Fantasy football implications as Colts name Daniel Jones Week 1 starter

Another notable preseason quarterback competition has been settled as the Indianapolis Colts have named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback for Week 1, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Jones beat out returning starter Anthony Richardson for the starting gig and will lead the team into their opener against the Miami Dolphins on September 7.

Both men got a chance to start their own preseason game for the Colts with Richardson getting the nod in their opener against the Baltimore Ravens and Jones starting this past weekend’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers. “Danny Dimes” actually ended up getting more reps against the Ravens after Richardson was knocked out of the game early with a dislocated pinky. Jones would go on to deliver a nice performance in his two series against the Packers the following week, going 7-11 for 101 yards. That was enough for head coach Shane Steichen to declare him the starter and he went as far to confirm that he will be QB1 for the entire year.

Jones will now have a chance to get a fresh start in Indy after his six-year stint with the New York Giants came to an unceremonious end last season. After being benched mid-season for backup Tommy DeVito, the former first-round pick was granted his release from the organization and signed on with the Minnesota Vikings towards the end of the year. In search of an opportunity to start, he signed a one-year deal with the Colts this offseason and has now successfully overtaken Richardson, whose tenuous stint as the organization’s franchise QB is now over.

Jones’ ADP (average draft position) is currently 37th among quarterbacks according to FantasyPros and he is bound to be boosted into the 25-30 range now that he has been named the definitive starter in Indianapolis. His last full season as a starter came in 2022, where he actually proved to be a sneaky viable QB option for fantasy managers. He accumulated a 3,205 passing yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, but his ability to run is what made him a top-10 fantasy QB for that season as he ran for just over 700 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Heading into 2025, the new Colts starter presents as a respectable QB2 option in deeper leagues and a good late-round insurance get for those who decide to carry a third QB on their rosters.

With Jones having his most success through the air on intermediate throws and slant routes, expect slot receiver Josh Downs to get plenty of targets and emerge as a quality sleeper WR option for the Colts.