Going into the season, the New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts both looked like they were going to make big playoff pushes. Those chances grow slimmer by the day, but in terms of simple production, both teams also have players that can pop off on any given Sunday. It might be tempting to stay away from this game, but it’s actually a good source of cheap players who could have big games at Metlife Stadium.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets Start Em’
Here are a few of the players we are heavily leaning on in this game. These players are in a good spot to have a solid performance and a favorable DFS matchup.
Alec Pierce (Draft Kings Price 5.4K, FanDuel Price 5.4K)
Recently, Alec Pierce has looked like a deep threat to the Colts. In particular, last game he played he went for 81 yards and a touchdown. Of course, he’s had Joe Flacco throwing to him for a couple of weeks, but Anthony Richardson is returning to play against the New York Jets, and he likes throwing the deep ball more than Flacco does.
Davante Adams (Draft Kings Price 7.2K, FanDuel Price 7.4K)
Picking up Adams after last week’s performance sounds like fantasy sports craziness, but it’s not. Adams is at least getting targets in the Red Zone, he just dropped a big one against the Cardinals. The Colt’s defense won’t play them the same way Arizona did, and Rodgers will likely be in a better position to throw and keep New York in the game. It’s also Davante Adams; it’s highly unlikely he is having two bad games in a row.
Breece Hall (Draft Kings Price 7.5K, FanDuel Price 8.5K)
It is a rare sight in 2024 to see someone advocating for starting Breece Hall. This might be the perfect matchup for Hall to finally have a breakout game, though. The Colts are ranked 27th in run defense, which should be easily exploitable for the New York Jets. Also since it’s a matchup that the Jets could win, the game script is better for Hall. He may be having a down season, but it isn’t like Breece Hall lost all his talent.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets Sit Em’
Josh Downs (Draft Kings Price 6.4K, FanDuel Price 6.9K)
Downs has been very impressive this season. The issue with starting him in this game is that Flacco targets him way more than Richardson does. Therefore, since Richardson is starting behind center, it’s more likely that he gets Pittman Jr. and Pierce going. Downs is guaranteed to have a decent day, but he won’t have a great day unless he gets into the endzone.
Aaron Rodgers (Draft Kings 5.5K, FanDuel Price 7.1K)
Rodgers is simply way too inconsistent to spend money on at this point. If there was a guarantee we would see the Rodgers who threw for three touchdowns against Houston, he’d be a great start. If we see the Rodgers who played against Arizona, though, it doesn’t look so great. New York might also focus more on their ground game so that Rodgers doesn’t have to win it with his arm.
Michael Pittman Jr. (Draft Kings Price 6K, FanDuel Price 5.9K)
Talent-wise, Pittman Jr. can catch and run with the best of them. Just from a statistical standpoint, though, there is little to be happy with concerning Pittman Jr.’s performance. He gets 3-5 targets per game, usually gets about 50 yards, and he is trending downward. He has produced 16 yards and 14 yards of offense in his last two games.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets Lock
Jonathan Taylor (Draft Kings Price 7.6K, FanDuel Price 8.4K)
One does not simply sit Jonathan Taylor. He has hit the 100-yard rushing mark three times this season and is looking like a few running backs that could be played any Sunday regardless of matchup. Especially since Anthony Richardson will be coming back from the bench, Colt’s game plan might involve rushing early while Richardson gets his bearings back.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets Fade
Xavier Gibson (Draft Kings Price 3K, FanDuel Price 4.6K)
If Allen Lazard was playing in this game, he would be worth a start due to his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Lazard is on injured reserve, though. That puts Gibson, Lazard’s backup, in an awkward situation since he would compete for targets with Garret Wilson and Davante Adams. That is not a great formula for good production.
