Who Should I Start? Alec Pierce or Josh Downs

Saturday, September 12, 4:02 AM

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) shed his injury designation Friday afternoon and will play against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Fantasy managers should still exercise some caution, however, as Pierce logged limited practices all week and missed the entirety of training camp while on the Physically Unable to Perform list after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. As of Friday afternoon, it is unclear if the veteran receiver, who led the NFL for two consecutive years in most air yards per reception, will be on a snap count. Even though Pierce finished the 2025 season as the WR23, his injury woes during the off-season pushed him into the later draft rounds, and he was drafted around WR40. Therefore, he is probably not in many starting lineups outside of deep leagues, 3WR leagues, or knockout formats. Additional uncertainty surrounds Pierce's connection with quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles). It is true that Pierce had two top-five finishes last season after Jones went down with a torn Achilles in Week 14. However, Pierce logged five top-24 finishes with Jones under center, showing a level of familiarity that translates to fantasy success. Pierce managers who don't need a WR4/flex option are best served keeping him on the bench, if possible, for Week 1 to build confidence in his recovery and observe his rapport with Jones.