Daniel Jones Joins the Colts: What It Means for Indy’s QB Battle and Fantasy Football
In a surprising move, Daniel Jones has signed with the Indianapolis Colts, setting the stage for an intriguing quarterback competition with Anthony Richardson. While Richardson has shown flashes of brilliance, including his deep-ball potential and chemistry with rookie receiver Josh Downs, his struggles with consistency in passing and injuries have kept him from fully locking down the starting role. This opens the door for Jones, who, after a rollercoaster few seasons with the New York Giants, is now looking for a fresh start.
For fantasy football managers, this change could have a significant impact on both the Colts’ offense and the value of key players. If Jones emerges as the starting quarterback, it could provide a substantial boost to Michael Pittman Jr.’s fantasy stock. With Richardson at the helm, Pittman has had to battle for consistency, as Richardson’s deep-ball accuracy and focus on connecting with Josh Downs have left Pittman with underwhelming numbers. However, Jones, who is known for his steady playmaking and ability to facilitate the offense, could open up more opportunities for Pittman to thrive as a top target in the passing game.
This shift also presents an opportunity for fantasy managers in dynasty leagues to consider Daniel Jones as a potential “buy low” option. With the competition for the starting job in Indianapolis and Jones’ opportunity to prove himself once again, he could be a sneaky value, particularly if he secures the role and brings stability to the Colts’ passing attack.
If Jones takes the reins and becomes the starter, fantasy owners can expect more balanced offensive play in Indianapolis, likely improving the overall fantasy potential of players like Pittman and even Jonathan Taylor. On the flip side, if Richardson wins the job, his dual-threat ability could still provide value for fantasy teams—just not at the same level of consistency as a traditional pocket passer like Jones.
Ultimately, the Daniel Jones signing in Indianapolis introduces an exciting, healthy competition for the starting QB spot, with big implications for fantasy football managers looking to capitalize on any shifting dynamics in the Colts’ offense.
Author: Sagar (@FantasyBallQAs)
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said on ...
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, the ...
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had a ...
According to Colts beat writer Joel A. Erickson, GM Chris Ballard will be bringing in a Quarterback this offseason to compete with Anthony Richardson for the starting role.
Anthony Richardson’s performance as a starting QB for the Indianapolis Colts has had its ups and downs. PlayerProfiler’s #1 most athletic quarterback of all time certainly has put that big frame and 4.43 wheels to work — his 499 Rushing Yards in 11 games were the 6th best in the league last year, and 3rd best in Yards per Game. Richardson added another 6 rushing TD’s to end the season with about 7.8 fantasy points per game added via the running game alone. His passing, on the other hand, was sparse and erratic. Richardson ended the season 33rd in the league in both pass attempts and passing yards but had the 9th most interceptions. Yipes.
The future for Richardson is still unwritten, he could possibly take that Josh Allen leap, or he could be the next Blake Bortles. From what we can tell Shane Steichen has actually done a pretty fine job with Richardson’s development. Benching his starting QB after he posted a 31% completion rate week 8 vs Houston and then reinstating him by week 11 was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but reports showed Richardson found motivation to compete and grow. Perhaps the upcoming preseason Quarterback battle will do the same. We’ve already heard links between Justin Fields and GM Chris Ballard — a move that would present offensive continuity between QB’s with similar skill sets. The draft should be interesting this year too, pick 14 in the first round might not be high enough for Jaxson Dart come draft day, and the draft capital is probably too high for a QB at this stage anyway. Ballard and Co. could grab Jalen Milroe in round 2… but they already have a Jalen Milroe in Anthony Richardson. My money is on Tyler Shough, another big bodied QB that can hurl the ball downfield, who is ironically 3 years older than Richardson and may be further along in his development.
Author: Lukasz Stec (@Lukasz_FF01)
Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard has reportedly been interested in Justin Fields talent going back to the QB’s college game at Ohio State.
Justin Fields might be the answer the Colts are looking for as they decide what to do at the QB position long term. Anthony Richardson has 2 years left on his rookie deal, plus a 5th year option — bringing in Fields would let the organization give Richardson time to develop while not completely sinking the offense. Not only is Anthony Richardson raw as a passer, ranking 43rd in completion percent this season, but he has also battled a litany of injuries. He’s missed 18 games in 2 seasons as a pro already and is reportedly dealing with a back injury stemming from an orthotic walking boot he’s been wearing.
Justin Fields isn’t exactly a no-doubter, but the move makes a ton of sense. Fields possesses some of the same skills that make Richardson a weapon, a nice deep ball (40.7% deep ball completion in 2023) and rushing upside (No. 2 QB in rushing yards in 2023). He’s also finished above league average in completion percent this year at 65.8% , compared to 63.7% by his own Teammate Russell Wilson and 47.7% by Richardson. The Colts have plenty of cap to offer Fields a 1-year deal, and if GM Chris Ballard believes he has the weapons to make a deep postseason push, I would not be shocked if Fields was next year’s Sam Darnold.
Author: Lukasz Stec (@Lukasz_FF01)
Anthony Richardson is set to work with biometric coach Chris Hess this offseason, the same coach that helped Josh Allen transform his throwing mechanics early on in his career.
The Colts pass-throwing running back Anthony Richardson finished with the 4th worst completion percentage (47.7%) of any player to throw more than 1 pass in the NFL this year (Thank you Jake Haener, Sam Howell and Mike White). Players that had a higher completion percentage than Richardson include: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tim Boyle, Spencer Rattler, Cooper Rush, Desmond Ridder, Will Levis, Mason Rudolph, Tyler Huntly and his own teammate Joe Flacco (65.3%).
Richardson is reportedly hiring Chris Hess to work on his short and intermediate accuracy and short area touch. Both of which were woefully obvious deficiencies for anyone who watched the Colts passing attack. Richardson does comp closest to Josh Allen on PlayerProfiler, except with even more athleticism, so the prospect of a mechanics guru helping turn things around is enticing.
Before we get too excited about a Josh Allen-esque comeback, keep in mind that Allen was a significantly better passer his first two seasons. Allen finished with 52.3% and 58.8% completions while throwing to arguably worse weapons (Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, Cole Beasly and Isaiah McKenzie) compared to Richardson’s (Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell).
Author: Lukasz Stec (@Lukasz_FF01)
Colts to Start Joe Flacco at QB, Anthony Richardson Out Due to Injury
The Indianapolis Colts will turn to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to start this Sunday’s game, as rookie QB Anthony Richardson continues to battle back and foot soreness. Richardson, who has been struggling with the injuries this week, did not practice at all and has officially been downgraded to out for the game.
Flacco, 39, brings years of experience to the Colts’ offense, having started over 170 games in his career. The team will be looking to him for stability as they face off against their Week 5 opponent. Richardson, who has shown flashes of promise in his rookie season, will be sidelined in hopes of fully recovering from the ailments.
The Colts have yet to announce further details on Richardson’s recovery timeline, but for now, Flacco will take the reins in what promises to be a crucial game for Indianapolis as they look to stay competitive in the AFC South.
-Sagar
Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen made the announcement that the team is reinstating Anthony Richardson as the starter for the Week 11 game against the Jets for “the rest of the 2024 season.”
The Colts organization decided to bench Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco following a Week 8 loss in which Richardson took himself out for a game citing being “tired.” According to Steichen the organization felt Flacco gave them a better chance of winning, however after back to back losses Steichen has re-evaluated the situation. Steichen mentioned in a Wednesday presser how Richardson has really stepped up in his development since the benching. Between the classroom, weight room and practice the team feels like the young QB is finally taking his development seriously.
We have seen plenty of quarterbacks bounce back from losing their starting role, however rarely has a benching this early in one’s career lead to future stardom. The range of outcomes for Richardson could be anything from Mitch Trubisky (who had a higher completion percentage and better TD/INT ratio at a similar point in his career) to Richardson’s best comparable player Josh Allen. Be cautious chasing outliers, as even Allen showed better underlying metrics throwing to a worse receiver core.
Lukasz Stec, @Lukasz_FF01
