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Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.

Discussing the decision to put RB Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list, Colts GM Chris Ballard said that Taylor is still "complaining of pain in the ankle." Taylor underwent surgery way back in January. It's impossible to know whether that ankle is actually still giving him trouble, or if it's just being used as an excuse to keep him off the field amid the contract squabble. Regardless, we know that Taylor will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 campaign. We're guessing that the ankle issue will be behind him by Week 5.

The Colts placed TE Jelani Woods (hamstring) on IR, knocking him out for at least the first four games of the season. Woods missed most of the offseason with hamstring trouble. He flashed as a rookie and is a nice stash on dynasty rosters. But Woods is not worth rostering in redraft right now.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will remain on the PUP list, knocking him out for the first four games of the season, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Taylor would be forced to stay on the PUP list even if he's traded. At least two teams have made trade offers for Taylor, but no deal has materialized yet. Keeping Taylor on the PUP list undoubtedly hurts his trade value, making it a curious move by the Colts. We'll continue to keep a close eye on this situation, but Taylor's 2023 fantasy value obviously takes a significant hit with this news. The Colts are now set to enter the season with RBs Zack Moss (who's still working back from a broken arm), Evan Hull, and Deon Jackson. See how the Taylor news has altered the RB rankings.

The Eagles released RB Trey Sermon. Philly will carry RBs D'Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, and Boston Scott into Week 1. We're expecting that to be the order in terms of snaps to start. But this figures to be an ever-evolving backfield throughout the season.

Colts TE Jelani Woods still hasn't returned to practice after going down with a hamstring injury on the fourth day of training camp. He also missed much of the spring with hamstring trouble. "Hopefully sooner than later," HC Shane Steichen said Monday when asked when Woods would be back. We'll see if Woods lands on the active roster or is placed on reserve/PUP to open the season. He remains an intriguing talent but won't be an early-season fantasy option.

On Monday, CBS Sports' Josina Anderson tweeted that "at least two teams are still actively working to construct" a deal to acquire Colts RB Jonathan Taylor. Various reports have confirmed one of the teams in on Taylor is the Dolphins, while the other is unknown. Anderson also adds these teams are "willing to give Taylor a market contract," a notable piece of information given the clash he and Colts owner Jim Irsay had earlier this month surrounding a lack of a long-term deal. ESPN's Stephen Holder reported last week that the team has given Taylor until this Tuesday to find a trade partner, so we'll know soon how this situation resolves. Stay tuned for further updates.

The Dolphins are one of two teams that have made a trade offer for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, according to The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. The Dolphins' offer was not accepted, obviously, but the team continues to engage in talks with Indianapolis, per Jackson. We'll see where this goes. Miami would be an excellent landing spot for Taylor's fantasy value -- and crush RBs Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert.

This coming Tuesday, August 29, is a big day for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor. ESPN's Stephen Holder reports that the team has given Taylor until Tuesday to find a trade partner. Two teams have already submitted offers to the Colts, per Holder, although it's unclear if either is close to what the Colts are looking for. Tuesday is also when teams must decide what to do with players on the active/PUP list, as Taylor is. Taylor will either need to be activated to the 53-man roster, or move to reserve/PUP, which would cost him the first four weeks of the season. We'll have a much better idea of Taylor's 2023 fantasy outlook by the end of Tuesday. Stay tuned.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Colts have given RB Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade. He adds that "conversations to find potential landing spots are ongoing." Although the RB market is tough everywhere, we'd be surprised if the Colts and Taylor can't find a suitor. Of course, cost will be a huge factor -- potentially both in trade terms and Taylor's contract demands. Exactly where he lands will have a huge fantasy impact: on Taylor's outlook, on the Colts' remaining RB depth chart, and on any new backfield mates. We'll be watching closely for developments here.

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is away from the team again. The team announced that he "returned to Indianapolis to continue his rehab, however he had a personal matter arise." The Colts also called the absence excused. Just like you, we'll keep watching this situation and hoping for some resolution. All the reported ankle rehab certainly can't be a good thing for Taylor's outlook.

Colts HC Shane Steichen announced Tuesday morning that they've named QB Anthony Richardson the regular-season starter. It's not a surprising move, but it's noteworthy that Steichen announced it after just one preseason game. Whether that signals more confidence in how far along Richardson already is or just a desire to commit to him earlier doesn't really matter. Richardson also doesn't need to be as "good" at football as most QBs to contribute fantasy value. Even with sack yardage subtracted (per college stat practice), Richardson still averaged 54.5 rushing yards per game across 12 starts in his only full season as Florida's starter. Combine that with a big arm and displayed aptitude for throwing deep, and you have a QB with immediate upside into the top 12. Check our fantasy football QB rankings to see where Richardson lands after this announcement.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Colts RB Jonathan Taylor is back with the team. "He remains on PUP and his stance has not changed," Rapoport says. "But he has returned." The report says Taylor left the team for "additional rehab on his ankle." If that's the whole truth, it doesn't bode well for his injury risk headed into the season. Taylor gets a "high risk" designation from our Injury Predictor. Of course, he also comes with a high fantasy ceiling if fully healthy and should operate as a workhorse. Taylor has moved down our RB rankings through this saga. He's an upside pick in Round 3, though.

Colts HC Shane Steichen says we should expect to see RB Jonathan Taylor back on the field soon. "He should be back this week," Steichen said Sunday, according to NFL.com. "Do I know the exact date that he'll be back? No. But he should be back." Taylor, of course, has been quarreling with the team over his contract. There have also been reports that he's still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, but it's tough to tell how true that aspect is. Fingers crossed we find out this week. Taylor has moved down our RB rankings since the start of training camp. But he has also made it into the third round in ADP recently.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson will start Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Bills, HC Shane Steichen said. That's certainly not a bad sign for Richardson's chances of earning the Week 1 starting nod. The rookie has seemingly had more ups than downs in camp so far and remains a high-ceiling fantasy pick.

Colts HC Shane Steichen said Tuesday that RB Jonathan Taylor is still working his way back from right ankle surgery early in the offseason. Steichen wouldn't say if Taylor, after a trade request, is rehabbing at the team facilities. And he also wouldn't say whether Taylor will practice in training camp. “Yeah, I’d like to see that," Steichen said. "We’ll see how it all plays out though.” It'd be a concern if Taylor truly wasn't 100% recovered from surgery that happened over six months ago. But it's possible that he's just milking the injury amidst this squabble with the team. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson had two of his best practices of camp over the weekend, according to The Indianapolis Star's Joel Erickson. “You get repetitions, you do things more and more, and you’re going to get more comfortable,” HC Shane Steichen said. “I think he’s gaining confidence in the system, gaining confidence with his teammates. When you have that, and you have the talent that he has, it’s usually a good thing.” Although not exclusively with the starters, Richardson has been getting lots of first-team work and seemingly has a good chance to win the Week 1 starting job.

Colts TE Jelani Woods is sidelined with a hamstring injury. No word yet on how long he’ll sit out, but Indy signed two free-agent TEs (Nick Eubanks and Michael Jacobson) on Saturday. We’ll let you know when Woods returns.

Per beat writer Kevin Bowen, the Colts have “mixed and matched a lot” with their TEs in training camp. Bowen mentioned a “rotation” of Mo Alie-Cox, Jelani Woods, Drew Ogletree, and Kylen Granson. “It’s difficult to see much separation so far,” Bowen concluded. We remain intrigued by Woods given his combo of size and athleticism. But this is a good reminder that he still needs to earn a role. The 24-year-old posted 25-312-3 as a rookie.

The Colts activated rookie TE Will Mallory from the PUP list on Monday. He missed time because of a foot injury, one that popped up at rookie minicamp. The 24-year-old is a dynasty long-shot.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson underwent surgery on Sunday to correct his nasal septum, the team announced. Richardson will miss Monday's practice but is expected back on Tuesday. The missed reps for the rookie aren't ideal, but this ultimately figures to be a non-factor when it comes to Richardson's 2023 fantasy outlook.

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