Alec Pierce Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Colts WR Alec Pierce (concussion) put in a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the final injury report. He’ll play vs. the Chiefs this weekend but isn’t a viable fantasy starter at this point.

Colts WR Alec Pierce (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. He's on track to return for this weekend's game vs. the Chiefs but isn't a viable fantasy play at this stage.

Colts WR Alec Pierce (concussion) is out for Sunday's game vs. the Jaguars. The rookie made some progress through the protocol this week and has a good chance to be cleared for Week 3. Look for WR Ashton Dulin to pick up most of Pierce's snaps against Jacksonville.

Colts WR Alec Pierce (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. It gives him a shot to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Jaguars. Pierce's status has taken on increased importance with WR Michael Pittman dealing with a quad injury.

Colts WR Alec Pierce developed concussion symptoms in the wake of Sunday's game against the Texans and has entered the league protocol, HC Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday. We'll see whether Pierce can get through ahead of Sunday's game. Pierce ranked 3rd on the team in route rate and drew only 2 targets in the opener, so he shouldn't be near fantasy lineups even if he's back.

Colts WR Michael Pittman drew 13 targets in Sunday's tie with Houston, 6 more than his nearest teammate. Matt Ryan's 50 pass attempts helped enhance that number, but the 26% target share marked a nice start for Indy's clear lead wideout. He proved efficient, too, racking up a 9-121-1 receiving line. RB Jonathan Taylor and TE Kyle Granson tied for 2nd on the team with 7 targets apiece. RB Nyheim Hines and WR Ashton Dulin followed at 6 apiece. No one else drew more than 4. That made Week 1 disappointing for WRs Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce, who drew targets on just 7.7% and 6.3% of routes, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus. (For context: Pittman finished at 27.1%, Dulin at 46.2%.) Campbell and/or Pierce will need things to change before making sense for fantasy football lineups.

The Athletic's James Boyd expects Alec Pierce to emerge as the Colts' 2nd most targeted WR. Boyd believes Pierce's combination of size and speed will make him a more valuable weapon for QB Matt Ryan than WR Parris Campbell, especially in the red zone. We ultimately like targeting both these guys near the end of fantasy drafts.

Colts QB Matt Ryan showed some love for rookie WR Alec Pierce. “More so than anything he does on the field, it’s the combination of the work ethic, the competitiveness, all of the intangible stuff combined with the talent,” Ryan explained. “If you’re going to be a great player in this league, which I think he can be, you’ve got to have it all.” It’s been a smooth summer for Pierce, who’s most recently impressed at join practices with Detroit. “It was good to see Alec make a couple of those plays [in joint practices]– a couple of those back-shoulder plays,” HC Frank Reich said. “I thought Matt put a couple of those right on the money. Alec made the plays. Those are the kind of things we saw from Alec in college.” A Round 2 pick, Pierce looks like a dark horse candidate for 90-100 targets.

Colts HC Frank Reich wants a more balanced offense this season after ranking 28th in pass rate last year. "You don’t see teams that have this ground-and-pound run game win championships,” Reich said. “You just don’t. I’m sure it’s happened with one or two teams, but our best formula is to be balanced." Reich also conceded that it will mean fewer touches for RB Jonathan Taylor. "I’m not saying he won’t lead the league in touches, because you never know how things are going to play out. But I almost don’t want him to," he said of Taylor. “The goal is not to lead the league in rushing. The goal is not to make him the MVP of the league. The goal is to win championships." Taylor easily led the league with 332 carries last year -- 25 more than anyone else. So he can afford to lose some and still be a fantasy stud. More passing, of course, would be good news for QB Matt Ryan, WR Michael Pittman and the rest of the Colts' pass catchers.

Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.

Colts GM Chris Ballard pointed to WR Alec Pierce's downfield ability as a reason they targeted him in the draft. “The one thing you notice about Pierce is he gets behind people,” Ballard said. “This kid can really, really run and really adjust to the football." Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per catch over the last 3 seasons at Cincinnati and clocked a 4.41-second 40 time at 6'3, 211 pounds at the Combine. “One of the things I like on (Pierce’s) tape is I like him outside,” HC Frank Reich said. “I think he’s very good versus press, I think he’s got length and vertical speed to get down the field. I think for his size, he’s a very good route runner." Pierce has a golden opportunity to win Indianapolis' #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman. He's a nice Round 2 target in dynasty rookie drafts and is worth a look in the later stages of redrafts.

Colts beat writer Zak Keefer believes rookie WR Alec Pierce’s athleticism makes him a “candidate for the Colts #2 WR job.” The competition isn’t exactly fierce, as the Colts have Parris Campbell, Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin, Keke Coutee and Mike Strachan as depth. “He’s got really good size, has really good vertical speed,” GM Chris Ballard said. “He’s got work to do, like any rookie receiver that comes into the league, but we think he’s got a chance to really ascend.” This summer, the 22-year-old could certainly enter the mix as a late-round flier in deep formats. Indy lost 69 targets with the loss of Zach Pascal — and potentially 37 more from free agent T.Y. Hilton, if he moves on.

The Colts selected Cincinnati WR Alec Pierce with the 53rd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pierce never reached 900 receiving yards across 4 college seasons, topping out with a 52-884-8 line this past year. But he left school with a big 17.5 yards-per-catch average and pops as a big-play threat on tape. Pierce is a contested-catch dominator (he played basketball and volleyball in high school) and a natural ball tracker. His 99.3 deep receiving grade from Pro Football Focus last year ranked 27th among 275 qualifiers. The 6’3, 211-pounder registered a 4.41-second 40 time and a big 40.5-inch vertical at the Combine to earn a 98th percentile Relative Athletic Score. We see shades of Marvin Jones in his game. Pierce lands in a nice spot, with a clear path to the #2 WR job behind Michael Pittman.