Fantasy managers who picked Indianapolis Colts RB Zack Moss up off of waiver wires several weeks ago have been pleasantly surprised with how productive he’s been from a fantasy football standpoint.
However, now that Jonathan Taylor is back in the fold, does Moss need to move back to fantasy benches? And is Taylor a reliable start in Week 6?
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Zack Moss Fantasy Outlook This Week
Moss has been on fire to begin the season for the Colts. Despite not playing in Week 1, Moss is the RB6 in all of fantasy football and is actually the RB4 from a fantasy points-per-game standpoint.
Rushing yards leaders from Week 5 in the #NFL:
1️⃣ Breece Hall, #Jets – 177
2️⃣ Zack Moss, #Colts – 165
3️⃣ De'Von Achane, #Dolphins – 151
4️⃣ Travis Etienne Jr, #Jaguars – 136
5️⃣ David Montgomery, #Lions – 109@PFNFantasy RB waiver-wire targets for Week 6: https://t.co/RbeMnNtR26 pic.twitter.com/SaMqxWxcYE— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 10, 2023
After being completely written off after his time in Buffalo, Moss has put himself back on the map in a big way.
In Week 5, against a stout Tennessee Titans run defense, he was dominant. Unfortunately, with Taylor back off of injured reserve — and receiving a massive contract — fantasy managers likely had him and his 32.5 fantasy points last week on their bench.
Now, is Moss worth plugging back into your starting lineup? Or should fantasy managers be nervous about Taylor?
Whether or not you can plug Moss into your starting fantasy lineup comes down to Taylor’s status coming off of his injury. If he’s not at 100% yet, which last week seems to indicate that he isn’t, Moss should continue to see a substantial enough workload to be in the Flex conversation.
MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings
The Colts didn’t pay Taylor though to sit on the bench and have Moss handle the majority of the touches in this backfield. At some point, whether this week or two weeks down the line, Taylor will begin seeing a substantial workload, which will send Moss back to the sideline.
If you take the risk and start Moss this week, there’s a possibility that it works out for you. You may get a dominant performance like you did in Week 5. However, there’s also just as likely a possibility that Taylor is the RB1 for this backfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Moss sees just a handful of touches.
He’s a very risky RB3 play in Week 6 that I would prefer to leave on my bench if I can.
Jonathan Taylor Fantasy Outlook This Week
Taylor was handed the big contract extension by the Colts last week and activated off of IR, which fantasy managers figured would mean he’d be a solid producer right away. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Taylor handled just seven touches in Week 5 and was a non-factor for fantasy football, while Moss ran roughshod over the Titans.
Heading into Week 6, we’re expected to see an increased workload for the dynamic RB. Taylor’s another week removed from his injury, and Indianapolis will be looking to see a return on their massive investment.
Taylor lands just inside the top 24 running backs on the week in my half-PPR RB rankings. He has plenty of upside in this matchup due to his skill set, but there’s still a very low floor based on how much work the Colts choose to give him.
If you’re more of a risk-taker in fantasy football, Taylor belongs in your starting lineups because of the potential that he ends the week as a top-12 RB.
However, if you prefer to play it a bit safer, someone like Dameon Pierce or Jerome Ford is a solid alternative due to the guaranteed volume that they’re going to see.
Which of the Colts’ RBs Should You Start?
It’s not a massive difference in the rankings between the two Colts running backs. Our Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network currently has these two players separated by just .5 projected fantasy points for Week 6.
As of right now, Taylor is the player to go with in your starting lineups due to the upside that he presents and the narrative that the Colts are going to want to get him up and running quickly.
However, if you’re in a pinch and you need a fill-in option for your lineup due to bye weeks or key injuries, Moss has the path for another solid fantasy finish. It’s just a complete gamble.