Jonathan Taylor: Colts reportedly open to trade talks
THE FACT. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Indianapolis is open to trading running back Jonathan Taylor, and Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote Saturday morning that talks are active and ongoing. Nothing is official: no deal has been agreed and the Colts have not announced anything. Florio named the Broncos, Packers, Vikings, Giants and Seahawks as teams showing some level of interest and called Minnesota the most logical fit. Colts coach Shane Steichen said Friday, per NBC Sports, that Taylor will play in Week 8 against Jacksonville.
THE VERDICT. Start him Sunday on Steichen's word, but check the inactives before kickoff, because a team shopping a running back sometimes protects the asset. Redraft: do not sell into the rumor, since a move to Denver, Green Bay, Minnesota or Seattle would put him behind a better offense than the one he has now. Dynasty: this is the clarity you have been waiting on, and his price jumps the moment a destination leaks. DFS: fade him outside single-entry until the Colts confirm his status, because the downside here is a healthy scratch.
Twenty years of doing this and the DFS call is the one I'd flip. Steichen already said Friday that he plays, and an 81 percent backfield opportunity share with eight touchdowns doesn't shrink because a trade report dropped. The noise scares the field off, so you're getting fantasy's RB5 at a fraction of his usual ownership. That's leverage, not a landmine. Where I'd go the other way is redraft: with Nelson and Buckner already shipped out, Indy is clearly selling, so I'm moving Taylor at peak rumor rather than holding.