Giddens will battle Seth McGowan for the RB2 role behind Jonathan Taylor. Last year, Taylor stayed healthy for 17 games, and the only time Giddens topped a 30% snap share was in Week 18. We expect much of the same this year. If it becomes clear who has won the RB2 job by the time that you draft, you can spend a pick in the final three rounds on Giddens or McGowan. Giddens is still just 22 years old and averaged six yards per rush and nearly 12 yards per reception at Kansas State, so it is possible that he takes advantage of an opportunity if Taylor goes down. Plan on holding Giddens in Dynasty for 2026 if possible, but you may reach a point this season in more shallow leagues where you have to cut him.
Colts' DJ Giddens: Back on practice field Wednesday
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Giddens (hamstring) participated in Wednesday's practice, Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Giddens was seeing some work with the first-team offense early in camp, but he's been battling a hamstring injury for a couple weeks now, and it's unclear how active he was in Wednesday's session despite being back in full pads and a helmet. Sixth-round rookie Seth McGowan has been a strong performer in practice this summer and is pushing Giddens in a big way for the RB2 job behind Jonathan Taylor. Giddens needs to get in some action over the final two preseason games.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Nursing hamstring injury
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Giddens did not participate in Sunday's training camp practice due to a hamstring injury, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan reports.
It's unclear when Giddens tweaked his hamstring, but it jeopardizes his chances of participating in Tuesday's joint practice with the Patriots on Tuesday, as well as Thursday's preseason opener against New England. The 2025 fifth-rounder entered training camp as the RB2 behind Jonathan Taylor, so an extended absence for Giddens would free up reps for rookie sixth-rounder Seth McGowan and Ulysses Bentley.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Logs added reps Friday
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With Jonathan Taylor being rested, Giddens took more first-team reps at Friday's practice, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Giddens is no threat to Taylor's status as the Colts' top back, but the 2025 fifth-rounder is competing with Seth McGowan for the No. 2 role. With that in mind, Boyd noted that Giddens has struggled a bit to catch the ball out of the backfield in team drills, but it's early on in training camp, and the Kansas State product has some time to clean that aspect of his game up. Whoever ends up being Taylor's top backup will hold minimal fantasy lineup appeal as long as he's healthy but would be a must-add should Taylor miss time for any reason.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Competing for backup role
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After a quiet rookie season, Giddens will compete against Seth McGowan for the backup running back role behind Jonathan Taylor for the 2026 season, Paul Pretl of USA Today reports.
Giddens was a fifth-round selection of the Colts in the 2025 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie year with 26 carries for 96 yards across nine regular-season games, though 20 of those touches came in Weeks 1 and 18. Per Bretl, Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters in early June that Giddens' growth and knowledge of the team's offensive scheme puts the latter ahead of McGowan for the RB2 job heading into training camp.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Concludes quiet rookie season
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Giddens rushed eight times for 30 yards in Sunday's 38-30 loss to the Texans. He finished the season with 26 rushes for 96 yards in nine appearances.
Giddens's eight carries Sunday were his most in a contest since Week 1. The rookie running back barely saw the field in his first season in the NFL, as he was buried on the depth chart behind Jonathan Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Tyler Goodson. Taylor handled the vast majority of the work out of the backfield, leaving very few opportunities for the backups in Indianapolis. The 25-year-old Goodson should continue to improve and get acclimated to the Colts' offense heading into his second season, and it's possible he could take on a bigger role as a backup behind Taylor with Abdullah and Goodson entering free agency this offseason.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Inactive Sunday
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Giddens is inactive for Sunday's game against the Titans.
With Giddens the odd man out in the Colts' Week 8 backfield, Ameer Abdullah and Tyler Goodson (in his return from a groin injury) are available to work behind Jonathan Taylor versus Tennessee.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Light snap count Sunday
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Giddens didn't receive a carry or target while playingthree snaps on offense in Sunday's 38-24 win over the Chargers.
Giddens appears to have been bypassed by Ameer Abdullah for the No. 2 spot out of the backfield behind Jonathan Taylor. Abdullah played five snaps and had two carries for 19 yards, including a rush early in the third quarter. The Colts will eventually get Tyler Goodson (groin) back from injury, which could push Giddens further down the depth chart.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Just two snaps on offense
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Giddens did not have a carry nor was targeted in the passing game in Sunday's win over Arizona. He played just two snaps on offense.
It was surprisingly Ameer Abdullah who had both a carry and a reception in the game, although the veteran RB played only three snaps on offense. Giddens is still likely the running back who would get the most work if Jonathan Taylor were to get hurt, though Tyler Goodson has been sidelined with a groin injury and could factor in once he's healthy. Either way, Taylor is getting almost every touch in the backfield in non-blowouts, and that doesn't look likely to change.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Small role in Week 2
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Giddens did not have a carry and did not catch his lone target in Sunday's win over the Broncos. He played just five snaps on offense.
Giddens had 12 carries in Indy's Week 1 win, and it appeared he'd get regular duty to spell Jonathan Taylor. However, Taylor got every carry (25) among Colts running backs Sunday, showing the coaching staff isn't overly concerned with giving him rest in close games.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Gidden is the clear handcuff for Jonathan Taylor and should be considered a lottery ticket moving forward. In Week 1 against Miami, Giddens had 12 carries for 41 yards and no targets. We may see his role in the passing game improve, but for now, consider adding Giddens in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Ahead of Goodson for backup role?
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Giddens is on track for the No. 2 running back role, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder.
Giddens worked ahead of Tyler Goodson in the Colts' second preseason game, even taking a handful of first-team snaps, while Goodson only played with the backups (and then left early due to a shoulder injury). Khalil Herbert (undisclosed) was already unavailable, and Giddens then furthered his case for the backup role by taking six carries for 28 yards. It's still possible the Colts defer to experience and enter Week 1 with Goodson as their No. 2 RB, but Giddens should have a chance to move up soon enough even if he starts off third in the pecking order. That said, there's no real hope for Year 1 fantasy value without workhorse Jonathan Taylor missing time.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Rotates with Tyler Goodson
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Giddens took six carries for 17 yards and had one incomplete target in Thursday's preseason opener at Baltimore.
With Jonathan Taylor and most other starters rested, RB Tyler Goodson got the start and the first carry, but it was Giddens who took most of the snaps in the first half after Daniel Jones replaced an injured Anthony Richardson (finger) at quarterback. Neither Giddens nor Goodson made much of an impression, but they at least worked ahead of Khalil Herbert, who got zero touches in the first half and then scored a TD in the third quarter. As a rookie fifth-round pick, Giddens likely will be kept on the Week 1 roster even if the Colts settle on Goodson or Herbert as their No. 2 RB.
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Colts' DJ Giddens: Taken by Indy in fifth round
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The Colts selected Giddens in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 151st overall.
Formerly a zero-star recruit, Giddens worked his way up Kansas State's depth chart to start in his final two college seasons. He rushed for 1,200-plus yards in each of those two years and was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 roster in 2024. Giddens' cutback ability and lateral quickness makes him a dangerous runner in the open field, which makes up for his lack of effectiveness between the tackles. His elusiveness as a runner and pass-catching ability should allow him to compete with Khalil Herbert and Tyler Goodson for a rotational role in the Colts' backfield behind starter Jonathan Taylor.
