AdonaiMitchell

News: 7 hours agoMitchell caught two of six targets for 37 yards in Thursday's preseason game at Baltimore.

Spin: The Colts used QBs Anthony Richardson (finger) and Daniel Jones but rested most of their other projected starters, including WRs Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. That left Mitchell, Ashton Dulin and Anthony Gould with heavy workloads throughout the first half, drawing at least four targets apiece. For Mitchell, it was much the same as what we saw last season, with his ability to get open and draw targets not translating to production -- both because of shaky QB play and his own struggles finishing catches. Reports out of Indy training camp have been positive, however, suggesting the 2024 second-round pick looks stronger and more consistent than he did last year.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Mitchell is eyeing a leap forward in his second season after he was limited to 35% of the offensive snaps as a rookie. The 2024 second-round pick found himself buried behind Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Josh Downs for most of the season, which led to inconsistent usage and one outing with double-digit fantasy points. He was targeted often when on the field (54 targets on 193 routes), but his vertical role, coupled with poor QB play (league-high 41% off target rate), led to a position-worst 43% catch rate and zero TDs. Mitchell's second-round pedigree places him on the breakout radar, but his hands will be full overcoming the team's WR depth (all three of Pittman, Pierce and Downs are back) and ongoing QB question marks. Mitchell is no more than a late-round lottery ticket.