On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts added superstar rookie Tyler Warren to their injury report as questionable. Warren has been pivotal for the Colts’ success, and if he’s out, there will be plenty of opportunity for Josh Downs, Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree to step up in his absence.
Let’s take a look at the latest updates on Warren and the fantasy football outlook for the other options who can step up for the Colts.
Tyler Warren’s Questionable status
The Colts added Warren to their injury report due to an illness on Saturday:
Warren has at least four catches in eight straight games and is coming off an eight-catch game against the Falcons with 99 yards and 17.9 fantasy points last week.
Over the last five weeks, Warren has averaged 7.2 targets per game, so if he’s limited or out, he’ll leave a huge void in the Colts’ offensive game plan.
Josh Downs’ fantasy football outlook
Downs has had very inconsistent production this season, but he has flashed upside. In his last two games, he only totaled three catches for 13 yards, although he did get eight targets in those two contests.
Before finishing with just 1.3 and 3.0 fantasy points the last two weeks, Downs posted four straight weeks with over 11 fantasy points. He scored three touchdowns in those four games and totaled 21 catches for 192 receiving yards.
He doesn’t typically catch deep passes, but he would be a very interesting PPR option this week if more targets end up coming his way. Downs will also avoid shutdown corner Derek Stingley Jr., since he plays mostly out of the slot. Michael Pittman Jr. will have to deal with Stingley, leaving more room for Downs to operate underneath, especially if Warren is limited or out as well.
Will Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree be involved?
Warren has not missed any games all season long, so it’s hard to know who would pick up work at tight end in Warren’s spot. Alie-Cox has played the second-most snaps at tight end this season and has caught five of his nine targets this year for a total of 59 yards.
Last week, a new tight end stepped onto the scene as well. Drew Ogletree had only one target all season before last week against the Chiefs. He played around his normal amount of snaps (22%), but he got two targets and caught them both for eight yards and a touchdown.
Ogletree’s performance could have just been a one-week outlier, but it was the first week coming out of the team’s bye week, so it could also be a shift in scheme to include Ogletree more.
Either of those two tight ends could end up as a sleeper if Warren is out this week.
The Bottom Line
The Texans’ defense is a tough matchup for all positions, including tight end. Even though it isn’t an ideal matchup, the extra targets could be enough to push Downs to be a solid flex option. He brings a higher ceiling with more targets potentially available, but he still remains high-risk as well. If you’re desperate for a replacement tight end, Alie-Cox or Ogletree are flier options, but there are “safer” and more established options on most leagues’ waiver wire.
In one-week contests on DraftKings, like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st], Downs is only $4,200 while Alie-Cox and Ogletree are both at the minimum at $2,500. If you need fantasy football sleepers that are bargain plays, all three will have boom-or-bust upside, especially with more targets available if Warren is out or limited.
