Mo Alie-Cox

Week 5 at Denver Broncos

Mo Alie-Cox had a big game last week against the Titans, catching all six balls thrown his way for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns. While it’s good to see his snap count up to 70% last week, most of the production came after the game was already pretty much decided. His role is still in question with Kylen Granson playing nearly half the snaps and rookie Jelani Woods in the mix as well. Plus, the Broncos rank 13th in aFPA to opposing tight ends, so he doesn’t have a super simple matchup either. Fantasy managers should wait and see if last week is a trend before spending a bunch of FAAB money on Alie-Cox. Sit him.

2022 Fantasy Upside
If Mo Alie-Cox is ever going to break out, this would be the year. He has a new quarterback in Matt Ryan and perennial depth chart-clogger Jack Doyle has retired. Alie-Cox should get every opportunity to win the primary tight end job for the Colts in his fifth NFL season. He had four touchdowns last season to go with 24 catches and 316 yards, finishing as the TE27 in half-PPR leagues. He’s a big target at 6-foot-5, 267 pounds and was a basketball player in college, known for his shot-blocking. That should make him a strong red zone target.

2022 Fantasy Downside
Doyle may be gone, but the Colts used Kylen Granson at times last season and also drafted Jelani Woods in the third round of April’s draft. The Colts want to use multiple tight ends and while Alie-Cox should lead the group in snaps, we’ll likely see plenty of all three. The Colts may throw more with Ryan at the helm, but the team is still built around running the ball. There may be limited opportunities for the Colts’ pass-catchers, a group that includes 2021 breakout receiver and fellow red zone threat Michael Pittman Jr.

2022 Bottom Line
Alie-Cox is worth considering based on his cost – he’s essentially free – but expecting the breakout we’ve all been hoping for is probably a bit unrealistic. The offense won’t generate a tremendous amount of opportunities for ancillary pass-catchers, and he could easily find himself fourth in the target pecking order behind Pittman, Nyheim Hines, and rookie Alec Pierce. He’s a late-round lottery ticket with some potential streaming value and should likely remain on waivers in most league formats.

Week 9 vs. New York Jets

Mo Alie-Cox caught zero of his four targets last week against the Titans. The Colts’ tight ends have been woefully inconsistent for years now, and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. He has an okay matchup against the Jets, who rank 19th in aFPA to opposing tight ends, but there should be better options available. Leave him on waivers.