for a practice squad RB from a different roster.

It’s safe to say that fans are excited for new icons like Foles during OTAs, but they are more ecstatic for the beloved Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor to take the field together. Alec Pierce is also a player to keep an eye on. ESPN’s Louis Riddick believes that Pierce could even win Offensive Rookie of The Year.

The Colts defense will also have former DPOY Stephon Gilmore. If Gilmore can shine next to Darius Leonard, the Colts could certainly have a defense that can make life miserable for the mega arm AFC QBs. Hopefully, the new pieces on the Colts offense and defense can jell together before August kicks around.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts transitioned from a disappointing AFC squad with Carson Wentz to a darkhorse Super Bowl contender with Matt Ryan. With that said, the Ryan-led squad could really have a strong chance to be the next surprise AFC Champion with production from a few underrated Colts players. Hence, I’m going to simply outline three breakout candidates for the Colts.

Alec Pierce

The Indianapolis Colts had one of the best value second-round picks in Alec Pierce. The Colts rookie out of the University of Cincinnati has the size (6’3, 215) and 4.4 speed. I believe his presence has made T.Y. Hilton expendable and he should really be involved across from Michael Pittman Jr. in his rookie season. The ESPN analyst Louis Riddick believes that Pierce could even win OROY in 2022.

Kwity Paye

I expect DE Kwity Paye to really learn how to use his power in his second season. The new pass rusher Yannick Ngakouye and elite Deforest Buckner will allow the Colts 2021 first-round pick to have excellent opportunities in 2022. Most importantly, I expect opposing teams to be forced to keep pace with Ryan and the Colts pass-rush should absolutely have more opportunities to pin their ears back than last season. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com named Paye as one of his sophomore breakout players in 2022.

Rodrigo Blankenship

The Colts popular kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, also known as “Hot Rod”, battled a hip injury last season. I expect him to return stronger in his third season and unveil a career-season in 2022. He should have plenty of opportunities to flash his ability (and character) in very competitive match-ups next season. I trust that Blankenship delivers a Pro Bowl-like season and he creates more excitement in the NFL world.

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By: Jeremy Trottier, Jake Rajala, and Faustino Felix

The 2022 NFL Draft was loaded with offensive talent, as potential 2022 starters were picked in the third round and beyond. The NFL Draft, also known as a football holiday, is finally over. Nonetheless, it’s time for fantasy football gurus to begin scouting talent for their beloved rosters. With that said, we’re going to untwine seven fantasy sleepers that sleeping with Mr. Sandman.

Jeremy’s sleepers:

Jalen Tolbert – WR – Dallas Cowboys

One of the most notable players coming out of round 3 or beyond is Jalen Tolbert, the 6’3” receiver out of South Alabama.  Tolbert has received little to no recognition coming out of this class primarily due to his competition being FBS players.  The part about him that makes me think he could break out is the fact that the Dallas Cowboys already moved on from two of their receivers this offseason (Amari Cooper & Cedrick Wilson). 

Combined they leave 165 targets and 113 receptions on the table for someone to take, and with the receiver room shifting significantly this offseason, Tolbert could seek to snag the 2nd or 3rd receiver spot early in the season.  It is also worth noting that starting receiver Michael Gallup will likely miss the early part of the season due to his torn ACL, which gives Tolbert a direct route into a starting role alongside CeeDee Lamb and James Washington.  Jalen had a great final 9 games in 2021 and will seek to continue that level of play in the NFL for Dallas.

Dameon Pierce – RB – Houston Texans

The other sleeper of mine is Florida Gator Dameon Pierce, who was taken at pick 107 by the Houston Texans.  Pierce is another player who has an immediate shot at the starting role on his respective team, with the Texans RB room pretty much up in the air at the moment.  Last year’s starters David Johnson (current free agent) and Mark Ingram (traded to Saints) are presumably both gone or are at least for the moment.  The backs on the roster that he will be competing with are Rex Burkhead, Marlon Mack, and Dare Ogunbowale, who he should be able to at the bare minimum get rotational minutes with.  His size and power as a running back give him some solid upside as a roster-bound player on any dynasty team.  

Faustino’s sleepers:

Alec Pierce – WR – Indianapolis Colts

There’s a lot of upside to Alec Pierce’s game, and he was drafted to an ideal situation after a solid college career with the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Colts’ depth chart is wide open after third-year wide receiver Michael Pittman, so Pierce, with 2nd round draft capital, should start on 3-WR sets right away. He could become a favorite of new Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, who has produced top fantasy wide receivers before such as Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, proving he can sustain good fantasy WRs. Ryan’s arrival should allow Frank Reich to open up the offense and pass the ball more often than he did with Carson Wentz.

Pierce has elite speed and burst, along with a huge catch radius. He’s a speed threat that has the potential to become a complete force at the perimeter, thanks to that athleticism and his 6’3” size. He averaged 17.5 yards per reception at Cincinnati. I fully expect Pierce to shoot up draft boards as the offseason progresses since this combination of talent, opportunity and draft capital at a solid team expected to compete for a playoff spot don’t come that often. It should be a matter of time before fantasy managers catch on, so get ahead of the curve and get Pierce in your rosters as soon as you can.

Zamir White – RB – Las Vegas Raiders

White’s arrival to the NFL was a roller-coaster, to say the least. He tore his ACL in his senior season of high school but nevertheless was recruited by Georgia as a top-five recruit for his position. He then suffered a second ACL before what was supposed to be his freshman season. Three years later, he was drafted in the fourth round by the Las Vegas Raiders, after being the leading rusher for two years in a row in a Bulldogs backfield that included fellow rookie James Cook. He won a National Championship along the way.

Nicknamed “Zeus”, White is a powerful runner who is bound to score a lot of touchdowns in his career. He also possesses breakaway speed, and he is more elusive than you would expect from power back such as him. His only knock is that he doesn’t have a lot of receiving production, so that limits him to being a two-down back in the NFL. He will join a crowded Raiders backfield that includes Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. Jacobs just had his 5th year option declined, and Drake is on the last year of a two-year contract. With both being players from a previous regime, there’s a solid chance neither of them is on the Raiders’ roster in 2023.

New Raiders GM and Head Coach Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels both come from the New England Patriots, whose approach to the RB position is having a committee of cheaply acquired running backs. That bodes well for White’s playing time opportunity in 2023 if he manages to make a good impression in his rookie year. This is more of a dynasty pick, but one that has the potential to have a huge rise in value in the short term.

Jake’s sleepers: 

James Cook – RB – Buffalo Bills

I believe that the former Georgia stud with a popular football name has a legitimate chance of starting in a talented Bills offense early on. The brother of Dalvin Cook unveiled a personal best of 1,012 total yards and 11 total touchdowns in 2021. Similar to the prime version of Le’Veon Bell and former Georgia RB Todd Gurley, he displays excellent quickness and patience. He has a unique ability to be a receiving stud, as well. According to PFF, he ran the third-most routes from the RB position. He reminds me a lot of Kenyan Drake, but he can be a more talented pure RB. 

Isaiah Spiller – RB – Los Angeles Chargers

Isaiah Spiller might be a bit in the shadow of Austin Ekeler in the Chargers RB room, but he is the second talented RB on this list in the perfect location. Spiller was one of the most accomplished CFB RBs to enter the draft: 3,578 total yards and 26 total touchdowns. Bucky Brooks has already stated that Spiller is one of the “10 perfect rookie team fits”. In fact, Brooks feels that Spiller could be the potential 1A RB in Justin Herbert’s offense, while the scatback Ekeler returns to a “change in pace” ball-carrier. The former Texas A & M RB ran a poor 40-yard dash (4.63), but he could still soon be leaned on as the bell-cow RB in LA. 

Velus Jones Jr. – WR – Chicago Bears

Todd McShay has started to really praise the outlook for Velus Jones Jr. The ESPN analyst stated that he was the “Bears best draft pick” and that he has a great ceiling in Chi-town. It’s easy to see why Jones Jr. is a fascinating profile given his 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He can be an effective chess piece in the Justin Fields-led offense, as he can be dangerous with screens, deep routes, and quick slants. I absolutely expect Jones Jr. to be a security blanket for his second year QB frequently.

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By: Jeremy Trottier

With the 2022 NFL Draft just around the corner, many if not all teams still have some major holes they need to fill via their picks.  With this, the Green Bay Packers have multiple needs, but the most glaring at the moment would be wide receiver.  After trading away Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, as well as losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling via free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Packers really do not have much left at the position for Aaron Rodgers to work with.  In this article, I will be covering 3 draft targets at the WR position for the Packers, who could reasonably fall to the Packers various picks through the first few rounds.

Option 1: Treylon Burks ”“ Arkansas ”“ First Round

The first option for the Packers is the big bodied receiver out of Arkansas, Treylon Burks.  Burks would be probably the best option for the Packers at the back end of the first round if he were to fall there, as he fits the bill for a true WR1 in this league.  His game is primarily his ability to be physical and make tough high point catches through contact and has some very solid YAC capabilities.  He has some impressive overall measurables, at 6’3” 225 pounds, with 9 7/8” hands and a 79 1/8” wingspan.  His speed, while testing somewhat at an average level, is underrated, as he has some really good play speed that just is not shown in events like the 40-yard dash. 

Option 2: Jahan Dotson ”“ Penn State ”“ First Round/Trade into early second

Onto the second option, who is a much different prospect than Burks in Jahan Dotson from Penn State.  Dotson is an absolutely amazing route runner, as many other writers and scouts can verify, and has some great tempo in his running.  While not the 4.2/4.3 type speed receiver, he has the ability to stop and start to get himself open against DBs, and break up routes into pieces to keep defensive backs off balance.  He also has great hands and will come down with a lot of passed, even when they are not within an immediate catch radius. 

Option 3: Alec Pierce ”“ Cincinnati ”“ Second Round/Third Round

The final option on our list is more of a day 2 prospect, as to give some variety and allow the Packers to fill other needs on day 1 if needed.  Alec Pierce is another physical jump ball receiver at 6’3” and 211 pounds, however his speed blew a lot of people away, as he ran a blazing 4.33.  For a receiver this large and with such a wide catch radius, as well as some great high-pointing capabilities, he really has all the traits you would want in a developmental receiver.  With some training in YAC maneuvers and some diversification in his route tree, he could be something special at the next level. 

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