Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has frustrated fantasy football managers who drafted him, as he appeared on the Physically Unable to Perform list just a week before the season started.
And, while there has been some uncertainty as to whether Taylor would play for the Colts this season, he did get activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list this week.
So, what does that mean for Taylor’s status for today? Is Taylor going to start? And if he does start, what is his fantasy outlook for Week 5?
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Is Jonathan Taylor Going To Play Week 5?
Saturday saw some huge developments for Taylor. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported, “The Colts have officially activated RB Jonathan Taylor from the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list and waived RB Jake Funk.”
Rapoport also said, “Taylor has no injury designation. He will play.”
MORE: Week 5 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news on Saturday that “Jonathan Taylor and the Colts reached an agreement on a three-year, $42 million contract extension, including $26.5 million guaranteed, that makes him one of the league’s highest-paid RBs and clears him to make his season debut Sunday vs. Titans.”
Therefore, it appears likely that Taylor will play today. However, what does that mean for his fantasy outlook today?
What Is Taylor’s Potential Fantasy Outlook Today?
The fact Taylor is cleared to play does not automatically mean he should be an instant start for fantasy managers this week.
Taylor has not played this season and missed the entire preseason and minicamps. It is unlikely that Taylor will walk into a full workload after only three practices.
Not to mention, Zack Moss has been playing well for the Colts since his return from injury in Week 2. Moss has shown he is more than capable of handling the workload or a portion of the workload while Taylor gets up to speed.
Therefore, I would expect Taylor to be on a snap count this week. Fantasy managers should expect Moss to be the lead back today and have most of the carries. However, Taylor will be active, and he will get touches.
The Colts play the Tennessee Titans today. The Titans have only given up an average of 12 fantasy points per game to fantasy running backs this season. That is the fifth-lowest amongst teams in the NFL so far this season.
This makes the matchup even less appealing for fantasy managers considering starting Taylor. With bye weeks starting this week, though, fantasy managers potentially looking to bench Jerome Ford, Rachaad White, Austin Ekeler/Joshua Kelly, or Kenneth Walker III might need to start Taylor this week.
However, if you do need to start Taylor this week, the expectations for him are low. Taylor is currently ranked as the RB19 in PPR Scoring in our Consensus Rankings. However, with this matchup against the Titans and the reduced workload, expect this finish to be his ceiling.
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Fantasy managers should exercise caution with Taylor this week. Start him if you must. But if you have better options like Raheem Mostert or Alvin Kamara, then those should be considered over Taylor this week. If fantasy managers have survived four weeks without Taylor, hopefully, they can manage one more week.
