The Colts are still hot, improving their record to an NFL-best 6-1. Nobody could have predicted this in the preseason with the team’s quarterback controversy, yet the Colts are proving doubters wrong.
Daniel Jones looks good under center, and Jonathan Taylor is an Offensive Player of the Year candidate. These two have established themselves as the position leader on the team. The wide receiver room has a bit more competition.
Three wide receivers have over 200 receiving yards this year, plus rookie tight end Tyler Warren leads all receivers with 439 yards. The wideout trio of Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce makes for a dangerous passing attack.
Whether you believe Indianapolis is a real contender, the offense provides fantasy value in the immediate future. The Colts play the Titans in Week 8, so which receiver is the most valuable in this matchup?
As mentioned before, Warren leads all receivers with 439 yards, which makes it more challenging for secondary or tertiary wideouts to make a significant impact week-to-week. That said, there’s a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver on the roster: Pittman.
Pittman has 351 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 35 receptions. He leads the team in receptions, targets (47) and receiving touchdowns. While he’s only on track to record about 852 yards, he’s almost matched his career high in touchdowns.
That’s always been a downside to Pittman’s game, especially in fantasy realms. He’s a good pass catcher but rarely scored. That’s changed this year, perhaps because Warren is garnering attention. Regardless of the reason, it’s benefitting fantasy owners.
Downs and Pierce are quality receivers, but their outputs don’t match Pittman. Pierce has 317 yards but only 16 receptions. He’s mostly a deep threat, averaging 19.8 yards per reception. Downs has 217 yards. but 26 receptions, averaging 8.3 yards per catch. Downs and Pierce combined for one touchdown thus far.
Both receivers provide different value, but neither provide the same level of production as Pittman. Pittman brings the best of all the worlds: touchdowns, receptions and yards. This is critical when assessing value for a receiving corps.
Pittman is the best receiver in Indianapolis. His main competition is Warren, not the other two receivers.