Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has taken fantasy football managers on an emotional roller-coaster ride throughout the 2023 season. Confusion, frustration, disappointment, happiness, optimism, and worry are just a few of the emotions that Taylor’s fantasy managers have had to face at some point this year.
After missing the previous two games with a thumb injury, there may be some hope left that Taylor could help fantasy managers win their playoff matchup in Week 16.
Let’s take a closer look at the most recent news we have on Taylor and what type of fantasy impact his status can have on the Colts’ backfield against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Latest Injury Update on Jonathan Taylor
After it was revealed that Taylor suffered a significant thumb injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in Week 12 and would end up needing surgery, the timetable for return was potentially put at 3-5 weeks.
This news was worrisome for fantasy managers because if Taylor missed games, that would mean his return to the field would be in Week 18, thus resulting in him missing the fantasy playoffs.
Well, Taylor shareholders got some great news to start the week of practice. He was listed as a full participant for Wednesday’s walkthrough practice according to the team’s injury report.
Taylor also spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of his first “full speed” practice, where he talked about this practice being a “big day” towards his potential return.
Will Taylor Play This Week?
Taylor’s participation in the first two practices this week certainly has him trending in the right direction regarding his playing status for Sunday. Fantasy managers will need to monitor his practice participation throughout the rest of the week to ensure he doesn’t suffer any setbacks.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen did mention that Taylor is making progress while speaking to the media on Wednesday. “He’s progressing well,” said Steichen, “I’ll refer to the injury report on that though.”
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Despite his full participation in practice twice this week, it’s not a guarantee that Taylor will play in Week 16 if he or the organization doesn’t believe his thumb is in a place where it’s ready for game action quite yet.
With that said, Taylor certainly has a good chance to return to the lineup in Week 16.
What Does This Mean for Zack Moss, Trey Sermon, and Tyler Goodson’s Fantasy Ranking?
Taylor has 551 total yards and five scores in seven games this season. However, it was his usage over his last five games that should give fantasy managers the confidence to insert him back into their starting lineups against the Falcons this week.
From Weeks 7-12, Taylor was the RB9 in PPR formats with 452 total yards and five scores. During this span, he averaged 19 touches and 17 fantasy points per game, which put him firmly in the RB1 category of producers in that time frame.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
With this in mind, the only way I would see Zack Moss, Trey Sermon, or Tyler Goodson having fantasy value in Week 16 is if Taylor was inactive.
Moss is currently dealing with a forearm injury he picked up last week and was a non-participant in practice on Wednesday, which means his status is up in the air. However, if Taylor is out and Moss is active, then Moss would be first in line to lead this backfield against Atlanta.
If both Taylor and Moss are out on Sunday, then Sermon and Goodson will split the work, making them both Flex options heading into Week 16.
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