The Indianapolis Colts are still waiting to fully turn the page to a new era with quarterback Anthony Richardson, who flashed his dynamic ability as a rookie but was limited to just four games due to injuries. As a result, we have yet to see how he will mesh with his tight ends, Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox.
Potentially one of the deeper tight end rooms in the league, the problem for fantasy production may be that none of them will be viewed as head-and-shoulders better than the other two. A TE-by-committee rarely produces fantasy stars.
Jelani Woods
Woods impressed with his downfield ability as a rookie in 2022, catching 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Those weren’t great numbers, but they were a solid baseline to set heading into his second season with a dynamic rookie quarterback viewed as the best the Colts have had since Andrew Luck retired.
However, he missed all of 2023 with a serious hamstring injury and missed out on time working with Richardson. A massive player at 6-foot-7, 253 pounds, with solid functional playing speed, Woods can create huge mismatches over the middle, which should help him create an early rapport with Richardson as a primary target.
Kylen Granson
Granson is a classic chain-mover at tight end. Over his last two seasons (28 games), Granson has caught 61 passes for 670 yards and one touchdown. He isn’t a flashy player has earned his role in the offense as a hard-nosed blocker and a reliable target who settles into the soft spot of zone defenses.
Granson isn’t going to excite anyone with his speed or route running, but he’s a blue-collar professional who has improved his craft in each of this three seasons and will be playing this year for a second contract in the NFL, which is always a motivator.
Mo Alie-Cox
Alie-Cox has always been on the radar of fantasy managers because he has been a regular touchdown producer. In 91 games, he landed just 102 receptions but has scored 14 touchdowns – an average of one touchdown every 7.3 grabs. That percentage has only grown with time. Over his past three seasons, he has 56 catches and 10 touchdowns, or a TD every 5.6 receptions.
Alie-Cox is a huge player at 6-foot-5, 267 pounds, and is an adept blocker as well as a receiver, but what stands out most is his ability to create splash plays of 20 or more yards. If he was ever given the opportunity to play a bigger role in the offense, he could be viewed much more favorably than a player who is known simply as a touchdown sniper.
Fantasy football outlook
The strange part of this committee approach in Indianapolis is that all three of the tight ends have important functions in the offense, but none of them are seen as a focal point of the passing game. Furthermore, the Colts have been stockpiling wide receivers of late, too.
Woods is likely to be the most targeted players of this group (if he can stay healthy). Granson has been the most reliable and productive, and Alie-Cox is the wild card with a history of scoring touchdowns. Unfortunately none of those resonate enough to make them players who garner consideration for fantasy rosters.
It’s difficult to put an endorsement on any of them for that reason. Woods is the only of getting any fantasy attention, and even then it’s as TE26 in PPR. He’s little more than a late-round curiosity in best-ball formats.
