Tyler Warren Is a Game-Time Decision and the Colts Activate Will Mallory Before Hosting the Winless Titans

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren is a game-time decision for Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game against the Tennessee Titans, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported, after a groin injury at Friday's practice put the AFC's leader in tight end receptions on the injury report as questionable. The Colts hedged on Saturday by activating tight end Will Mallory from injured reserve and removing his questionable tag, giving the offense a healthy option if Warren cannot go.

That leaves fantasy managers with one of the trickier calls of the early window. Warren is a top-five tight end by most weekly rankings, but his status will not be known until the inactive list arrives 90 minutes before kickoff, and the Colts have made a roster move that only makes sense as insurance.

How Warren got here

Warren was not on the report early in the week. He popped up after Friday's practice with the groin injury, according to James Boyd of The Athletic, and was limited in that session. Late-week additions are hard to read. Some are precautionary, others reflect a real setback, and the Colts have not said which this is.

Fowler's report that the team considers Warren a game-time decision means Indianapolis will see how he feels on Sunday morning. Groin injuries tend to affect a player's ability to accelerate and cut, which matters for a tight end who earns most of his work on short and intermediate routes.

Warren has been the Colts' most targeted player through five games, with 30 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown. As a rookie in 2025, the Penn State first-round pick made the Pro Bowl with 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns.

Who is Will Mallory?

Mallory was a fifth-round pick out of Miami in 2023. He went on injured reserve on Aug. 30 with a thumb injury, had his practice window opened on Oct. 7, and was a full participant all week. In 24 career games, including two starts, he has 23 receptions for 252 yards on 268 offensive snaps. He played only two games in 2025 and caught one pass.

He is not a Warren replacement in any fantasy sense. If Warren sits, the tight end work would likely be split among Mallory, Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree, which spreads the targets thin enough that none of them is a reliable start.

Fantasy fallout

Tyler Warren: If he is active, start him. His target share is the most valuable piece of a Colts passing game that has struggled, and a groin injury that still lets him suit up should not move him out of the TE1 range in a matchup the Colts are expected to control. The issue is the timing. Managers who cannot afford a zero should have a tight end from a later window ready to slot in. A practical approach is to set a later-game tight end in your flex or bench slot now so the swap at 11:30 a.m. ET takes one click.

If Warren sits: His targets do not go to one player. Josh Downs is the most likely receiver to absorb short-area work. He has seen only 10 targets over his last two games combined, so a bump would come from a low base. He becomes a stronger PPR flex if Warren is out. Jonathan Taylor is a must-start either way, and a Colts offense without its top target would lean even harder on the run against a winless opponent. Alec Pierce (heel) remains out after not playing since Week 2, which keeps the receiver group thin.

Daniel Jones is a fringe QB2. He has thrown for 1,021 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions through five games and is playing through an ankle issue, though he practiced fully this week. Losing Warren would remove his most reliable short-area target and further lower an already modest ceiling.

Will Mallory is not a waiver add or a start. Even with Warren out, a three-way split at tight end leaves him with a few targets at most.

The Titans side

Tennessee (0-5) is still looking for its first win. Running back Tyjae Spears is questionable with a knee injury after missing practice early in the week, and Tony Pollard was a full participant, which makes Pollard the Titans back to trust if Spears is limited or inactive. The Titans also activated cornerback Joshua Williams from injured reserve on Saturday with no game designation, adding depth to a secondary that has to slow down Downs and Warren, if Warren plays.

Betting angle

The Colts are 7-point favorites at most books, including DraftKings and FanDuel, with a few listings at 6.5. The total is 44.5 at most sportsbooks, with some showing 43.5, and Indianapolis is roughly -325 to -340 on the moneyline. SI's betting desk noted the spread has barely moved since opening, while the total has drifted slightly toward the lower end of that range.

Warren's status is the main variable left. A seven-point spread is a key number, and an Indianapolis offense without its top target is more likely to stall in the red zone and settle for field goals. That scenario favors Tennessee getting seven and the under, while an active Warren supports the market's current view. Warren's reception and receiving yardage props will not be settled until the inactive list, and bettors of legal betting age in their jurisdiction should wait for that list before backing either side of the key number.

For the model's view of this game, see the Week 6 picks at /blog/nfl-week-6-picks-2026 and the live board at /nfl/predictions.

What's next

The inactive list at 11:30 a.m. ET is the only checkpoint that matters this morning. If Warren is active, watch his snap share early. A tight end playing through a groin injury can be active and still lose snaps to Mallory and Alie-Cox. If he is inactive, the bigger question becomes whether this is a one-week absence or the start of something longer. Either way, Saturday's Mallory activation gives the Colts a healthy fallback at the position for as long as Warren's groin needs.