Colts Bench Anthony Richardson | Fantasy Football Outlooks for Joe Flacco, Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Jonathan Taylor and More

The Indianapolis Colts have decided that they’ve seen enough out of Anthony Richardson and are turning to Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback in week 9.

Let’s discuss what the move means for every meaningful Colts’ offensive player.

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Quarterback Stats

Richardson made six starts this season, with the team going 3-3 in those games. 

He completed just 44.4% of his passes for 958 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The low completion percentage really sticks out, but the touchdown-to-interception ratio is also a concern.

Richardson has added 242 yards and a score on 41 rushing attempts, and that’s something Flacco cannot provide as the quarterback. Flacco only has 26 rushing yards on six attempts across his four games and two starts.

Indy went 1-1 in Flacco’s starts. He’s completed 65.7% of his passes for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. It’s clear who has been the better passer this season, and it’s really not remotely close.

If Flacco continues to excel as the starter, and the team remains in the playoff hunt, we might have seen Richardson’s last snaps as a Colt.

Other Fantasy Outlooks

With Richardson out, the team loses his rushing ability. That should mean more work for Jonathan Taylor, and maybe some extra looks for Trey Sermon or Tyler Goodson.

In week 8, Taylor played 52 snaps, while Sermon played 10 and Goodson two. This is Taylor’s backfield, and not having Richardson around means Taylor should get 20-25 touches, unless Indy is playing catch up. 

While I think Sermon and Goodson could get a couple more looks since Richardson won’t be running several times a game, I don’t think either will be good fantasy options. It would take another injury to Taylor to get either backup on the field consistently.

The quarterback switch is a big boost for the team’s wide receivers.

Josh Downs has been the best Indy wideout since he started playing in week 3. He has 351 yards and three touchdowns on 32 catches and 47 targets.

Those numbers over six games made him a solid fantasy option, but the inconsistencies of Richardson made fantasy owners unsure on whether or not to play Downs. His start percentage should rise significantly this week, and his upside is definitely higher with Flacco throwing to him.

Michael Pittman Jr. has been dealing with a back injury, and it’s slowed him over the past couple games. In eight games this season, Pittman has 352 yards, two touchdowns, 29 catches and 53 targets.

Pittman was another risky starting fantasy option with Richardson at QB, but the move to Flacco should increase his fantasy outlook a bit. The injury is still a little concerning, but if Flacco can lock down the starting job for several weeks, Pittman should be able to get into a groove and turn back into one of the better fantasy wideouts in the game, which is where he started the season.

Adonai Mitchell has 118 yards on 11 catches and 31 targets, while adding 14 yards on two rushing attempts. He only played 13 snaps in week 8, and hasn’t lived up to his high draft pick status yet. Having Flacco around could unlock the rookie’s potential, so he’s a player to keep an eye on.

Alec Pierce has 394 yards and three scores on 16 catches and 30 targets. He played the second-most snaps among the team’s pass catchers last week, and he goes from a boom-or-bust option to a flex option. Pierce still might be on the wrong side of the start/sit line, but having Flacco there will help him in the long run.

The Colts use Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory at tight end, so it’s hard for any one player to stand out. They are all worth watching, but it seems unlikely they’d ever become anything more than super deep league starting options.

As for Flacco, this offense has more than enough pieces for him to excel as a fantasy player. He’s already delivered some nice performances, and will be started by a good amount of fantasy owners beginning in week 9.

I’d expect Flacco to appear in my Thursday quarterback start decision story, so check back for that to see how he stacks up against other options.