Anthony Richardson

Richardson’s rookie season earned an "incomplete" thanks to injuries, but his four-game debut showed glimpses of why the Colts made him the fourth overall pick in 2023. He suffered a bruised knee in Week 1, a concussion in Week 2 that also cost him the next game and a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5 that required surgery. He showed off his big arm at times, though he didn’t throw deep a lot -- just 7.1 percent of his attempts went beyond 20 yards -- and his accuracy, while still a work in progress, wasn’t necessarily the Achilles' heel some expected. His running game is already top-tier, and he proved as elusive and powerful as advertised en route to 5.4 yards per rush (8th among QBs with at least 25 attempts) and four touchdowns. On 14 designed runs, he averaged a QB-high 7.0 yards per rush. The uber-athletic Richardson has an unprecedented size/speed combo -- 6-4, 244 with a 4.43 40 -- that should give him a solid fantasy floor while his passing develops. Coach Shane Steichen, who guided the development of Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, will undoubtedly encourage Richardson to better protect himself, but the QB will still form a nasty two-headed rushing attack with RB Jonathan Taylor. WRs Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are reliable targets, and the team drafted 6-2 Adonai Mitchell, who has 4.34 speed, to give Richardson the deep threat he did not have last season. Better health might be all that's needed for Richardson to quickly jump into the top 5 of fantasy quarterbacks.

The fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, Richardson will compete for the starting job with free-agent acquisition Gardner Minshew. Richardson, who only turned 21 in late May, might need development time, but the Colts will want to see their QB of the future in action at some point this year. At 6-4, 244, Richardson is huge for a quarterback, which makes his 4.43 speed mind-blowing -- in fact, it's the fastest combine 40 time by a player at his height and weight on record (since 2000). That elite athleticism allows him to make plays on the move, and he’s elusive in the open field. Richardson has a big arm to attack downfield, but the knock on him is his accuracy -- he completed only 53.8 percent of passes last season at Florida. According to scouts, the inaccuracy stems from poor footwork and a lack of touch on short passes. New head coach Shane Steichen, who oversaw Jalen Hurts’ impressive improvement in accuracy as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator the last two years, should help with that. And even if Richardson struggles, his rushing ability should give him fantasy value while he refines his passing skills. The Colts return wide receivers Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce, giving Richardson two solid targets, with third-round pick Josh Downs potentially the slot man. And with Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, Richardson gives the Colts a lethal one-two rushing punch.