Jelani Woods Emerges As a Playmaker for Colts

A rookie tight end made a name for himself with two touchdowns in a win over Chiefs.

Lamar Jackson carried a lot of fantasy managers Sunday with another monster performance for the Ravens, but Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season also featured big games from players with zero fantasy relevance.

Sure, shrewd fantasy managers might have guys like Khalil Herbert and Jamaal Williams on their rosters as handcuffs for David Montgomery and D’Andre Swift, respectively, but Montgomery and Swift both started Sunday. It would have been crazy to play Herbert or Williams. Who knew they would combine for 56 fantasy points in Week 3?

Jets tight end Tyler Conklin had a solid game, but he won’t get eight targets a game when starting QB Zach Wilson and fellow tight end C.J. Uzomah get back on the field. Mack Hollins? The Raiders wideout had eight catches for 158 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Titans, but he won’t see that kind of action again once Hunter Renfrow is healthy.

If there is one obscure name from the Week 3 surprises that could have longer-term fantasy relevance, it’s Colts tight end Jelani Woods. The rookie hailing from the University of Virginia only caught two passes in Indy’s upset win over the Chiefs, but those two grabs accounted for the first and last touchdowns of the game. Woods, an imposing target at 6-7, 265 pounds, was a third-round draft pick. Going into this week’s game, Woods was actually third on the Colts' depth chart at tight end, behind Mo Alie-Cox and Kaylen Granson. Alie-Cox and Granson have a combined 19 receptions. Woods’ two receptions Sunday were the first two of his career – but he’s accounted for two-thirds of Matt Ryan’s touchdown passes thus far. And that’s two more touchdowns than Kyle Pitts, the player every fantasy manager is waiting to anoint as the next superstar tight end.

Can Woods continue to be fantasy relevant? Considering how thin the tight end position is in fantasy, it’s a safe bet. Alie-Cox was a popular sleeper pick going into the season—not because he’s so talented—but because the Colts just don’t have a lot of playmakers. They have a potential star in Michael Pittman Jr., but the third-year receiver isn’t exactly lighting it up yet. Running back Jonathan Taylor is not off to a great start, either. And if the offensive line, once a strength for the Colts, continues to struggle, then Ryan will need a dependable safety valve. Woods can be just that.