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When is Alec Pierce coming back? Will Alec Pierce play again this season? Read about Alec Pierce's return date and injury updates for 2026.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (heel) had surgery on one of his ankles in the offseason after he picked up an injury that he attempted to rehab. The ailment didn't heal on its own, leading to the operation.
He missed much of the offseason program and was limited in practice until very late in the offseason, when he finally ramped up to full participation. Unfortunately, the Colts were too aggressive with his return timeline.
He's now missed three games with his heel injury. With just seven targets, five receptions, and 72 receiving yards on the season, his fifth year in the NFL hasn't gotten off the ground yet. So what's his latest injury update, and when might he return to action?
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Alec Pierce Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Pierce aggravated the heel injury he was struggling with before the season. It appears he returned before fully recovering from his offseason operation. Shortly before the season started, he was seen limping at a practice he couldn't participate in due to an injury.
It wasn't long before he went from not practicing at all to a full practice, so it seemed like the goal was to get him on the field for Week 1 in any way possible. In hindsight, that was a bad idea, though his awkward gait should have given that away.
#Colts WRs Alec Pierce and Josh Downs talking as they watch practice. https://t.co/Hd5AGfS2nL
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 25, 2026
He's now on injured reserve, so hopefully he gets time to fully recover this time. He's already missed three weeks, so he'll be eligible to return in Week 7, but don't be surprised if the Colts elect to be cautious and hold him out for longer.
The offense hasn't been great in his absence, though much of that is likely due to quarterback Daniel Jones still having to recover from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in 2025.
Alec Pierce Fantasy Football Outlook
There hasn't been a single highly productive pass-catcher for the Colts since Pierce's absence. Perhaps his presence elevates the offense thanks to his elite speed and legitimate downfield ability.
Teams facing the Colts are much more scared of getting beat deep when Pierce is on the field -- he doesn't just play a sacrificial "X" role, as he led the NFL in yards per catch last season (minimum 40 receptions) with over 21 yards per catch.
Even in tight single coverage, Pierce is a specialist at making tough contested catches deep downfield. He lifts the offense he plays on while retaining solid upside for fantasy football.
And this season, with no WR Michael Pittman Jr. to take targets away from him, Pierce has top-12 upside at his position if he can get fully healthy. He's a prime buy-low target for WR-needy teams in fantasy football.
As long as you have enough depth to keep winning and can get a good deal for him, you should consider trading for Pierce. Jones will continue to get healthier as the weeks go on.
OH MY ALEC PIERCE.
MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt https://t.co/Kkc968cK3R— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
Without Pittman, Pierce is likely to get an increased target share and see more work in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He'll be a full-time starter, and more work on horizontally-breaking routes will increase both his floor and his ceiling.
At full health later in the season, he'll likely be a must-start every week.
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Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Josh Downs, Keenan Allen. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 6 for Josh Downs, Keenan Allen:
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