Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce hopes to prove he's more than just a "deep threat." "I think there's a lot more to my game," Pierce said recently. "I just want to have the chance to be able to showcase that." The 24-year-old has displayed brief glimpses of promise in his first two seasons in the league, amassing 73 catches for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns in 33 games. Michael Pittman Jr. is the No. 1 wideout on the depth chart. However, Pierce seems eager to show everyone that he's more than a one-dimensional player, so he could be in line for his most productive season to date, especially if quarterback Anthony Richardson can play at a high level. He'll be competing for the No. 2 spot primarily with Adonai Mitchell, who the Colts selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (foot) didn't take part in mandatory minicamp this week as a precaution after his foot was stepped on in practice last week. It's a minor injury for Pierce, who should be a full-go for training camp at the end of July. The 24-year-old wideout will be competing for the No. 3 job in Indy this year with rookie second-rounder Adonai Mitchell behind starters Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. The former second-rounder in 2022 out of Cincinnati hasn't really been on the fantasy radar in standard 12-team leagues in his first two years in the NFL, catching a total of 73 passes for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns, although a healthy Anthony Richardson at quarterback could change that if Pierce beats out Mitchell for the No. 3 job in training camp and the preseason.
Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell To Compete For No. 3 Role
After the addition of rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round of this year's NFL draft, Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce will compete with Mitchell on the outside for the No. 3 role this season. Michael Pittman Jr, who signed a three-year, $70 million contract extension this offseason, will continue to see the lion's share of the targets, with Josh Downs manning the slot as the No. 2 option. The 23-year-old Pierce only had 32 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns last year and will now be battling a much more dynamic pass-catcher for a role in the Colts' offense in 2024. Not only is Mitchell a superior athlete, but his production (55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023) speaks for itself.
Alec Pierce Catches Second Touchdown Of Season In Win
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce took his only target of the day for a 58-yard touchdown in the team's 23-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. The touchdown came late in the first half, which would make for his only catch of the game. Pierce has been an underwhelming fantasy option this season, as today's win marked just the second time he's posted a double-digit fantasy outing. Pierce will look to remain involved in the team's Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans but is largely off the fantasy radar for that contest.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce had his best outing of the season in the team's Week 13 win against the Tennessee Titans. Pierce served as a big play threat for quarterback Gardner Minshew, reeling in three catches for 100 total yards and a touchdown. Pierce has been quiet this season, averaging a total of 26 yards per game before last week. The second-year receiver has seen plenty of playing time, as he has seen a 95% snap share this season. He now gets ready to face a Cincinnati Bengals secondary who are allowing the sixth-most receiving yards per game. Fantasy managers can look to include Pierce as a potential flex/WR4 option after his most recent showing.
Alec Pierce Goes For 100 Yards And Touchdown In Week 13 Win
A surprise name coming out of Indy's 31-28 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans was Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce. Pierce caught three of his six targets for a whopping 100 yards and a touchdown. Pierce served as the big play threat for Indy, catching a 39-yard touchdown early in the game and then a 55-yard reception in overtime to help Indy seal the win. Pierce has largely been off the fantasy radar this season, as he has not had a game this year where he has eclipsed 60 yards before today. The second-year receiver could be an intriguing waiver wire pickup for this week, and likely only worth a start in deeper formats for their Week 14 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce caught four of his six targets for 27 yards in Week 12's 27-20 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The second-year wideout improved over his one-catch outing in Week 10 against the New England Patriots, but his performance was still disappointing nonetheless in a game in which quarterback Gardner Minshew threw the pigskin 41 times. Both Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Josh Downs had 13 targets apiece, leaving little else for the rest of the team's pass-catchers. Pierce's six targets were third on the team. As long as Downs is healthy and active, Pierce is hard to recommend as a WR4/flex in standard-sized fantasy leagues. He has yet to score in 2023 and has gone over 50 receiving yards just once (in Week 7).
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Josh Downs (knee) and Alec Pierce (ankle) are active for Week 10 versus the New England Patriots in Germany. Both players had been listed as questionable. For Downs, the outlook was grim after he failed to practice at all this past week. He'll suit up Sunday but will likely see a reduced role or run some routes as a decoy. Therefore, he should be benched in most fantasy leagues. Pierce, on the other hand, managed to log a full practice on Sunday and could see an uptick in volume if Downs does spend part of the game on the sideline. However, it's hard to imagine that he'll earn enough targets to get on the fantasy radar. You can leave him on waivers in Week 10.
Indianapolis Colts wide receivers Josh Downs (knee) and Alec Pierce (ankle) are both listed as questionable to play in Week 10 in Germany against the New England Patriots. Downs didn't practice at all this week after aggravating his knee injury in the Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts, so it would be a surprise if he actually played this weekend in Europe. Fantasy managers need to send the rookie to their benches until further notice. Pierce, meanwhile, popped up on the Week 10 injury report and was limited on Thursday, but he returned to a full session on Friday, so he figures to be on the right side of questionable. The 23-year-old will have added opportunity if he suits up in Frankfurt with Downs looking unlikely to play. If both Downs and Pierce are out, Isaiah McKenzie would serve as the No. 2 behind Michael Pittman Jr.
Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Josh Downs (knee) didn't practice on Thursday, per The Athletic's James Boyd, while fellow wideout Alec Pierce (ankle) popped up on the injury report as a limited participant with an ankle issue. That makes two consecutive DNPs for Downs, who was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's estimated report. The rookie third-rounder left with a knee injury during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers after catching his lone target for 10 yards, and his status remains very much up in the air for Week 10's Frankfurt meeting with the New England Patriots. Friday's level of activity for both Downs and Pierce should be telling as it pertains to their availability for Sunday's matchup. Michael Pittman Jr. could operate as a target hog against the Pats depending on the standing of Indy's complementary pieces.
